Overview
The first thing to know about Inishmurray is that visitor boats may not land on it. The Office of Public Works cares for the national monuments, and most of the island is privately owned. It holds an early monastic settlement, and keeping feet off it protects both the archaeology and the birds. It sits about 7 km off the coast of County Sligo in Donegal Bay, roughly 3.75 km long and 0.75 km wide, about 222 acres (0.9 km²) of low-lying Carboniferous sandstone. It is a National Monument and a Special Protection Area for birds. Inis Muireadhaigh means “Muiredach’s island”.
The Monastic Settlement
The island’s spiritual heart lies within a massive drystone cashel (enclosure wall) that reaches up to 4.6 metres in height and is nearly 3 metres thick in places. Founded around the 6th century by Saint Molaise (also known as Laisrén, meaning “lesser light”), the monastic complex contains early Christian structures. Inside the enclosure are the ruins of three churches, Teach Molaise, Templemolaise and Templenatinny, alongside a stone-roofed oratory, a clochán (beehive cell), and a graveyard that was still in use into the mid-20th century. There is also evidence of much older activity: possible Neolithic and Bronze Age remains, including a probable burial structure near Clashymore harbour. The settlement’s exposed position drew Viking raids in 795 and again in 807.
Scattered across the island are sixteen leachta (stone altars or cairns), each traditionally dedicated to a saint and forming a circular pilgrimage route that begins and ends at the cashel. Just south of the main enclosure lies the Women’s Church (Teampall na mBan), a separate walled complex with its own burial ground and cross-inscribed stones. Among the most talked-about features are the Clocha Breaga (cursing stones): local tradition held that turning one of these speckled stones clockwise with the sun would bring a blessing, while turning it against the sun would invoke a curse. Much of the island’s early metalwork is no longer here. A decorated cursing stone, a bell and a copper-clad wooden crozier ascribed to St Molaise were carried off by Roger Chambers Walker around 1842 and remain at Alnwick Castle in England, while a statue of the saint is now in the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin.
Life & Departure
After the monks gradually abandoned the site around the 12th century, the island saw intermittent secular settlement. By the early 19th century, a small community had re-established itself, relying on lobster fishing, cattle grazing, and the illicit distillation of póitín (locally referred to simply as “whiskey”). The population peaked in the 1880s, when 102 residents lived across 15 modest houses, supported by a local school built in 1889.
Life on the Atlantic edge was unforgiving. Fuel shortages, sugar rationing during World War II, and the closure of the motorboat supply service made survival increasingly difficult. On 12 November 1948, the remaining 46 islanders were evacuated to the mainland, with replacement homes built in Moneygold, County Sligo. Their abandoned stone cottages and the roofed schoolhouse still line the island’s central street, a quiet glimpse into a vanished way of life. The community even kept a customary title, the “King of Inishmurray”; the last man to hold it, Michael Waters, died in January 1951, three years after the island emptied.
Wildlife & Landscape
With human activity gone, nature has reclaimed Inishmurray. The island is a designated Special Protection Area and supports seabirds. Breeding species include arctic and common terns, shags, eider ducks, black guillemots, and fulmars. From October to April, the cliffs and grassy slopes are joined by wintering barnacle geese. The flora is equally undisturbed, featuring purple loosestrife, sea thrift, wild thyme, and carpets of bluebells in late spring.
The island’s Carboniferous sandstone coastline is carved into dramatic sea-caves and narrow indentations known locally as classeys. Notable examples include Clasaí Mór (the big indent), Clasaí na Muice (the indent of the pig), and Clasaí na gCloch (the indent of the stones). On clear days, the western cliffs offer striking views back toward the Sligo mainland, with the distinctive silhouette of Ben Bulben and Knocknarea framing the horizon.
Access & Viewing
Important: The OPW says visitor boats may not land on Inishmurray. Most of the island is privately owned, and the OPW looks after the national monuments. There are no fixed opening hours and no public landing.
Read about the buildings and their history through the Heritage Ireland site guide, and give the island and its wildlife space. Do not attempt an unauthorised landing.
Cultural Legacy
Inishmurray’s stark beauty and layered history have long inspired writers and artists. Robert Lloyd Praeger described it in 1937 as a “low islet… much exposed to Atlantic storms” yet rich in early Christian antiquities. Eileen Battersby’s 2003 account in The Irish Times captured the island’s atmospheric blend of pilgrimage, wildlife, and abandoned settlement. The island continues to feature in academic studies, folklore collections, and the works of authors like Joe McGowan, ensuring that the stories of its monks, islanders, and birds remain part of Sligo’s living heritage.
Nearby Attractions
- Ballygilgan Nature Reserve – A mainland coastal sanctuary just south of Mullaghmore, offering birdwatching and walking trails.
- Benbulben Forest Walk – A loop around Sligo’s flat-topped landmark mountain, with wide views of the Atlantic coastline.
- Rosses Point – A harbour village on the Sligo coast.