More than just an island, Scattery, which sits at the mouth of the River Shannon near Kilrush, is a place where sea monsters met their match, where miracles cured the sick, where Heaven met Earth and where the Saints moved amongst the sinners, writes Hannah Huxley.

 

On a grey and misty spring morning, Scattery Island can be seen in the distance as the fog curls around the crumbling ruins of the old monastic site (the solemn remnants of a bygone era) while the thunderous waves of the Atlantic crash against its shores. Haunting and still, this little island is one of west Clare’s best kept secrets. Much of Scattery’s allure lies in the veiled mystery which the island’s seclusion more than encourages.

Quaint and detached, this monastic settlement sits at the mouth of the River Shannon near Kilrush, in south west Clare. Said to be derived from ‘Scatty’ (the Viking word for treasure), Scattery Island is just that – a treasure trove. At only 70 hectares in size, this little island is surrounded by clean waters and is bursting with an abundance of flora and fauna that has been left to flourish thanks to Scattery being uninhabited.

With no large animals on the island and no land based predators, birds of prey like the Kestrel and the endangered Hen Harrier have free reign of the skies, while the healthy rabbit population bounds around the various habitats which include grassland, coastal gravel banks, salt marsh and scrub.

Reminders of life on the island lay dotted around the abandoned remains of the community at Scattery; a lighthouse, a street, old cottages, the church Teampall na Marbh which hosts the graves of those who are buried on the island. The island saw a little revival in its population 1841 to 1881 when it was home to around 141 people; this resurgence wasn’t to last and by 1926 the island’s population was once more in a period of decline and Scattery has remained uninhabited since 1978.

To mention Scattery and not include St. Senan would be absurd. St. Senan is synonymous with the island; it’s history is interlinked with his life and work. Born in County Clare around 488 AD, St. Senan placed himself under the guidance of a saintly abbot called Cassidan and took the monastic habit. He then went to the monastery of Kilmanagh (Ossory) to continue with his preparations for religious life where he was credited with performing many miracles. Senan’s life took many twists and turns (including a stint in Rome) before returning to County Clare and establishing himself at Scattery Island around 534 AD.

Continue reading in this week’s Ireland’s Own