Innisfallen Island

Innisfallen is the largest island in Lough Leane, wooded with old holly, ash and oak, and a monastery stood on it from around 640 until the sixteenth century. Its monks compiled the Annals of Innisfallen, a chronicle of Irish events that covers the period from the earliest entries to 1326 and is one of the principal sources for early Irish history; the manuscript is now in the Bodleian Library in Oxford. Brian Boru is traditionally said to have been educated here. What remains on the ground is the ruined abbey church, a Romanesque oratory with a carved doorway near the landing, and the enclosure. There is no scheduled ferry: boats are hired from Ross Castle pier, and the arrangement is informal, so agree a pickup time before landing. Nothing is provided on the island and the paths are rough. Wind on the lake cancels crossings.

History

The abbey on the island was founded in the 7th century, and the surviving ruins are mostly of the 10th to 12th centuries. The island is best known as the place where the Annals of Innisfallen were compiled, a medieval chronicle of Irish history from late antiquity through the Middle Ages (Wikipedia, Innisfallen).

Highlights

• The abbey ruins - the church and enclosure from the monastic settlement.
• The Romanesque oratory - with its carved doorway near the landing.
• The old woodland - holly, ash and oak covering the island.
• The annals connection - where the chronicle to 1326 was compiled.

When to go

May to September; boats operate from Ross Castle in season and cancel in wind. Agree the return time with the boatman before landing.

Practical notes

No scheduled ferry and no facilities on the island. The annals are in Oxford, not here. Paths are rough and the ruins unfenced. Crossings cancel in wind on Lough Leane.

Nearby

Ross Castle is the departure point; Killarney town and Muckross are close.

Key facts