Inishkea Islands

The Inishkea Islands (Irish: Inis Gé) are situated off the coast of the Belmullet peninsula in County Mayo in Ireland. They are believed to be named after a saint that lived there, called Saint Kea. There are two main islands – Inishkea North and Inishkea South. In the 19th century, the islands were notable for the pagan religious traditions practised there. One tradition involved a small terracotta statue of a god or goddess known as the Godstone, or Naomhóg in Irish, which was worshipped as an idol. It is possible that the remoteness of the islands somehow preserved some form of pre-Christian worship. In the early 1900s, the islands were populated by more than 300 people, who were monolingual Irish speakers, but the island gradually depopulated after 10 fishermen drowned at sea during a fierce storm in October 1927. Two people live on the island now, but the population increases to about fifteen from May to September.

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