A bird lovers paradise

Inch Island is located in the middle of Lough Swilly in County Donegal. It is not a ‘true’ island anymore because, in 1855, The Lough Swilly Railway Company drained the marshland beside the island and created two man-made embankments. Over time, this area has attracted large numbers of migratory birds. These colonies are now of international importance and include Whooper Swans, Greenland White Fronted Geese, and Greylag Geese. On the southwest side of the island, you can find the ruins of a castle built in 1454. This was built by the O’Doherty clan as part of their network of castles that surrounded the Inishowen peninsula. The castle was in ruins by 1600 and although badly damaged, is still worth a visit. Inch was once a very wealthy island as it possessed some of the finest arable lands in Donegal. In the past, drainage techniques were not advanced and much of the land was waterlogged, but Inch, because of its geography was naturally drained.