Scattery Island tour with John Mulqueen
Scattery Island round tower and Teampall Naomh Mhuire, off Kilrush Co Clare has been uninhabited since 1978 but was previously home to a monastic settlement for 600 years, writes Dan MacCarthy. Its name sounds like a cry of a forlorn hunter, or perhaps some kind of military ordnance, but Scattery Island or Inis Cathaig, in the Shannon estuary, is far from being forlorn. Yes, it has been uninhabited since 1978, but it has had an illustrious history. It was home to a monastic settlement for 600 years, it was plundered in numerous Viking raids, and at its peak was home to 141 people. Last month Scattery Island was named as Irish winner of the 2017 European Destination of Excellence (Eden). And edenic it truly is. Located 2.5km off Kilrush, Co Clare, it is a haven of peace and tranquility. Not too far from the mainland to be isolated but enough out to sea for you to stand in awe of the mighty Atlantic crashing on its western shore, the impact of Hurricane Ophelia a few weeks ago would have been immense. Scattery Island inhabitants earned a reputation as river pilots, guiding ships up stream to Limerick. But it was a hazardous occupation and many drowned directing larger vessels to the city through treacherous currents. Today, its beaches bear testimony to those times with constant flotsam and jetsam cast ashore by turbulent seas; an old crate here, a ship\u2019s beam there. The last people to leave the island were Patty McMahon and her brother Austin who departed its shingle shores in 1978. However, the remnant signs of a community are still there. The old post box built into a house front is still there. A row of houses with a distinct road in front of them has the character of village life. Here, sheltered from the wild Atlantic to the east, lived Brennans, Melicans, Scanlans, McMahons, Costelloes, Hehirs, Morans, and Griffins. In addition to the river navigation the islanders got by through subsistence farming and fishing. For an island of just 180 acres it has a fascinating history. Its name is reputedly derived from the Norse word for treasure, scatty, or alternatively comes from a mythical sea monster. In the 1oth century Scattery was under the control of the Viking ruler Ivar of Limerick who was killed on the island by Brian Boru in 977. Peter Somerville Large in the authoritative Ireland\u2019s Islands speculates that the Viking settlement on Scattery predates that of Limerick and that it was used as a base for raids up and down the coast. The notion of the island as a base for the Viking\u2019s loot is underscored by the discovery of two silver Viking brooches. They can be seen in the British Museum. Truly a treasure island.