Great Island

Great Island, also known in Irish as An tOileán Mór, is a large island in Cork Harbour near Cork, Ireland. It is located at the mouth of the River Lee and is home to the biggest town, Cobh, which was called Queenstown from 1849 to 1920.

Historically, Great Island has been important for naval activities, building ships, and shipping. Many jobs on the island came from these industries.

Today, Great Island is a popular spot for tourism. Many cruise ships visit because it has special docking spots at the Port of Cork, the only one in all of Ireland just for cruise ships.

The island covers 53.1 km² (13,100 acres), making it the second-largest island in Ireland after Achill. It is a place rich in history and now has a busy tourism industry.

History

See also: Cobh § History, and Haulbowline § Naval history

Long ago, the island was called Ard-Neimheadh, meaning "High island of Neimheadh." Old stories say that Neimheadh led a group to the area a very long time ago. We know from old records that people lived there long ago. They built special structures like circles of stones and holy wells.

By the 1200s, a family named the Hodnetts controlled the island and built a castle to protect it. Later, another family, the Barrys, took over and kept control for many years. The island was sometimes called "Barrymore Island."

In the 1700s and 1800s, the island became very important for ships and the navy. Strong buildings were made to guard the coast, including a fort and small towers to watch for danger.

The biggest town on the island is Cobh. It grew a lot in the 1800s and early 1900s because many ships and navy activities happened there.

Location and access

Great Island is in Cork Harbour on Ireland's south coast. It has places called Clonmel and Templerobin.

The island is connected to Fota Island by a road bridge named Belvelly Bridge. This bridge was built in 1803 and is the only road to the island. There is also a railway bridge and line to Great Island, with stops at Carrigaloe, Rushbrooke, and Cobh. A ferry goes from near Carrigaloe to Passage West on the mainland.

Land use and economy

In the 1800s, Great Island was known for its fertile soil, and many families lived there because of the nice environment and climate.

Today, the island is mostly used for farming and homes. About 12,000 to 14,000 people live there, and many travel to Cork city for work. Most homes are near the town of Cobh, with other smaller communities like Ballymore, Ballynoe, and Belvelly.

In the past, the island had factories and shipyards, but many of these have closed. Today, tourism is important, especially with a special dock for cruise ships that welcome many visitors each year. There have been discussions about changing the dock to handle more ships, which has caused some disagreement among local people.

Ecology

Great Island and its nearby areas have special places for nature. These include Cuskinny Marsh Nature Reserve, cared for by BirdWatch Ireland, and Marlogue Wood, looked after by Coillte. The Great Island Channel Special Area of Conservation is managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service and helps protect animals and birds in the area's salt marshes.

Cuskinny Marsh is a home for birds like kingfishers and cormorants. Sometimes, bigger sea animals such as bottlenose dolphins, harbour porpoises, and seals can be seen nearby. In 2001, three Killer Whales stayed close to the shore for a time. A large blue shark was seen near the island in 2018.