Rathlin Island

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Rathlin Island (Irish and Scottish Gaelic: Reachlainn, also Reachra in Scottish Gaelic) is an island off the coast of County Antrim in Northern Ireland, and is the northernmost point of the region. Six miles (10 km) from the mainland, Rathlin is the only inhabited offshore island in Northern Ireland, and is the most northerly inhabited island off the Irish coast. The L-shaped island is 4 mi (7 km) from east to west, and 2.5 mi (4 km) from north to south. Rathlin is located only 15.5 mi (25 km) from the Mull of Kintyre, the southern tip of Scotland's Kintyre peninsula. It is part of the Moyle District Council area.

A ferry (operated by Caledonian Macbrayne) connects the main port of the island, Church Bay, with the mainland at Ballycastle, 6 mi (9.7 km) away. The ferry carries foot passengers and a small number of vehicles. Caledonian Macbrayne won a 10-year contract for the service in 1996, providing it as a subsidised "lifeline" service.

Natural History

Rathlin is one of 43 Special Areas of Conservation in Northern Ireland. It is home to tens of thousands of seabirds, including Kittiwakes, Puffins and Razorbills – about 30 bird families in total. It is a popular place for birdwatchers, with a Royal Society for the Protection of Birds nature reserve offering spectacular views of Rathlin’s bird colony. The cliffs on this relatively bare island are impressive, standing 230 ft (70 metres) tall. Bruce's Cave is named after Robert (the) Bruce, also known as Robert I of Scotland: it was here that he was said to have seen the famous spider. The island is also the northern most point of the Antrim Coast and Glens Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

History

Rathlin was the site of the first Viking raid on Ireland, according to the Annals of Ulster. The raid, marked by the pillaging of the island's church and the burning of its buildings, took place in 795.

Rathlin was the site of an infamous massacre in July 1575, when the Earl of Essex ordered a force to the island, led by Francis Drake and John Norreys. The English killed hundreds of the women and children of Clan MacDonnell, who had taken refuge there .

The world's first commercial wireless telegraphy link was established by employees of Guglielmo Marconi between East Lighthouse on this island to Kenmara House in Ballycastle on 6 July 1898.

More recently, Richard Branson crashed his hot air balloon into the sea off Rathlin Island in 1987 after his record-breaking cross-Atlantic flight from Maine, USA.

The island formerly boasted a population of around 1,000, but its current winter population is around 75. This is swelled by visitors in the summer, most come to view the cliffs and their huge seabird populations. Many visitors come for the day, and the island has around 30 beds for overnight visitors. The visitors' centre at Church Bay is open from May to August, with minibus tours and bicycle hire available. The island is also popular with divers, who come to explore the many wrecked ships in the surrounding waters.

Rathlin Island's dialect of Irish is now extinct, but was in many respects closer to Scottish Gaelic in some of its features than much of Irish, particularly the southern dialects.

Recently, the RNLI Portrush life boat, the 'Katie Hannan' grounded itself after a freak wave hit it, on breakwater rocks just outside the harbour on rathlin while trying to refloat an islanders RIB. The lifeboat has now been handed over to an outside salvage company.

Gallery

References

Culture Northern Ireland

External links

Antrim.net's page on Rathlin
The Northern Ireland Guide: Check Out Our information on Rathlin Island and many other attractions
The RSPB's Rathlin Cliffs nature reserve
The Northern Ireland Guide: For information on and pictures of Rathlin Island
Basic information about Rathlin
Cal-Mac ferry timetable
Sketches of Olden Days in Northern Ireland
North Coast Cottages Accommodation
Photograph of Rathlin
Landscapes Unlocked - Aerial footage from the BBC Sky High series explaining the physical, social and economic geography of Northern Ireland.