Off the coast to the west lie the beautiful and tranquil Inis Gluaire (Inishglora) Inis Geidhe (Iniskea) Islands, all of which are steeped in history and where monasteries flourished in early Christian times. Iniskea, uninhabited since 1927 is now home to a variety of bird life, including half of the Irish wintering population of Barnacle Geese. the early Christian period and more recently Iniskea South was the site of a whaling station, the remains of which are still evident. Colmcille, the great Irish saint, founded a monastery here in the 6th Century. monastic settlement founded by St. Brendan the navigator, who died in 577AD are still evident. According to the great Irish legend The Children of Lir Conn, Aodh, Fiachra and Fionnuala are buried here. The Eachléim Heritage Centre houses a wealth of information on local folklore, archaeology, history and the way of life in times past. A unique feature of the Eachléim Heritage Centre is a 10ft high stained glass window, illustrating the story of St. Deirbhile. This is a replica of a window found in the pre-Norman church at Fallmore. Contact: Ionad Deirbhile, Eachléim. Tel: 097 85790 |