We hired Tom to carry us across the water to this ancient sanctuary which had been occupied by saints and monks for over a thousand years! He is also a Ghillie – anciently the attendant of a Gaelic chief, whose job it was to carry the chief across a river or lake – but in the present day an organiser of fishing or hunting expeditions: Lough Currane is one of Ireland’s premier sea trout fisheries. He is the owner of the island today, and a mine of information on its history and traditions associated with it. We were fortunate to be taken to the island by Tom O’Shea. This Aerial view (below) shows the Lough in context, while the 6″ OS map extract dates from the 1840s. It is fed by the Cumneragh River in the north, Isknagahiny in the east, and drains to Ballinskelligs Bay at its south-western end.

The Lough – also known as Loch Luioch or Leeagh – is a substantial body of water, about 1,000 hectares in area. The header and the picture above are from Church Island, formerly known as Inis Uasal (meaning Island of the nobles), on Lough Currane near Waterville. Traces of these medieval ecclesiastical sites abound in Ireland, (sometimes described as The Land of Saints and Scholars), and we are always eager to search them out.

Our day was spent in the company of the ‘Saints’ – a term given to devout men and women who set themselves apart, leading small communities in the remotest of places, dedicated to order, prayer, knowledge, and the contemplation of humanity. Kerry is an Irish county rich in history and archaeology.

Kerry graffitti in magic flowers