Kerry – Inis Mhic Aoileáin, Inishvickillaunby Pamela de Brí

One of the Blasket islands, Inis Mhic Aoileáin was inhabited by several families up to the 19th century. It has extensive ruins of an early monastic settlement dedicated to Brendan. Robin Flower noted that the island’s inhabitants claimed the soil was too rich for potatoes but good for cabbage and onions. It was claimed that tobacco was once successfully grown there. At one stage the island belonged to Lord Cork and later to the O’Dálaigh family from Dún Chaoin, who still graze sheep there. In 1974 the O’Dálaigh family sold the island to Charles Haughey for €25,000. Haughey later introduced red deer onto the island.