Horse Island, County Cork facts for kids
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Native name:
Oileán na gCapall
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 Horse Island
Location in island of Ireland
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| Geography | |
| Location | Roaring Water bay |
| Coordinates | 51°30′58″N 9°28′05″W / 51.516°N 9.468°W |
| Area | 0.635 km2 (0.245 sq mi) |
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Ireland
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| Province | Munster |
| County | Cork |
| Barony | Carbery West |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 1 (2016) |
Horse Island, also called Oileán na gCapall in Irish, is a small island in Ireland. It is located in Roaringwater Bay, off the coast of Schull in County Cork. It is one of the many islands known as Carbery's Hundred Isles.
There is no regular ferry service to Horse Island. However, it does have its own pier, a place for helicopters (a heliport), and roads. Horse Island is owned by a private person. In 2018, it was put up for sale for a lot of money. It sold in 2020 for €5,500,000 to a very wealthy person from Europe. Because of the pandemic, the buyer could not visit the island in person. Instead, they bought it after seeing a video tour.
Contents
Island History
Copper Mining Days
In the 1800s, there was a copper mine on Horse Island. The West Cork Mining Company owned this mine. At one point, about 100 miners worked there. The mine started in 1820 and closed in 1874.
When the mine was busiest in 1841, 137 people lived on the island. After the mine closed, fewer people lived there. The last person to live on Horse Island all the time was Paddy McCarthy. He left in 1965. In his time, only five families lived on the island.
Island Owners and Changes
For some years, a rich German inventor named Gert Kölbel owned the island. He invented the Bullworker exercise device. In the 1980s, he fixed up some of the buildings.
Later, in 2007, a financier named Adrian Fitzgibbon and his wife Deborah bought the island. In less than a year, they changed an old barn into the main house. By 2018, when they put the island up for sale again, it had many features.
Modern Island Features
According to The Guardian newspaper, the island had seven houses. This included a large main home with six bedrooms. It also had a pier, a helipad, a gym, and a tennis court. The island had its own systems for electricity, water, and sewage. Other sources added that there were also six guesthouses and guest cottages. The island used three diesel generators and wind turbines for power. It also had pipes to an underwater water source for drinking water.
In 2014, the Fitzgibbon family tried to start an Irish whiskey distillery on the island. They also wanted to build a visitor center. However, their plan was not approved by An Bord Pleanála, which is Ireland's planning board. The couple also tried to raise special Wagyu cattle, but that plan did not work out. As of 2019, the island still had a main cattle shed, a tool shed, and a workshop. In June 2018, a person who takes care of the island lived there all the time.
Island Population
The number of people living on Horse Island has changed a lot over time. When the copper mine was active, many people lived there. After the mine closed, the population slowly went down. For many years, no one lived on the island. More recently, a few people have moved back.
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