Significant wildlife sanctuary once home to an important monastery

Ireland’s Eye is a small island with a martello fort on it that lies about a mile off the coast of Howth. Its largest physical feature is The Great Stack where you can spot thousands of guillemots, razorbills, fulmars, gulls, gannets, cormorants, and even the odd puffin. In ancient times it was called Eria’s Island.  There are ruins of an 8th-century church called The Church of the Sons of Nessan who were a branch of the Kings of Leinster. There was once a building with a round tower attached to it similar to the one called St Kevin’s Kitchen in Glendalough. An important manuscript was produced on the island called ‘The Garland of Howth’ which is now held in Trinity College. The church functioned as the parish church for Howth until recent times but was eventually replaced by one in the village due to the limitations of having to take a boat for service.