Dublin – Reachrainn, Lambayby Pamela de Brí

The largest island off the east coast of Ireland, Lambay is four kilometres from the mainland. It has been inhabited since prehistoric times. It is now privately owned, has a large population of sea birds and a colony of wallabies, introduced to the island by Rupert Baring in the 1950s. The island had an early monastic settlement founded by either St Columba or St Colmán. In 1854 a merchant ship, the RMS Tayleur struck the island’s rocks on its maiden voyage between Liverpool and Perth. The ship sank with the loss of 380 lives. Incidentally in the 17th century Lambay was used as a detention centre. The island was bought by a member of the Baring banking family in 1904 for approximately £6,000.