Inishmeane
# Inishmeane

Inishmeane (Irish: Inis Meáin, meaning 'middle island') is a small island and a townland off the coast of Gweedore, County Donegal, Ireland and was once home to a vibrant fishing community. The island has been unpopulated for decades but in recent years some people have started to return.

## Geography

Inishmeane is around 1 kilometre off the coast of Gweedore. It lies between Gola Island (South-East) and Inishsirrer (North).

## History

The island was inhabited up until the 1960s; today most of the buildings are derelict, but about eight have been renovated for use as holiday homes or permanent habitation.

On Inishmeane there is no electricity nor freshwater public supply.

A concrete pier was installed during the celtic tiger years to allow residents to moor their boats.

## Demographics

The table below reports data on Inishmeane's population taken from Discover the Islands of Ireland (Alex Ritsema, Collins Press, 1999) and the Census of Ireland.

| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| - | - | - |
| 1841 | 12 | — |
| 1851 | 57 | +375.0% |
| 1861 | 46 | −19.3% |
| 1871 | 34 | −26.1% |
| 1881 | 42 | +23.5% |
| 1891 | 68 | +61.9% |
| 1901 | 68 | +0.0% |
| 1911 | 82 | +20.6% |
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1926 | 63 | −23.2% |
| 1936 | 66 | +4.8% |
| 1946 | 62 | −6.1% |
| 1951 | 58 | −6.5% |
| 1956 | 54 | −6.9% |
| 1961 | 47 | −13.0% |
| 1966 | 2 | −95.7% |
| 1971 | 0 | −100.0% |
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1979 | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1981 | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1986 | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1991 | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1996 | 0 | 0.00% |
| 2002 | 0 | 0.00% |
| 2006 | 0 | 0.00% |
| 2011 | 7 | — |

Source: Central Statistics Office. "CNA17: Population by Off Shore Island, Sex and Year". CSO.ie. Retrieved 12 October 2016. :

## Gallery

* House on Inishmeane
