Tearaght Island

Tearaght Island or Inishtearaght^[1] (Irish: An Tiaracht,^[2] meaning "the westerly") is an uninhabited steep rocky island west of the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry, Ireland.

Tearaght Island

Native name: an Tiaracht
An Tiaracht seen from Inis Tuaisceart
Tearaght Island
Geography
Location	Atlantic Ocean
Coordinates	52°4′32.4″N 10°39′4.6″W[1]
Archipelago	Blasket Islands
Area	57 acres (23 ha)
Highest elevation	254 m (833 ft)
Administration
Ireland
Province	Munster
County	Kerry
Demographics
Population	0 (2016)
Pop. density	0/km2 (0/sq mi)

Geography

At longitude 10° 39.7' Tearaght is the westernmost of the Blasket Islands, and thus the westernmost island of Ireland. It is also one of the westernmost points in Europe after Iceland,^[3] and Azores. However, there are some exposed rocks further west: Tearaght Rocks, Tearaght Rocks West (10° 41.0'), and Foze Rocks (10° 41.3').^[4][5]

An Tiaracht is about a kilometre from east to west, and 500 metres (1,600 feet) from north to south. The island is divided into two sections, a larger eastern part (254 metres (833 feet) high) and a western part that rises to 116 metres (381 feet). A narrow neck of rock, with a natural tunnel through it, joins the two parts.^[6]

Demographics

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% 1841 0 —     1851 0 0.00% 1861 0 0.00% 1871 4 —     1881 13 +225.0% 1891 10 −23.1% 1901 3 −70.0% 1911 3 +0.0%	Year Pop. ±% 1926 3 +0.0% 1936 3 +0.0% 1946 3 +0.0% 1951 3 +0.0% 1956 3 +0.0% 1961 3 +0.0% 1966 3 +0.0% 1971 5 +66.7%	Year Pop. ±% 1979 3 −40.0% 1981 3 +0.0% 1986 3 +0.0% 1991 0 −100.0% 1996 0 0.00% 2002 0 0.00% 2006 0 0.00% 2016 0 0.00%
Source: Central Statistics Office. "CNA17: Population by Off Shore Island, Sex and Year". CSO.ie. Retrieved 12 October 2016.

Nature

Like the other Blasket Islands, Tiaracht holds large numbers of seabirds, with internationally important populations of Manx shearwater and European storm-petrel. Leach's storm-petrels have also been found there (but not proved to be breeding) in recent years. The number of auks, especially puffins, has apparently fluctuated greatly, though early records are not always reliable.^{[citation needed]}

Inishtearaght Lighthouse

A lighthouse was established on the island in 1870, and automated in 1988.^[1] The lighthouse, maintained by the Commissioners of Irish Lights, has a tower 17 metres (56 feet) high and the focal height is at 84 metres (276 feet) above sea level, it has a range of 19 nautical miles (35 kilometres; 22 miles).^[1] The light was served by the steepest funicular rail track in Europe^[7] from 1913 until automation.^[1]

Gallery

• 
  Rocks near the island
• 
  The lighthouse on the island
• 
  Channels used to funnel rainwater into tanks for storage
• 
  The lighthouse
• 
  The lighthouse at sunset in 1987
• 
  The top of a funicular railway for transporting materials from the boat landing up to the lighthouse
• 
  The lighthouse and sea arch

See also

• Lighthouses in Ireland
• Extreme points of Europe

References

1. "Inishtearaght". Commissioners of Irish Lights. Retrieved 19 September 2010.
2. "Tearaght Island". logainm.ie. Irish Placenames Commission. Retrieved 19 September 2010.
3. The British Isles: A Trivia Gazetteer By Paul Anthony Jones; Published by Summersdale Publishers LTD., pg. 311
4. "Ireland" (PDF). Marine Claims. U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General. p. 3, Part F, Nos 32, 33. Retrieved 19 September 2010.
5. NIMA (2004). Ireland and the West Coast of England Enroute. Prostar Sailing Directions. ProStar Publications. p. 42. ISBN 978-1-57785-556-9. Retrieved 19 September 2010. Great Foze Rock lies about 3 miles SSW of Tearaght Island
6. Townlands.ie - Tearaght
7. "Activities on Great Blasket Island hiking photography relax wildlife".

External links

• Details of lighthouse