08 Feb Scattery Island
Scattery Island lies about a mile offshore from Kilrush in the exposed Shannon estuary , County Clare. Its a bit of a hidden gem on any Ireland tours.
It was last inhabited in the late 1970 s and the tiny quay is dotted with overgrown derelict cottages.
Because of its isolation out in the estuary , the island retains a strange sense of timelessness.
Saint Senan founded a monastery on the island in the sixth century and at one time there were seven monastic settlements.
The community suffered greatly from Viking raids , but there are still the remains of several churches dating from between the ninth and the fifteenth centuries.
But Scattery’s most impressive feature is the round tower , perfect in form , the stone made a warm mustardy yellow by the lichen that covers it.
The Shannon is also home to a group of bottlenose dolphins , another sight well worth seeing on tours of Ireland.