Sherkin Island, historically called Inisherkin , lies southwest of County Cork

County Cork

County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...

 in Ireland

Republic of Ireland

Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

 alongside other islands of Roaringwater Bay. It had a population of 106 people at the time of the 2006 Census, measures 3 miles long by 1.5 miles wide (5 km by 3 km). The island has a primary school, two pubs, a hotel, B&B

Bed and breakfast

A bed and breakfast is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, but usually does not offer other meals. Since the 1980s, the meaning of the term has also extended to include accommodations that are also known as "self-catering" establishments...

, community centre and a Roman Catholic church.

Tourism

The Ferry to Sherkin sails from Baltimore

Baltimore, County Cork

Baltimore is located in western County Cork, Ireland. Baltimore is the principal village of the parish of Rath and the Islands, the southernmost parish in Ireland...

 on the mainland. This island is a tourist destination and it takes just 10–15 minutes to get to Sherkin from Baltimore. The journey to the neighbouring Gaeltacht

Gaeltacht

is the Irish language word meaning an Irish-speaking region. In Ireland, the Gaeltacht, or an Ghaeltacht, refers individually to any, or collectively to all, of the districts where the government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant language, that is, the vernacular spoken at home...

 island Cape Clear takes on average approximately 40 minutes.

Sherkin has its own special character. Many of Sherkin's residents are active in the fields of art

Art

Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....

: island craft

Craft

A craft is a branch of a profession that requires some particular kind of skilled work. In historical sense, particularly as pertinent to the Medieval history and earlier, the term is usually applied towards people occupied in small-scale production of goods.-Development from the past until...

, painting

Painting

Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...

s and book

Book

A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...

 writing, all inspired by Sherkin's tranquil lifestyle.

The busiest season starts with school summer holidays when people with young families visit the island. The busiest day of the year is a celebration of Sherkin Regatta

Regatta

A regatta is a series of boat races. The term typically describes racing events of rowed or sailed water craft, although some powerboat race series are also called regattas...

, usually held on the 3rd weekend in July, but which is postponed to August if weather does not allow. On this day the island is crowded with sea rowers

Coastal and ocean rowing

Coastal and offshore rowing is a type of rowing performed at sea. Due to the harsher conditions encountered, the boats are wider and more robust than those used on rivers and lakes.-International competition:...

 and their fans. Children's activities, music and food stalls are all part of this Sherkin fair.

Weather

Sherkin is the second most southerly point of Ireland after Cape Clear. It is said that when the frost covers the lawns of Baltimore

Baltimore, County Cork

Baltimore is located in western County Cork, Ireland. Baltimore is the principal village of the parish of Rath and the Islands, the southernmost parish in Ireland...

 just across the bay, the grass remains unfrosted on the island. Like any other coastal part of Ireland, Sherkin can be affected by heavy coastal gales. The weather pattern since 2002 seems to be changing.

People of Sherkin

Sherkin once had a population of around 1,000, which started to decline during the Great Irish Famine in the mid-19th Century. Now the population is reduced and varies greatly between the summer and the winter months, with increases in summer as people return to holiday houses and tourists arrive. People from all over the globe discovered this secluded spot and consequently settled down here: America

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

, Denmark

Denmark

Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...

, France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

, Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

, Great Britain

Great Britain

Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...

 and Russia

Russia

Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

. The new arrivals integrate well with the Irish community which is still the lifeblood of the island.
Amongst Sherkiners one can find artists, book writers, craft workers (crafts), musicians and photographers ( Terry Farnell and Nuala Mahon ), beekeepers and pilots, cattle, mussel and oyster farmers, biologists, botanists and oceanologists, fishermen and sailors, teachers and doctors, horselovers and strawberry growers.

Transport

Sherkin's ferry boat is the Mystic Waters. During the summer (roughly 1 June-30 September) it makes ten daily trips from 07.45 to 20.30 on weekdays, from 9.00 on Saturdays and from 10.30 on Sundays. During the winter months the last ferry leaves Baltimore at 17.30, with late ferries on three days:

• Wednesdays & Saturdays at 19.00 and
• Fridays at 20.30

The roads on Sherkin are narrow and often in poor condition. Most of the cars on the island are very old and . are no longer suitable for use on the mainland. Some are using more advanced transport options such as ATV's

All-terrain vehicle

An all-terrain vehicle , also known as a quad, quad bike, three wheeler, or four wheeler, is defined by the American National Standards Institute as a vehicle that travels on low pressure tires, with a seat that is straddled by the operator, along with handlebars for steering control...

. Cycling and walking are popular amongst the healthier Sherkiners and holday makers with an occasional horse ride also an option. There is a rural transport service on the island, it meets every ferry and costs €2 per trip. Sherkin does not currently have a helicopter landing pad and the terrain may be unsuitable for a runway.

Artifacts

• Promontory fort
  Promontory fort
  A promontory fort is a defensive structure located above a steep cliff, often only connected to the mainland by a small neck of land, thus utilizing the topography to reduce the ramparts needed. Although their dating is problematic, most seem to date to the Iron Age...
  
   Celtic Iron Age 600 B.C. - 400 A.D.
• Franciscan
  Franciscan
  Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
  
   friary Medieval post 1200 A.D.
• Medieval post 1200 A.D. O'Mahony Castle

There are a number of important archaeological remains on Sherkin, with some of them being restored. A friary, the Mainster Inis Arcain is just uphill from the ferry pier. The seat of the O'Driscoll Clan was Dun-na-Long Castle. These two buildings were heavily damaged in 1537

1537 in Ireland

-Deaths:*3 February - Thomas FitzGerald, 10th Earl of Kildare was hanged, drawn and quartered, with his five uncles, at Tyburn....

 when citizens of Waterford invaded the island after a dispute over a seized and plundered ship.
Sherkin has an automated Lighthouse

Lighthouse

A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....

, maintained by locals. It is situated at Barrack Point and dates back to 1835. The lighthouse marks the southern entrance to Baltimore Harbour and the Baltimore Beacon. On the south-western side of the island there is a fully functioning Roman Catholic church.

Sea trip

Visitors can take a direct ferry trip to Sherkin or book sea safari trip round the islands. Tourists can also avail of guided tours around the islands.

Exploring the island

Once on Sherkin pier, people can visit the Franciscan friary, if it is open. It is locally known as "the Abbey" and has a photo exhibition inside and some displays outside. Tourists can climb up the stairs on to an open landing to observe local scenery: the Beacon, Baltimore harbour, Sherkin pier, fields with cows and the old post office. Most families go straight to the beach (Silver Strand, Cow Strand or Trabawn) and visit local exhibitions on the way or visit Horseshoe Harbour.

Food, drink, music

In autumn, there are abundant wild blackberries, which are picked by people and used to make blackberry Jam

Fruit preserves

Fruit preserves are preparations of fruits and sugar, often canned or sealed for long-term storage. The preparation of fruit preserves today often involves adding commercial or natural pectin as a gelling agent, although sugar or honey may be used, as well. Prior to World War II, fruit preserve...

, blackberry tarts and other confections.

Camping, picnics, barbecues

Sherkin also contains camp facilities.

Sherkin is one of the cleanest islands but it has no local refuse disposal facilities, so all campers are encouraged to bring minimum packaging and make sure to take the litter back to the mainland or recycle cans and bottles on Sherkin pier.
The best place for barbecues is Silver Strand where there is a choice of soft grass or warm sand to rest on.

Developing the island

The island has a local development officer. It has its community based organisation called SIDS Sherkin Island Development Society.

See also

• List of abbeys and priories in the Republic of Ireland (County Cork)
• Local artists exhibit in London Paintings by Ian Humphreys, Monica Boyle and John Simpson,from February 25 until April 5
• Kordula Packard exhibitions on Sherkin
• Carbery's Hundred Isles
  Carbery's Hundred Isles
  Carbery’s 100 Isles is a term that could refer to all the islands along the coast of the Baronies of Carbery West and Carbery East, descendants of the medieval Barony of Carbery, on the Celtic Sea. It is actually used mainly for those in and around Long Island Bay and Roaringwater Bay...
  
  

External links

• Google Map of Sherkin
• Sherkin Weather report
• Local Festivals & Events www.baltimore.ie
• BBC about Sherkin life & Marine Station
• Sherkin Island