Ireland's Eye

Ireland's Eye ( Irish: Inis Mac Neasáin ) is a small, uninhabited island north of Howth in County Fingal. They can be reached by boat. The island is currently part of the County Fingal, but was once part of the city of Dublin.

History

The ruins of a Martello tower and a church dating from the 8th century, are the only signs of past habitation. The input of the tower is a window that is five meters above the ground, and can be achieved only by a rope. The church served as a parish church Howths up to the last few centuries, but was replaced by a church in the village, because you had to go by boat to the island for each service.

Structure and fauna

Ireland's Eye includes the main island, a series of rocks and a small island called Thulla. The main feature of the island is the huge, free-standing rock "the stack" in the north- east of the island, the breeding grounds for many birds, including guillemots, razorbills, fulmars and gulls, offers. The stack was Ireland's fifth largest gannet colony in the 1980s, and there are now a few hundred breeding pairs each year. On the main island there is a large cormorant colony moved on, and it will be seen every now and then puffins.

Today

The island has a registered area of approximately 0.21 km ². It is driven in the summer months by two small boat companies from Howth Harbour from.