Misplaced Pages

Clare Island Survey

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.

The Clare Island Survey was a multidisciplinary ( zoological , botanical , archaeological , and geological ) survey of Clare Island , off the west coast of Ireland.

#214785

57-601: The survey, which followed a similar survey of Lambay Island in 1905 and 1906, was proposed by Robert Lloyd Praeger and in April 1908 a committee was formed to recruit and organise the work of over one hundred scientists from Ireland, England Denmark , Germany and Switzerland and the data collected during three years of field work on the island (1909-1911). The committee members were Robert Lloyd Praeger, Robert Francis Scharff , Richard Manliffe Barrington , Grenville Cole , Nathaniel Colgan and Henry William Lett . The bulk of

114-550: A Mrs Parr by Cecil Baring, later 3rd Baron Revelstoke, a member of the Baring banking family, and a director in the New York office. Baring, also a classical scholar and naturalist, noticed it advertised for sale in The Field and bought it – for either £5,250 or £9,000 – for himself and his new bride, Maude, daughter of tobacco millionaire Pierre Lorillard IV . The island's main residence

171-536: A castle on Lambay it is not certain that any fortification was actually built. During the English Reformation in the mid 16th century, George Browne , the English Augustinian Archbishop of Dublin gave Lambay to John Challoner , the first Secretary of State for Ireland, for a rent of £6.13.4. The conditions were that Challoner would within six years build a village, castle and harbour for

228-400: A major figure in his childhood, later explaining many of his architectural principles to the future Lord Revelstoke. Rupert, an episode of whose life was filmed as The Duchess of Duke Street , only worked two years in the family business; the branch of the family holding the island had no further involvement with Barings Bank after the 1920s. Rupert managed the island from 1934 to 1994, and in

285-418: A monastic settlement on Lambay in the 6th century, he passed its rule to Colman McRoi, later also a saint. Some sources state that Colman, who is venerated by Catholic, Anglican and Orthodox churches, actually founded the monastery on what was then called Reachrain, with Colmcille's blessing. Colman has his feast day on 16 June. The monastery endured for over two centuries and at least one of its abbots also held

342-550: A pNHA. The island is also wholly enclosed by the Rockabill to Dalkey Island SAC which references reef communities and harbour porpoises. There are, as of 2020, 26 National Monuments (sites on the Record of Monuments and Places), and one possible site. The island was discovered to hold 90 species not seen elsewhere in Ireland, and 5 new to science, when studied in 1905–1906. The island

399-464: A range of local fauna, some not found elsewhere in Ireland, and a colony of wallabies, as well as more than 300 plant varieties, and was the subject of major studies of flora and bird, and a major multidisciplinary study of flora and fauna between 1905 and 1907. The island is privately owned by a trust for members of certain branches of the Baring family and managed by the current Baron Revelstoke . It has

456-432: A slightly larger into Freshwater Bay. There was also a stream to Seal Hole, which at least once had three rivulets meeting, one from Raven Well and two from marshy patches nearby, and finally, there was a flow from the vicinity of the castle to the sea near the harbour. The island of Ireland has 258 sometime-inhabited islands but Lambay is one of only five of these which lie off the eastern coast. The Copeland Islands off

513-588: A townland in the civil parish of Portraine, in the barony of Nethercross, within the modern county of Fingal and in the traditional County Dublin . For electoral purposes, it is in the electoral division of Donabate, within the Swords ward for local authority polls, and the Dublin Fingal constituency for national elections. The island, a Natura-2000 site, has both Special Protection Area (SPA) and Special Area of Conservation (SAC) designations, as well as being

570-528: A tumble-dryer. The application drew objections from several non-resident members of the family, who felt that it was too commercial in nature, and did not take enough account of the conservation needs of the buildings. Following discussions with Fingal County Council, permission was subsequently granted with conditions. In 2015, a supporting club was launched, and a whiskey project developed. In subsequent years both accommodation and visiting arrangements were relaunched. In September 2018 Prince Edward visited

627-519: A very small permanent population and few buildings but hosts some day visitors and short-stay guests, and there is a working farm. The name 'Lambay' comes from Old Norse Lamb ey meaning " lamb island". The name probably originated from the practice of sending ewes to the island in Spring so they could lamb in a predator-free environment. A similar place name is Lamba in Shetland . The Irish name for

SECTION 10

#1733107161215

684-411: A warning about the depletion of its cash funding from the estate trust in 2012, and discussions in 2012 and 2013, a revised plan for the island's operations was put into play. This included a planning application in 2013 for modifications to the castle, which at that time had just one working toilet. The works proposed, noted by the architects as respecting the island's architecture and ambience, included

741-476: A windbreak, enabling trees and plants to grow inside which would not grow outside. Everything is of a silvery grey stone. The rooms in the castle have vaulted ceilings and stone fireplaces; there is a stone staircase with many curves and an underground gallery in the new quadrangle. The work was of high quality but one small omission led to problems after a few years, namely a lack of rainwater channels. Baron Revelstoke Baron Revelstoke , of Membland in

798-400: Is a sandy beach by the harbour, and several small rocky strands on the steeper coasts. The island is of volcanic origin, and its basic geology is Lambay Volcanic Formation, mostly igneous rocks . Bedrock is a mix of andesite , tuff (from volcanic ash) and mudstone , as well as breccia , but there are beds of shales and limestones also, and loamy soil. The andesite, present across

855-508: Is an island in the Irish Sea off the coast of north County Dublin , Ireland . The largest island off the east coast of Ireland, it is four kilometres (two nautical miles) offshore from the headland at Portrane , and is the easternmost point of the province of Leinster . Of volcanic origin, it has been inhabited since the prehistoric period and has been the subject of multiple archaeological studies. Lambay has notable populations of seabirds,

912-496: Is home to 308 plant types. However, surveys have found that 33 are invasive species that have arisen as weeds from agriculture or horticulture. The island supports one of the largest seabird colonies in Ireland, with more than 50,000 common guillemots , 5,000 kittiwakes , 3,500 razorbills , 2,500 pairs of herring gulls , as well as smaller numbers of puffins , Manx shearwaters , fulmars , and greylag geese . North Atlantic sea mammals such as grey seals annually pup on

969-457: Is more commonly known, were utilised. The quarry site is unusual in Ireland for being the only Neolithic stone axe quarry with evidence for all stages of production, from quarrying to final polishing. In the 1st century AD the Ancient Roman writer Pliny knew about the island and referred to it as Limnus or Limni . Its Irish name, Reachra , was eventually joined by a Norse name based on

1026-559: Is produced in Ireland, with water added from one of the island's Trinity Well, and some batches are matured on the island. The Lambay Island Whiskey brand was launched on the Irish market, with a boat trip towards Lambay and an event in Howth , in April 2018. The venture posted a 1.2 million euro loss for 2018 but had built up inventory of around 3 million euro, and was distributing through international duty free and national market channels, primarily in

1083-448: Is reputed to have established a monastic settlement on Lambay c.   530 AD , which passed to Colman and a line of successor abbots and at least one bishop. The religious settlement was raided by Vikings in 795 , resulting in the church and buildings being ransacked and burned. Surveys in the early 20th century found remains of an enclosure to the south of the present chapel, and these, and modern satellite photography, suggested it

1140-470: Is required to keep the population under control. Fallow deer were introduced, and by the mid-2000s formed a herd of about 200. There is also a herd of farmed cattle on the island, and a flock of sheep. The island was of some significance in the Neolithic period in Ireland as a ground stone quarrying and production site for axes. Two outcrops of andesite, or Lambay porphyry as the specific rock variety

1197-581: The County of Devon , is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom . It was created on 30 June 1885 for the businessman Edward Baring , head of the family firm of Barings Bank and a member of the Baring family . Baring was the son of Henry Baring , third son of Sir Francis Baring, 1st Baronet , and the nephew of Alexander Baring, 1st Baron Ashburton , the second cousin of Francis Baring, 1st Baron Northbrook ,

SECTION 20

#1733107161215

1254-540: The Williamite war in Ireland , the island was used as an internment camp for Irish soldiers. More than one thousand of them were imprisoned there after the Battle of Aughrim in 1691; some died of wounds and starvation. In the 17th century, exploratory mining was again undertaken on the island but it did not develop into an industrial activity. In 1805, the leasehold of Lambay was inherited by Sir William Wolseley, and in 1814 it

1311-524: The 1980s he created a family trust to hold the island for his close relatives and descendants. Rupert was succeeded in the title by his two sons in turn: John and James Cecil. James, who had done pioneering work in Internet technology, engaged with a team of consultants to develop a concept for the island as a base for testing of renewable energy technology, including tidal power generation, and for associated education and hospitality business potential. James

1368-480: The Catholic chapel – as well as the only harbour, while two cottages exist on hillier ground. The island has eight named bays and a few narrow inlets, and the easternmost point is Lambay Head. The bays are, running counter-clockwise from the harbour, Talbot's Bay, named for a former owner, Carnoon Bay, Bishop's Bay, Sunk Island Bay, Tayleur Bay, Freshwater Bay, Saltpan Bay and Broad Bay. Inlets include Seal Hole. There

1425-598: The Hon. Cecil Baring, afterwards 3rd Lord Revelstoke. Baring had been working in the US when he fell in love with the wife of one of his co-directors. She divorced her husband and married Baring. He bought the island for £5,250 in 1904 as a place to escape to with his young wife, Maude Louise Lorillard, the daughter of Pierre Lorillard , the tobacco millionaire, and the first American to win The Derby . The story of Cecil and Maude's early life on

1482-463: The US. Further launches have followed, including in Moscow, Russia, and the brand has also sponsored a local boat race. Application for planning permission for a micro-distillery for whiskey and gin, for small batch production in spring and autumn when the island's water supply is strongest, was made in 2019, and approved in principle, subject to clarification around waste disposal. The island has been

1539-428: The benefit of fishermen and as a protection against smugglers. He was to inhabit Lambay "with a colony of honest men". He was a very active man who worked four mines for silver and copper and bred falcons on the island's many cliffs. During this period, Lambay Castle – a small blockhouse or fort – was built on the western side of the island. Throughout most of the reign of Elizabeth I , Challoner owned Lambay but in 1611

1596-491: The coast of County Down are the only other islands off the east coast which remain inhabited as of 2020. The population has ranged from reports of over 140 to as few as 3. The table below reports data on Lambay's population taken from Discover the Islands of Ireland (Alex Ritsema, Collins Press, 1999) and the census of Ireland. Census data in Ireland before 1841 are not considered complete and/or reliable. Lambay Island forms

1653-462: The commanding officers. In 1860 the existing farmers were removed by the Talbot family, who wanted to make the island a dedicated hunting ground, though they were later replaced with English and Scottish tenants. After selling his property, Portrane House, on the mainland nearby, Count James Consedine bought Lambay in 1888 to develop the island as a hunting retreat. In April 1904, Lambay was bought from

1710-459: The conversion of two rooms to bathrooms, the installation of a modern heating system, new freshwater and wastewater systems, a new wind turbine and some solar panels. It was noted that limitations on electrical storage capacity meant that there was only power enough for essential lighting, refrigeration and a single washing machine for the island, along with basic communication, and no capacity for most powered kitchen equipment, or even hair-dryers or

1767-491: The course of 30 years or so. Aside from the castle, these works included the dwelling known as the White House and a family mausoleum. Cecil Baring and Lutyens engaged Gertrude Jekyll to work on tree planting, notably of sycamores, and the gardens near the castle. Cecil Baring, who inherited his brother's title of Lord Revelstoke in April 1929, lived on the island till his death in 1934. He and his wife Maude are buried in

Clare Island Survey - Misplaced Pages Continue

1824-498: The east and aside from Knockbane includes Heath Hill and Tinian Hill, and in the extreme northeast, Pilot's Hill. Steep cliffs lie along the northern, eastern, and southern coasts of the island, while the western side has low-lying land and gentle slopes. Due to the island's topography and exposure to weather, the western shore is where almost all of the island's buildings are located – the Castle, coastguard cottages and guest residences, and

1881-505: The elder brother of Evelyn Baring, 1st Earl of Cromer and the uncle of Evelyn Baring, 1st Baron Howick of Glendale . He was succeeded by his second but eldest surviving son John, the second Baron. John was a partner in Baring Brothers and Co. Ltd, a Director of the Bank of England , and also served as Lord Lieutenant of Middlesex . On his death the title passed to his younger brother Cecil ,

1938-459: The family mausoleum on Lambay, along with their son Rupert Baring, and grandsons John and James Baring. The mausoleum, which was also designed by Lutyens, forms part of the circular rampart wall around the Castle and is engraved with a poem Cecil wrote in memory of Maude when she died. Rupert Baring was born just after the island residence was completed, in 1911, and Edwin Lutyens was his godfather and

1995-526: The island and attended a dinner there. A special-purpose company for the whiskey project, which in a later phase may lead to the island's first industrial facility, a small distillery, was registered in February 2017. It is a joint venture between the island's holding company and the Camus Cognac family, which also had discussions with the owners of Slane Castle , who also launched a whiskey brand. The whiskey

2052-410: The island inspired Julian Slade 's musical Free as Air . Lutyens made the old fort habitable and built a quadrangle of kitchens, bathrooms and extra bedrooms adjoining it, with roofs of grey Dutch pantiles sweeping down almost to the ground. He also built a circular curtain wall or enceinte surrounding the castle and its garden, with a bastioned gateway; this wall serves the practical purpose of

2109-487: The island is Reachrainn , which is also the Irish name for Rathlin Island . The coastal settlement of Portrane faces Lambay and its name comes from Port Reachrann , the "port of Reachrainn". Lambay Island is the largest island off the east coast of Ireland. It covers about 2.5 km (0.97 sq mi). The highest point – a hill known as Knockbane – rises to 126 m (413 ft). The island's high ground lies to

2166-663: The island was granted to Sir William Ussher and his heirs. James Ussher , later the Anglican Archbishop of Armagh , took up residence on Lambay in 1626. By 1650 he had moved to London; he was highly respected by Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell and was buried in Westminster Abbey . The island remained in the possession of the Ussher family, renting from the Church of Ireland See of Dublin, under Crown tenure, for 200 years. During

2223-497: The island. The island has a substantial population of rabbits. Ireland's most common rodent, the brown rat is present, as is Ireland's only self-sustaining long-term population of the black rat , with the presence of the former keeping the numbers of the latter under control. Rockabill and Lambay islands are the best places in County Dublin to see harbour porpoises . The island also possesses some uncommon invertebrates –

2280-462: The largest merchant ships of her day. Of the 650 people on board, mostly families emigrating, 380 people died, though most of the 71 crew survived. The ship's crew, only 37 being trained seamen, thought they were sailing south when in fact they were heading west, partly due to problems with the compass and the mass of iron in the ship. There were also language issues, with many of the crew being Chinese with little English, and unable to fully understand

2337-418: The mainland after the event. The chapel functioned for all Christians on the island thereafter. It was modified with Doric columns by Edwin Lutyens in the 1910s. It is still attended by the Baring family and other island residents on Sundays. A small late 16th-century fort with battlemented gables, possibly incorporating a 15th-century blockhouse, was transformed by Sir Edwin Lutyens into a romantic castle for

Clare Island Survey - Misplaced Pages Continue

2394-420: The major survey in 1905-1906 discovered species new to science. Among these were three species of earthworm (including Henlea hibernica ), a bristletail ( Praemachilis hibernica ) and a mite ( Trachyuropoda hibernica ). The earthworm aspect of the study found 34 species, of which 18 were previously unseen in Ireland, including the three new to science as a whole, and noted that the average size of specimens

2451-519: The rank of Bishop. It was raided in the first recorded attack by Vikings on Ireland, in 795. It ceases to be recorded thereafter. In 1833, a new chapel was built under the auspices of the Catholic Church at Rush, with the permission of the Talbots of Malahide. The Talbots also contributed financially. The chapel was consecrated in a major local event. Tragically some people died on the return of boats to

2508-537: The remains of at least two promontory forts. There are around fifty wrecks in the waters around Lambay. The RMS Tayleur , under 18 metres of water around 40 metres off the southeastern coast, is the one most often dived, but such dives do require a licence from the National Monuments Branch of the Office of Public Works, as the wreck is over 100 years old. Another notable wreck is that of The Shamrock , under

2565-691: The root word ey for island. A number of Iron Age burials were discovered on the island in 1927, during works on the island's harbour. The finds included a number of Romano-British items, and the site has been interpreted as possible evidence for the arrival of a small group of refugees from Brigantia , fleeing the Romans from 71 to 74AD. Ptolemy 's Geography in the 2nd century AD may have been describing Lambay when it mentions Εδρου ( Edrou ). PIE * sed - 'to sit, settle' had descendants in many languages, including Greek ἑδρα ( hedra ) 'sitting place' whose many specific uses included 'base for ships'. St. Columba

2622-407: The stream at Freshwater Bay, north of Carrickdorish Rock; sunk in 1916, this ship carried phosphorus shells and explosives, and steps were cut in the rock nearby to facilitate the salvage and removal of these. Other wrecks include, on the northern coast, The Strathey , a steamship lost in 1900, and a 1920s loss just beyond Harp Ear. After St Columba (Colmcille) from Ulster reputedly established

2679-484: The subject of archaeological study over decades and on many occasions. One area of special study fell within the Irish Stone Axe project and included digs of between two weeks and two months from 1993 to 2001. This identified a stone axe factory, using Lambay porphyry, near the centre of the island, and also made findings about burial of neolithic pottery and flint. Multiple human burial sites have also been found and

2736-478: The third Baron. He acquired Lambay Island , north of Dublin , in 1904. As of 2017 the title is held by his great-grandson, the seventh Baron, who succeeded his father in 2012. The man-of-letters Maurice Baring was the fifth son of the first Baron. The city of Revelstoke in British Columbia , Canada, was renamed in honour of Edward Charles Baring, 1st Baron Revelstoke , commemorating his role in securing

2793-552: The tithes of Lambay's rabbits to the nuns – at that time the rabbit taxes were worth 100 shillings a year. In 1467 , it was provided by statute that the Earl of Worcester , then Lord Deputy , be granted Lambay to build a fortress for England's protection against the Spaniards, French and Scots. Worcester paid the Archbishop of Dublin 40 shillings per annum and though he had a licence to build

2850-470: The whole area of Lambay, is primarily of the specific type Lambay porphyry . A small number of wells, springs and small streams are fed by aquifers , topped up by rainfall and so varying seasonally. The wells include Trinity Well near the peak of Knockbane, and Raven Well near the central-eastern cliffs; there was also historically a spring near Raven's Well, another near the castle, and a well near Carnoon Bay. A small stream flows down into Carnoon Bay and

2907-522: The work is concerned with systematic zoology and botany but paid special attention to questions of geographical distribution, dispersal, and ecology and covered antiquities, place-names, family names, geology, climatology, agriculture and meteorology. The results were published both as A Biological Survey of Clare Island in the County of Mayo, Ireland and of the Adjoining District . Parts 1-68 (part 8

SECTION 50

#1733107161215

2964-539: Was a moated site. Sitric , a Danish King of Dublin, granted Lambay to Christ Church Cathedral , and in 1181 Prince John granted it to the Archbishops of Dublin. This was reconfirmed by King Edward in 1337 and by King Richard in 1394. A later archbishop gave the rents of the island to the nuns of the Augustine Grace Dieu Abbey and school near Swords for the upkeep of their establishment. He also gave

3021-466: Was acquired by the aristocratic Talbot family of Malahide . In the period following the Talbot de Malahide acquisition both a Catholic chapel and a national (primary) school were built. On 21 January 1854, the iron-hulled RMS Tayleur struck the island's rocks and sank just hours into her maiden voyage from Liverpool to Perth, Australia . It was chartered by the White Star Line and was one of

3078-494: Was in poor condition, so Cecil brought the prominent architect Sir Edwin Lutyens to see it in 1905, and later hired him to work on its renovation. Lutyens supervised rebuilding and extension in the Arts and Crafts style, completing the first works by 1910 and became a family friend, returning there throughout the remainder of his life, adding to his architectural designs, and guiding construction and renovation in multiple locations over

3135-1424: Was never published) Dublin Hodges, Figgis, & Co., Ltd., for the Royal Irish Academy, 1911-1915.:The sections are Introduction, Archaeology, Irish Names, Agriculture, Climatology, Geology, Botany, Zoology and as separate parts in the Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy . The parts are: Nonpublishing participants John Adams (naturalist) (Marine algae); Edward Alexander Newell Arber (Geology); James Bayley Butler (Protozoa); Frederik Børgesen (Marine algae); George W. Chaster (Mollusca); Grenville Cole (Geology), George Fogerty (Archaeology); Thomas Greer (Lepidoptera); David Thomas Gwynne-Vaughan (botany); Arthur William Hill (Botany); John De Witt Hinch (Glacial geology); Stanley Wells Kemp (marine dredging); Matilda Cullen Knowles (lichens, flowering plants, peat deposits); David McArdle (Mosses and hepatics); James Napier Milne (insects); Charles Joseph Patten (birds); Eugène Penard (rhizopods); Walter Mead Rankin (Crustacea and Decapoda); Colin M. Selbie (marine dredging and Crustacea); Otto Stapf (botany); Isaac Swain (geology) Lambay Island Lambay Island ( Irish : Reachrainn ), often simply Lambay ,

3192-515: Was smaller than on the mainland by a material amount. A degree of local variation was also noted, and for example, one type was particularly prominent near the Raven's Well. There are also non-native red-necked wallabies , introduced by Rupert Baring in the 1950s, and augmented by a surplus from Dublin Zoo in the 1980s, numbering perhaps around 100 in 2017. The wallabies breed well, and some moderate culling

3249-463: Was succeeded by his eldest son, Alexander "Alex" Rupert, in 2012. Alexander Baring commented that he was engaged but isolated island life led to a break-off, but he subsequently married and lives there with his wife and small children. The island is managed with the aid of a small staff. Having been overseen by a cousin, Margaret Kelly, from 1994 to 2012, it is now managed directly by Lord Revelstoke and his half-sister Millie (Miranda) Baring. After

#214785