Inishmeane

Not to be confused with Inishmaan.

Inishmeane

Native name: Inis Meáin[1]
Inishmeane from Magheragallon Cemetery
Inishmeane
Geography
Location	Atlantic Ocean
Coordinates	55°06′15″N 8°20′46″W
Area	0.473 km^2 (0.183 sq mi)[2]
Administration
Ireland
Province	Ulster
County	Donegal
Demographics
Population	7 (2011)

Inishmeane (Irish: Inis Meáin, meaning 'middle island[3]') is a small island and a townland off the coast of Gweedore, County Donegal, Ireland and was once home to a vibrant fishing community. The island has been unpopulated for decades but in recent years some people have started to return.

Geography

Inishmeane is around 1 kilometre off the coast of Gweedore. It lies between Gola Island (South-East) and Inishsirrer (North).

History

The island was inhabited up until the 1960s; today most of the buildings are derelict, but about eight have been renovated for use as holiday homes or permanent habitation.[3]

On Inishmeane there is no electricity nor freshwater public supply.[4]

A concrete pier was installed during the celtic tiger years to allow residents to moor their boats.^[citation needed]

Demographics

The table below reports data on Inishmeane's population taken from Discover the Islands of Ireland (Alex Ritsema, Collins Press, 1999) and the Census of Ireland.

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% 1841 12 —     1851 57 +375.0% 1861 46 −19.3% 1871 34 −26.1% 1881 42 +23.5% 1891 68 +61.9% 1901 68 +0.0% 1911 82 +20.6%	Year Pop. ±% 1926 63 −23.2% 1936 66 +4.8% 1946 62 −6.1% 1951 58 −6.5% 1956 54 −6.9% 1961 47 −13.0% 1966 2 −95.7% 1971 0 −100.0%	Year Pop. ±% 1979 0 0.00% 1981 0 0.00% 1986 0 0.00% 1991 0 0.00% 1996 0 0.00% 2002 0 0.00% 2006 0 0.00% 2011 7 —
Source: Central Statistics Office. "CNA17: Population by Off Shore Island, Sex and Year". CSO.ie. Retrieved 12 October 2016.

Gallery

• 
  House on Inishmeane

See also

• List of islands of Ireland
• Inis Meáin (Aran Islands)

References

1. "Inis Meáin". Placenames Database of Ireland. Dublin City University. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
2. General Alphabetical Index to the Townlands and Towns, Parishes, and Baronies of Ireland: Based on the Census of Ireland for the Year 1851. Genealogical Publishing Com. 1861. p. 539. ISBN 9780806310527. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
3. Wallace Clark (2003). Donegal Islands. Dundurn. p. 39. ISBN 9781900935319. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
4. David Walsh (2004). Oileáin: a guide to the Irish islands. Pesda press. p. 195. ISBN 9780953195695. Retrieved 22 February 2016.

External links

Media related to Inishmeane at Wikimedia Commons

• Ecological study of two Donegal islands: Inishfree and Inishmeane
• Guide to the island
• Aerial view of the entire island