Monastery complex

The monastery's enclosure wall reaches 4.5 metres (15 ft) in height at its highest point and is up to 3 metres (9.8 ft) thick in places.^[10] The site contains various ecclesiastical buildings including enclosures, a stone-roofed oratory, two churches, a clochán, a large beehive-shaped cell, a holy well and other remains including cross slabs suggesting foreign influences. The whole complex is composed of what is probably local sandstone rubble.^[5]

19th and 20th century

The island's population, which peaked at just over 100 in the 1880s,^[11] were involved in lobster fishing, vegetable farming and grazing cattle.^[12] Some locals were also involved in the "illicit" distilling and selling of poitín.^[12][13][14]

The "King of Inishmurray", a customary title used by inhabitants of the island which was similar to the King of Tory,^[15] was last claimed by Michael Waters, who died in January 1951.^[16] Increases in barley and potato prices, during and after The Emergency (World War II), impacted the island's economy. In the 1940s, Waters and the island's 60 remaining inhabitants petitioned the Irish government for new land and were "evacuated" to the mainland of County Sligo in 1948.^[12] Inishmurray's last residents left the island on 12 November 1948.^[17]

Later history

Some of the island's abandoned buildings are still visible, including a number of houses and the island's school.^[18] The monastery site remained a pilgrimage destination into the early 21st century.^{[citation needed]}

In 2018, the Marine Survey Office of the Department of Transport barred commercial operators from landing visitors on the island, due to "concerns for safety during embarking and disembarking".^[7] As of August 2019, landing facilities had not been developed and,^[19] as of March 2023, the development had yet to progress.^{[20][needs update]}