Inishkeel facts for kids
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Native name:
Inis Caoil
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Building at the south east end of Inishkeel
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 Inishkeel
Location in island of Ireland
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| Geography | |
| Location | Atlantic Ocean |
| Coordinates | 54°50′51″N 8°27′22″W / 54.84750°N 8.45611°W |
| Area | 0.391 km2 (0.151 sq mi) |
| Administration | |
| Province | Ulster |
| County | Donegal |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 0 (2011) |
Inishkeel (which means Inis Caoil in Irish) is a tiny island off the coast of County Donegal, Ireland. It's a special kind of island called a tidal island. This means you can sometimes walk to it from the mainland when the tide is low, because a sandy path appears! The closest village on the mainland is Narin.
Where is Inishkeel?
Inishkeel Island is found in Gweebarra Bay, which is a beautiful bay in Ireland. It's only about 250 meters (that's about 820 feet) away from the main coastline. As we mentioned, a sandy path shows up when the tide is out, letting people walk across to the island.
A Look at Inishkeel's Past
In the 6th century A.D., a small group of religious people called monks came to live on Inishkeel. Their leader was a person known as Saint Conall Cael. The island later got its name from him.
For many hundreds of years after that, Inishkeel was a popular place for pilgrimages. A pilgrimage is a special journey people take to a holy place for religious reasons.
You can still see parts of the old church and other buildings on the island today. There are also some old carved stones. Because of its important art and history, Inishkeel has been named a National Monument. This means it's a protected site in Ireland.
There was once a special bell on the island, known as St Conall Cael's Bell. It stayed on Inishkeel until the 1800s. After that, it was moved to the British Museum in London.
Who Lived on Inishkeel?
In the past, a small community of people lived on Inishkeel. In the year 1841, records show that 23 people lived there. However, the island was later left empty. By the time of the 2011 census, no one lived on Inishkeel Island.
