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Local
History
DONEGAL
ANNUAL ARTICLES ON ARRANMORE HISTORY
Arranmore
Island in the Great Famine, 1846-8
Beaver
Island - The American Arranmore
Economic
& Social Conditions on Arranmore in the Nineteenth &
Twentieth Centuries |
Arranmore
Island has been inhabited since prehistoric times and it's
likely to have been one of Donegals first coastal population
centers. Archaeological sites on the island include a midden
site (an ancient dump comprised of sea food shells & fish
bones) located at Aphort Strand (OS 48:6:1 (244 413)) as well
as a coastal promontory fort on a steep cliff at Illion (OS
48:6:2 (366 413)). This fort is a triangular promontory 15m
x 17m protected by an earthen bank of 0.8m. These defensive
forts have been dated to the Early Iron Age (800 BC) and indicate
the early stage at which the island was populated. |
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History
Timeline (225 Kb)
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A Topographical
Dictionary of Ireland published in 1837 describes Arranmore
as "an island in the Parish of Templecroan, barony
of Boylagh, county of Donegal, and province of Ulster, 3
miles (W.N.W.)from Rutland; containing in 1834, 1141 inhabitants.
This is the largest of a group of islands called the Rosses,
lying off the north-west coast, about two miles from the
shore, in lat. 54 degrees 51' 45" (N.) and lon. 8 degrees
31' 45" (W.): it is 3 miles in length and 3 in breadth.,
comprising, according to the ordnance survey 4355 statute
acres of which about 650 only are under cultivation and
in pasture, and the remainder is rugged mountain. In 1784
a large herring fishery was carried out successfully on
this part of the coast, in which 400 sailing vessels and
about 1000 were employed; but within the last 30 or 40 years
it has been entirely discontinued. On the North point of
the island, which is a large rock of granite, was formerly
a lighthouse, fitted up with an improved apparatus in 1817
by the corporation for the improvements of the port of Dublin,
which has since been removed to Tory Island; the house remains,
but is not lighted. There is good anchorage on the east
side of the island in an open roadstead. In the R.C. divisions
this place forms part off the parish of Templenane or Templecroder,
in which is the chapel, where divine service is performed
every third Sunday." |
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recently, an article entitled "Economic
& Social Conditions on Arranmore in the Nineteenth &
Twentieth Centuries" which appeared in the 1962
edition of the Donegal Annual (a Donegal
Historical Society publication) describes what life
was like in Arranmore in times gone by. Living conditions
have improved considerably since, but many people will still
remember the hardship documented there. Emigration is still
the scourge of the West of Ireland with most young people
obliged to leave the country in search of employment. Although
Ireland has fared well economically in recent years, little
change can be seen in the emigration patterns of Islanders
- the population has continued to drop drastically &
is likely to fall further unless something is done to create
employment locally. The recent introduction to the island
of shellfish aquaculture holds some hope for the future.
Beaver Island
- The American Arranmore describes
the settling by Aran Islanders of Beaver Island, Lake Michigan,
USA where their descendants still live.
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John
Stoup Charley
Past
Landlord's agent on Arranmore (14 Kb)
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FURTHER
READING
Arranmore
Links, 1986 by Barney Gallagher &
Aidan Gallagher
Death in Templecrone,
1995 by Patrick Campbell
Donegal History & Society,
1995 by William Nolan, Liam Ronayne, Mairead Dunlevy,
ISBN: 0906602459
Donegal Annual. Journal
of the Co.
Donegal Historical Society.
Donegal Shipwrecks, 1998 by Ian Wilson. ISBN 0 948154
56 X
Roise Rua, by
Patrick O'Cnáimhsí
Shipwrecks of the Irish Coast - 1105-1993,
1994 by Edward J. Bourke. ISBN 0 9523027 0 5
The Rosses Annual, 1997/'98.
Burtonport, Co. Donegal, Tel. 00-353-7495-42143
The Arranmore Disaster,
1993 by Jimmy O'Donnell
A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland,
1837 by Samuel Lewis |
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