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Largest inland island in Ireland

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  • 10-10-2013 2:54pm
    #1
    retalivity
    Registered Users Posts: 14,000 ✭✭✭✭


    Hi,

    Google and a search of boards as been no help to me so far, so here's a question i cannot find the asnwer to:

    What is the largest inland island in Ireland (The island or just the republic)?
    If we count the island of Ireland, i think it is Boa island on Lough Erne. However, if it is only the republic, then i cannot seem to find an answer - illaunmore on lough derg?

    Its also questionable whether estaury islands count as inland, otherwise I think Inch island in Donegal may be larger.


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    #2
    Coles
    Registered Users Posts: 1,020 ✭✭✭Coles


    Here's a list of inland islands. Mightn't be complete, but likely to have all the largest ones.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_inland_islands_of_Ireland

    And any geography question about Ireland concerns the whole island of Ireland. It's not a political question.


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    #3
    retalivity
    Registered Users Posts: 14,000 ✭✭✭✭retalivity


    yeah i had a look at that but unlike other wiki lists it doesn't have any further information like area, population, etc.


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    #4
    Coles
    Registered Users Posts: 1,020 ✭✭✭Coles


    I think Boa island on Lower Lough Erne is clearly the largest proper island (6.04km2) but the fact that it is now joined to the shore by a couple of bridges might make it null and void. Inchmore on Lough Ree is a very distant second place at 0.86km2. Might be worth looking at Upper Lough Erne too but some of the 'islands' might stretch the definition.


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    #5
    maryishere
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,549 ✭✭✭maryishere


    Achill island.....surely the biggest?


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    #6
    slowburner
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 5,218 Mod ✭✭✭✭slowburner


    maryishere wrote: »
    Achill island.....surely the biggest?

    Not inland though.


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    #7
    feargale
    Registered Users Posts: 8,636 ✭✭✭feargale


    I'm 99% sure that the biggest inland island in the Republic is Inishmaine in Lough Mask. I don't know its exact size, or if it's bigger than Boa Island. Incidentally, Boa only became bridged to the mainland around 1927. Previously to travel from the north shore of Lower Lough Erne to Belleek one had to pass through the Free State. The Southern authorities were reputedly awkward about this, so Boa was bridged at both ends to enable traffic to avoid the Free State.


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    #8
    Banneret
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 132 ✭✭Banneret


    Any other sites please that show?

    thank you.


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    #9
    Seaneh
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 18,300 ✭✭✭✭Seaneh


    If you look at this man, and where the n6 crosses the river, right beside the n6 marker is the start of the canal, follow it all the way down to where it meats the shannon south of the town and you realise that a large chunk of the west side of Athlone is an island, all be it man made.


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    #10
    Seaneh
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 18,300 ✭✭✭✭Seaneh


    But the biggest natural island I know of is Inchmore on Lough Ree.


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    #11
    Rhys Essien
    Registered Users Posts: 3,029 ✭✭✭Rhys Essien


    Surely Cobh in Cork harbour is up there as the biggest.It only has a population of ~18,000 people.


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    #12
    Banneret
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 132 ✭✭Banneret


    Very true


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    #13
    irish_goat
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 5,760 Mod ✭✭✭✭irish_goat


    Seaneh wrote: »
    But the biggest natural island I know of is Inchmore on Lough Ree.

    Inch Island looks bigger imo. Check the two out on Google maps.


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    #14
    SpaceTime
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,088 ✭✭✭SpaceTime


    Yeah, I'd say Great Island in Cork Harbour is probably the biggest one by quite a bit and definitely the biggest in terms of population.

    A large chunk of Cork City centre also sits on an inland island. It's physically a lot smaller than Great Island, but it's got a pretty big population [at least during office hours] (and very big business / commercial community)

    I've seen a few mentions that Great Island is 24km2 - map https://goo.gl/maps/fDHlP

    Little Island in Cork Harbour's also about 9.1km2 and has almost 7000 residents. (Technically no longer an island though as land was reclaimed)


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    #15
    Rhys Essien
    Registered Users Posts: 3,029 ✭✭✭Rhys Essien


    Funny that none of Cork harbours islands are on that Wiki list above.Are they defined as 'inland' islands?

    Fota(reclaimed)
    Little Island(reclaimed)
    Cobh
    Spike
    Haulbowline


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    #16
    slowburner
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 5,218 Mod ✭✭✭✭slowburner


    Inland means an area away from the coast and surrounded by fresh rather than salt water.
    An inland island should therefore be away from the coast, not subject to tidal action and surrounded by freshwater.
    An area of land surrounded by waterways (especially man made) is not an island.
    If that were the case, then most of Leinster and Connacht would be islands.


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