The island of Ireland has many islands off its coast. Some of these are populated such
as Great Island, Achill Island, Cork City Centre, Craggy Island, and the Aran Islands
but many aren’t. Some islands were inhabited in the past but have since become abandoned
due to famine, weather, war and emigration. One such example is Scattery Island in County
Clare.
The island is 0.7km2 in area and is located near Kilrush in the estuary of the River Shannon.
The island is home to a lighthouse, a ruined monastery with 6 churches, a round tower,
an abandoned village and the remains of a Napoleonic artillery battery. Scattery is
owned by the Office of Public Works and you are able to visit the island by boat from
Kilrush. So what’s on the island, why was it abandoned and what was it like to visit
an island under COVID-19 safety measures?
Intro
The journey to Scattery Island begins at Kilrush marina in Kilrush, a small town around 40
minutes from Ennis. I visited the island in July 2020 so before boarding the ferry, my
temperature was taken and hand sanitisers were provided. It was also mandatory to wear
a face covering for the duration of the crossing to Scattery. Screens were in place to separate
the rows of seats on the boat and each group was individually called one by one into their
assigned seating.
Then the boat left the marina, went through the lock system and continued for another
10 minutes or so towards Scattery Island. Once I arrived, there was a guided tour for
about an hour showing all of the sites around the monastery and after that, you’d have
time to walk to the lighthouse and battery and visit the small visitor centre near the
pier. Toilet facilities were also provided in a former village house. It was very well
done and was a great example of how to run cultural attractions during the pandemic.
The story of Scattery Island begins with Saint Senan who was born in 488. After travelling
to Rome, he returned to Ireland and set up a monastery on Scattery Island around the
year 534.
Legend says that a serpent monster lived on the island and that an Angel flew Senan to
the highest point on the island to battle it. The Cnoc an Aingeal Church was built to
commemorate where the mythical battle began. It is believed that the island got its name
from this great battle with “Inis Cathaigh” meaning the “island of the battle”.
Another theory is that it comes from the Norse word “scatt” meaning treasure as the Vikings
frequently raided and later settled the island. Some think that the River Shannon itself got
its name from Saint Senan while others claim that it comes from Sionann, the mythical goddess
of the river.
St Senan died on March 8th 544 and it is said that he is buried in St Senans Bed at the
12th century romanesque St Senan’s Church on the island. Over the following centuries,
pilgrims would visit the island each year on March 8th to partake in rituals involving
prayer stones such as this one.
The other churches are;
St Mary’s Cathedral was built in the 8th century and was enlarged multiple times until
the 15th century. Scattery Island was a church diocese until the 12th century which ruled
over parts of Clare, Limerick and Kerry.
Teampall na Marbh or Church of the Dead dates from the 14th or 15th century. It was the
burial location of the inhabitants of the island and it is still in use to this day.
The most iconic monastic building on Scattery Island is the 26 metre tall round tower which
may have been used as a bell tower or to store holy objects. Scattery Island’s round tower
is one of only 2 in Ireland to have its door at ground level. The other is at Castledermot,
County Kildare.
Round towers often have their doors raised a few metres above the ground. It is often
taught that this was done to protect from Vikings and other attackers as monks would
use the ladder to enter the tower and then pull it upward. In reality, this was done
to protect the structural integrity of the towers, putting the hole in the middle of
the building rather than at the base.
Right next to the round tower is St Senan’s well which originated in legend when during
a drought, an angel told Senan to plunge his staff into the ground. It's said to have curing
powers and anyone who saw their reflection in the water would have their sins forgiven.
Monastic life ended on the island under the rule of Henry 8th who closed all the monasteries
in Ireland.
On the far side of the island is the Napoleonic artillery battery and lighthouse.
The battery was one of 6 built in the Shannon estuary to defend from a potential French
invasion. It was completed in 1814, was surrounded by a deep moat and housed up to 8 cannons
to defend from the French.
A series of lighthouses were built on Scattery over the centuries and the current one was
built in 1872. It was operated by full time lighthouse keepers until 1932 with part time
workers until it was automated in 2002.
The population of Scattery island peaked at 141 inhabitants in 1881 but it continued to
drop with emigration due to social and economic decline until the last 2 left for the mainland
in 1978. From the 1840’s until the last 2 left, much of the population of Scattery
were river pilots. Pilots from Kilbaha bought land from the island after salvaging a ship
called Winsor Castle and winning the following court case. These pilots would enter and guide
ships coming up the Shannon estuary to Limerick or Foynes. It continues to this day.
The island is now abandoned and it was bought by the government in 1989 after almost being
turned into a private holiday resort.
I could go on for much longer about Scattery island, about its birds, rabbits that dig
everywhere, the customs and traditions of the inhabitants but this video is getting
long so let's end it here. As I’ve shown, the island has reopened for
visitors and you can book on scatteryislandtours.com. While not sponsored or associated in any way,
I’d definitely recommend a visit. There's so much to learn and see and their response
to the COVID-19 pandemic is excellent.
Thank you so much for watching this video. If you haven’t seen my video explaining
County Clare, the link is in the description below. Subscribe for more on Ireland, Europe
and the World.