Has anyone on Daltaí spent time in Ceantar na nOileán (Islands district) in south Conamara? I'm trying to find out exactly how many of the islands are populated year round.

I've a map from Údarás na Gaeltachta of all the Gaeltacht regions. They're based on the Ordnance Survey Ireland series so they are very detailed.

The Ceantar na nOileán website itself lists the following "principle" islands:

http://www.cnnoilean.ie/gaeilge/ceantar.html

Leitir Móir (Lettermore)
Eanach Mheáin (Annaghvane)
Leitir Mealláin (Lettermullan)
Fornais (Furnace)
Daighinis (Dinish)
Garumna/Garmna (Gorumna as Béarla)

The names of these particular islands are familiar to me because they are still strongly Irish speaking. More than likely, they represent the most robust district in the entire country.

There's also Muighinis (Mweenish Island) near Carna.

Does anyone know if the following are populated anymore?

- Inis Treabhair
- Inis Bearachain (Inishbarra)
- Inis Eirc (Inisherk)
- Oileán Mhic Dara

I can only find the population statistics for the following (2006 Census)

Garmna/Gorumna: 1,010
Leitir Móir/Lettermore: 528
Leitir Mealláin/Lettermullan: 213
Eanach Mheáin/Annaghvane: 140
Muighinis/Mweenish: 140
Fornais/Furnace: 65

Daighinis/Dinish: 0!

For what it's worth, the combined population of Garmna, Leitir Mealláin and Fornais (2006) was 1,288. Of these, 89% of residents said they spoke Irish daily. In addition, 87% of eligible households in 2006/2007 received the full Scéim Labhairt na Gaeilge (Irish speaking scheme...grants for homes with school age children where Irish is the main language of the household).

For Leitir Móir (incl. Eanach Mheáin), 84% of residents were recorded as daily Irish speakers, and 90% of eligible households received the full SLG grant.
Very nice indeed!

In total, you're talking about 200+ households with school-age children and close to 2,000 speakers overall.

(Message edited by danny2007 on January 07, 2009)

Danny,
I notice when I posted that link on language ecology, you never replied to it. Did you get to read it?

http://www.daltai.com/discus/messages/20/36720.html?1230205486

Tá na huimhreacha seo rud beag as dáta, ach b'fhéidir go gcuideoidh siad leat:
http://irishislands.info/connpop.html

Bearn,
I missed that. I'll read it in the near future.

Abigail,

Go raibh maigh 'ad! That's a good link. Did you get out to any of those islands when you were in Conamara? I didn't as I never got past Ros A' Mhil. Will have to remedy that the next time I'm in Galway.

Faraor, níor ghabh. Beidh gluaisteán ar cíos agam an chéad uair eile, lcD!

(ar cíos = on hire, lcD = le cúnamh Dé = Lord willin' an' the crick don't rise)

Hi Danny!

I thought this might be interesting. I think it’s originally from a booklet by Comhairle Cheantar na nOileán, something is from some other source. Ach níl siad seo agam ach i nGaeilge dhílis :)

Inis Bearachain

Bhíodh thart ar tríocha teach san oileán seo leathchéad bliain ó shin. Níl cónaí ann anois ach ar dhuine amháin. Is aisteach go deo an scéal é ach tá an t-oileán seo neamháitrithe anois de réir na Roinne Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta. Nuair a bhíonn sé ina iarthrá, féadtar siúl isteach san oileán suas Bóthar na nOileáin – an sraith de áthanna agus clocháin garbha. Rugadh an boscadóir mór-le-rá Johnny Connolly in Inis Bearachain. Tá an tOileán Iarthach in aice léi a mbíodh cónaí ar ocht duine dhéag i 1911. Tréigeadh an teach deireanach i 1951.

Inis Treabhair


Nocht an t-ainm seo den chéad uair i 1626 in uachta an Fhlathartaigh mar “Iniscrevar”. Ceaptar gurb é “Inis Creabhair” nó “gadfly island” ó cheart atá air. Bhí cónaí ar 158 duine san oileán i 1871. Tá an t-oileán seo áitrithe fós.

Daighinis

Ceaptar gur ó na focla “daingean” agus “inis” a d’fhás an logainm seo. Tá seans ann chomh maith gur “Daimhinis” nó “ox-island” ó cheart a bhí air.

Tá oileán Dhaighinse suite amach ó Leitir Mealláin. Bhí dhá cheann déag de thithe cónaithe ar an oileán sa mbliain 1891. Ba ar bhruach na farraige a bhí na tithe tógtha ag an am. Nuair a bhíodh siad ag tógáil tithe san am sin, is iad féin a rinne an muirtéal le tórnóg aoil. Chuiridís móin agus clocha aoil os cionn a chéile istigh sa tórnóg, ansin chuiridís tine faoi agus bhriseadh an teas na clocha aoil. Is le púdar na gclocha a dhéanfadh siad muirtéal. San aimsir dheirneach ní raibh ann ach trí theach cónaithe, siad sin Tigh Tom Bheartla, Tigh Mhaidhc Thaidhg agus Tigh Tom Mhaidhlín. Níl duine ná deoraí ag fanacht ar an oileán anois mar gur thug na daoine an Mhórthír orthu féin.

Is oileán é a bhfuil tú in ann siúl isteach ann as Foirnis ar thrá mhór. Tá áit ó thuaidh den loch ar chúl an oileáin agus tugtar Bóthar na Naomh air. Tá sé le feiceáil i mbarr an chladaigh san áit a dtugtar Poll na gCearc air, atá taobh thiar aduaidh den oileán. Is cloch dhubh atá ann, thart ar chúig troighe ar leithead. Deirtear gur thoir i gCois Fharraige a thosaíonn Bóthar na Naomh, ag teacht anoir tríd an gCnoc, as sin go Daighinis, siar go Bior agus chomh fada le Oileán Mhic Dara. Ó thuaidh de pholl na gCearc tá Sliabh Rua agus tá leac le feiceáil san áit seo agus scríbhinn air. Cuireadh an cumhacht leictreachais isteach ar an oileán sa mbliain 1975.

****

The only person who still lives on Inis Bearachain is Máirtín Seoighe, a famous rower. There’s a Connemara song, Amhrán na Seoighe – a song of praise to the Seoighe Brothers. I think there must be a lot of about the guy out there.

One of our instructors here in the northeast U.S. is a native of Inis Bearachain. Here's what she had to say on this topic:

Inis Treabhair has a small population. Inisherk is zero population and Oilean Mhic Dara is zero population Daighinis across from my island may have a few families. And my island, Innishbarra, has one person living there, and that is my brother. All the other bigger islands mentioned are populated.

quote:

And my island, Innishbarra, has one person living there, and that is my brother.

It is a small world! :))


A Chionaoidh, a chara!

Go raibh maith a'd aríst - tá a fhios a'd ar ndóigh céard tá i gceist a'm! :)

Go raibh maith a'd aríst - tá a fhios a'd ar ndóigh céard tá i gceist a'm! :)

Tá, agus fáilte.

GRMA!