I wonder if anyone lives on this island?

Someone built a holiday home at the north of the island and seems never to visit it or stay. Locals don't seem to know who owns it.

Thank you for sharing those beautiful images of Feenish Island. I couldn't help but thinking,"if those walls could talk".

Thanks for sharing Damian and to be honest I never heard of Feenish Island before, your pictures tell their own story. Well built stone cottages in the traditional vernacular, probably no older than a couple of hundred years.I couldn't imagine a sustainable living in such a bleak place. I must look up the history..

Cavan007 and Wi_bubbs,

The locals were telling me that the island is starting to split in two and when I was there you could see the rift starting to appear in the centre of the island. It's easily forgotten how densely populated Ireland was, primarily pre-famine. Good arable land was a scarcity, more so in south Connemara as you well know. Places such as Feenish were a viable option.

From the research that I did archaeologists claim it was settled over 4000-years-ago. There is evidence of this on the island but I couldn't locate it. There was an older gentleman that had driven across in his tractor and I stumbled upon him praying down by the shoreline. He mentioned something about holy water and pointed to a holy well. Old customs alive and well.

Walking West give the guided tours of the area and will also include the short walk over to Loch Scainnimh. Where you can see the Crannog out in the lake - it's an astounding site with the backdrop of the mountains. It's the second image on their website below.

http://www.walkingwest.ie/index.php

Great stuff Damian and very interesting, I can imagine that fresh water might have been a bit scarce on Feenish and walking over to the mainland would have its own hazards. Firewood and turf gathered along the shoreline even since the famine it wasn't sustainable living. people often refer to the famine but I expect that there could have been people living here well into the twentieth century, reminds me of the deserted village on Achill Island where living just became impossible, men drifted away for work and the old homesteads crumbled. It's a story we often hear and when I think of my own kids settled on the other side of the world it makes me think that the wheel just keeps turning in this country and famine is a convenient excuse for wanting a better life somewhere else.

Nice one, Damian, haven't been there since i was working as a ceannaire in the Gaeltacht!

HarveyIreland,

That's unreal to read that. Here I was thinking I might have been the first TA contributor to visit Fennish and you beat me to it. lol

Check out the RTE News and see the amazing story detailing the Galway native John Tobin reach the summit of Croagh Patrick in his wheelchair.

http://www.mayonews.ie/news/28454-galway-native-plans-to-ascend-croagh-patrick-in-wheelchair

Cavan007,

One of the locals mentioned that the last inhabitant departed in 1987 no less.

This was posted last June, I often wonder how these dormant posts resurrect themselves. lol

We also got out to Oileán Mhic Dara, again, a lovely lovely place.