Islands of Ireland: The largest inland island in Ireland — where Brian Boru might be buried
Islands of Ireland: Cattle boat on Illaunmore, Lough Derg, County Claire. Picture: Dan MacCarthy
Here is an island that is possibly touched with Irish royalty. A standing stone at the water’s edge in a thicket of trees is reputed to be the resting place of the famous Brian Boru. The man who put the Vikings to flight at the Battle of Clontarf in 1014 and who was embroiled in numerous other battles is said to be buried on Illaunmore. Brian was born at the southern end of the lake at Killaloe in 941 so it is appropriate enough that he was interred on the island. However, a conflicting theory has it that the great man is interred at St Patrick's Cathedral in Armagh City. As no excavation has been carried out though, the jury is still out on this one.
At 212 acres, Illaunmore is the largest inland island in Ireland and to undertake a walk of its periphery is a sizeable task. It is about two kilometres from Tipperary and the same for Clare. Its circumference is fringed with trees while the interior is arable land comprised of huge fields.
The island appears rather like the tonsure of a medieval monk — which is a convenient metaphor as yet again here is an island that was chosen by monks to establish a community for worship.
Illaunmore, Lough Derg (Kilbarron Parish)
— Tipperary Studies (@TippStudies) June 21, 2017
Perhaps someone who knows could tell us how the blazes they get that silage cut... pic.twitter.com/PHKai4n4An
The island lies at the centre point of Lough Derg in County Clare and is not just at the boundary of counties, (Clare, Galway and Tipperary), but provinces (Munster and Connacht). The island’s early Christian church is on the northeastern side though its ruins are largely overgrown now. Its provenance dates from the 7th century. A much later arrival of Franciscan monks established another church in the 13th century, possibly on the same site, with apparently plans to build six more. However, they fell foul of Illaunmore’s cailleach, or fairy hag, so the story goes, and the monks were unable to withstand the cailleach’s curse.
Tradition has it that there is an underwater stone causeway linking Illaunmore with the famous Iniscealtra (Holy Island) to the south, with its round tower and numerous churches. It is thought that the Franciscans set up a large stone slab on Illaunmore to commemorate their departure. However, it is the same slab that is supposedly Brian Boru’s grave.
A hand-drawn map of the island on the East Clare Heritage website records a name for every field on the island: The Drill Field; The Fairy Field; The Pheasant Field; Uncle Pat’s; The Grove Field; Annie Roughan’s Field; and many others. In themselves they paint a rich social history of the island.
Illaunmore resident Francis Tiernan making his daily trip to the Tipperary shore just after sunset this evening with Moylussa and Slieve Bernagh (in Co. Clare) in the background. pic.twitter.com/lmwlRUiZfB
— Coolbawn Cross (@coolbawncross) January 9, 2021
Four families lived there at one time, with a national school which ran from 1900 to 1917. O’Meara and Tiernan were the prominent names and a member of that family, Francis, still lives there.
Tommy Holland lives on the western bank of Lough Derg and his mother was born on the island. He spent all my life in and out to the island, often catching rabbits and sending them to Dublin as well as farming the land. Tommy is a second cousin of the novelist Edna O’Brien whose father was born on the island. He says the lake froze over in 1910, 47/48 and 62/63.
He says his mother and the others had a good life there: “They went off the island every day to go to the secondary school in Nenagh. And they would go in the town for shopping. And all the courting was done over and back in Whitegate [County Clare] or the Tipp side too.”
His unmarried uncle left the island in the 70s and the population was down to about 11 people in the 70s. In later years a new owner bought a landing craft and so they were able to bring in a combine harvester which “transformed the island”, says Tommy.
A verse of doggerel which was passed on to Tommy by his grandmother born in 1861 which refers to Brian Boru and if local lore is anything to go by, that’s where our high king lies:
“The weather was horrid. The stench it was torrid when they laid him to rest 12 miles from Killaloe.”
: No ferry. Private island.
: Nenagh Guardian, 17/07/1920
