Lambay Island (), and managed by the current Baron Revelstoke. It has a very small permanent population and few buildings but hosts some day visitors and short-stay guests, and there is a working farm.

Etymology

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 the island is Reachrainn, The coastal settlement of Portrane faces Lambay and its name comes from Port Reachrann, the "port of Reachrainn".

Geography

Lambay Island is the largest island off the east coast of Ireland. It covers about . The highest point – a hill known as Knockbane – rises to . The island's high ground lies to 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 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 is a sandy beach by the harbour, and several small rocky strands on the steeper coasts. but there are beds of shales and limestones also, and loamy soil. The andesite, present across the whole area of Lambay, is primarily of the specific type Lambay porphyry. 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.

Administration and designations

Lambay Island forms 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 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.

Flora and fauna

The island was discovered to hold 90 species not seen elsewhere in Ireland, and 5 new to science, when studied in 1905–1906.

Fauna

thumb|left|[[Red-necked wallaby|Red-necked wallabies were first released on the island in the 1950s.]]

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 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 – 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 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.

Domestic and non-native fauna

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 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.

Early Medieval

St. Columba is reputed to have established a monastic settlement on Lambay  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 was a moated site.

Late Medieval

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, County Dublin for the upkeep of their establishment. He also gave 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 a castle on Lambay it is not certain that any fortification was actually built.

Early modern

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 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 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 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.

Georgian and Victorian era

alt=Lambay aerial shot west coast|thumb|upright=1.4|An easterly view of Lambay harbour

thumb|Castle Wall

In 1805, the leasehold of Lambay was inherited by Sir William Wolseley, and in 1814 it 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 the largest merchant ships of her day. There were also language issues, with many of the crew being Chinese with little English, and unable to fully understand 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. Rupert managed the island from 1934 to 1994, and in 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,

James 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.

New strategy, 2011

After 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 the conversion of two rooms to bathrooms, the installation of a modern heating system, new freshwater and wastewater systems, Following discussions with Fingal County Council, permission was subsequently granted with conditions.

Whiskey project

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 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 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.

Archaeology

The island has been 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 the remains of at least two promontory forts.

Wrecks

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,

Religion

After St Columba (Colmcille) from Ulster reputedly established 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 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 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.

Buildings

Lambay Castle

thumb|Castle approach

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 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 the island inspired Julian Slade's musical Free as Air.

thumb|left|The new Kitchen Court, from Weaver(1913)

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 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.

The White House

Close to the harbour is the White House, a roughly horse-shoe shaped house with high roofs and whitewashed walls, which Lutyens designed in the 1930s for Lord Revelstoke's daughters Daphne and Calypso and their families, while the castle and island were left to his only son Rupert Baring.

Coastguard cottages

A row of small cottages, once for guards, and later used by coastguards, is also near the harbour. At least one is, as of 2020, available for rental.

Harbour and approach

Lutyens also designed the approach from the harbour, with curved step-like terraces reminiscent of the now-vanished Ripetta in Rome and a series of ellipses, circles being a long-standing symbol of welcome and also of wholeness. Characteristically, having ascended those Baroque steps, one has to cross an open field to come to the curtain wall, the entrance gateway not being at first visible.

Chapel

On a small cliff-top near the White House is a 19th-century Roman Catholic chapel. It has a portico of tapering stone columns, added by Lutyens, and a barrel-vaulted ceiling. Inside are various religious symbols and artefacts made by members of the family, including the little stained-glass window.

National school

The school building was located within the castle's curtilage, on a path from the castle to the harbour. At peak operations, in the 1840s, it had 40 children enrolled. It is not currently in operation.

Operations today

The island is still privately owned by the Revelstoke Trust, a discretionary Baring family trust. Alex and Brooke Baring and their children and a small staff are, as of 2020, the only permanent residents, and a company for the whiskey project. The estate company has as directors the current lord and a cousin, the botanist and Director of the National Botanic Gardens of Ireland, Matthew Jebb as well as a House of Lords assistant, It meets organic standards except for certain veterinary aspects, The farm operation also works with the island's fallow deer and wallabies.

There is a reference to seaweed processing in past times,

Since at least 2016 there has been a cottage available to rent, and the only accessible one.

Visiting / walking groups

While the island is not open to casual visiting or landing of boats, groups with interests in gardening, architecture and birds are facilitated, weather permitting, and walking tours have been arranged for some years by a boatman operating Skerries Sea Tours with his family.

According to the Revelstoke records on the island, Lambay Castle is the location where Michael Powell wrote his screenplay for Black Narcissus (1947).

See also

  • List of abbeys and priories in Ireland (County Dublin)
  • List of volcanoes in the Republic of Ireland
  • Copeland Islands, County Down, Northern Ireland
  • Ireland's Eye – a small currently uninhabited island off the coast of Howth, County Dublin
  • Dalkey Island – a small uninhabited island off the south Dublin coast

References

References

Further reading

  • Cooney, G. (1993). "Lambay: an island on the horizon." Archaeology Ireland, 7 (4), pp. 24–8.
  • MacAlister, R. A. S. (1929). "On some antiquities discovered upon Lambay Island." Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, 38c, pp. 240–246.
  • Merne, O. J. & Madden, B. (1999). "Breeding seabirds of Lambay, County Dublin." Irish Birds, 6, pp. 345–358.
  • Rynne, E. (1976) "The La Tène and Roman Finds from Lambay, Co. Dublin: a re-assessment." Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, 76c, pp. 231–44.
  • Stillman, C. (1994) "Lambay, an ancient volcanic island in Ireland." Geology Today, 62, pp. 62–67.
  • Denniston, George "James Gordon Bennett Coupe (Cup) Gas Balloon Races; Chapter 10. (http://gasballooning.net)
  • Article on the history and prehistory of Lambay Island