CO. SLIGO: Inishmurray Island lies 4 miles (6 km) of Streedaugh Point. It is a long island, low-lying and bleak. It contains substantial ruins of St. Molaise's monastery, plundered by Vikings in 807. There are memorials, wells, 11 stations dotted around the island which was abandoned in circa 1947-48 when the 50 inhabitants moved to the mainland as population had fallen to the point where there were insufficent able-bodied men to handle the relatively large boats necessary to the island. Each boat carried a bottle of Holy Water on the inner prow, but on putting out to sea the crew and passengers dipped their fingers in the sea and blessed themselves with the sea water. Access to the island apparently includes Mullaghmore and Rosses Point. The early Christian monuments on Inishmurray acted like a magnet on the early "antiquarians" who were beginning to rediscover ancient Ireland's glories in the 18th century. One of these was Gabriel Beranger (c.1730-1817) , who was one of a party of people who landed on the island in 1779. A letter regarding same written by Mr. Beranger to Chas. Vallancey six years later has survived. 26 May, 1785: Sir, According to your desire, here follows the history of my trip to Inishmurray, with the description of that island, its inhabitants and its antiquities. On the 24th of June 1779 we embarked in the Bay of Sligo about 3 o'clock, with Lewis Irwin of Tonregoe Esqr., and as the wind was contrary we were obliged to make several tacks, so that we did not reach the island until nine in the evening. We landed in a small and narrow harbour, the only one in the place where a vessel of the size of ours could ride in safety, having on each side rocks jutting out in the sea, which at first sight I took for the work of men, and though I was assured of the contrary, I cannot but think, considering its regularity, that it is nature improved. The inhabitants seeing us make towards them were collected on the shore and received us with open arms, and being warned by Mr. Irwin to imitate him, we followed his example and embraced the females, who return the civility with as ! much cordiality as if we had been their nearest relations. We were immediately conducted to one of thir houses w(h)ere we stand until a large barn was prepared and some deal tables fixed together on which the cloth was laid and there we went to eat our supper whch consisted in various sorts of fresh fish broiled and plenty of lobsters for des(s)ert. We did not want liquor, Mr. Irwin having provided wine, spirits and porter. Our illumination consisted in four rushes dipped in grease put in as many old Irish wooden candle sticks of above two feet high, intended to serve only on the ground, which not showing light enough when standing on the table, we contrived to fix on stools between us, which with the oddity of our situation, the remarks and the gaiety of the company, made us spend the evening in merriment and satisfaction; after supper we were conducted to another barn where we found clean straws spread on the ground over which four chaff beds were laid, with clean coars! e sheets, on which Mr. Irwin his son, Mr. Bigary (Angelo Maria Bigari, an Italian artist who accompanied the party), and I, laid ourselves down, after which the door was shut and every crevice or opening stopped with straw on the outside by the islanders, to keep out the air. They then returned to the eating barn to finish the remains of our supper with our interpreter, Mr. Irwin's servant and the crew of one barge. We got up at five next morning and walked round the island examining the shore which we performed easily in three-quarters of an hour; we then began our operations by taking the plans of its antiquities, went to breakfast and returned to make the drawings until 3 o'clock. Inishmurray is an island of the Atlantic Ocean situated about nine miles distance west of the shore of the County of Sligo. The western side is bold and rocky and appeared to me on looking down more than a hundred feet above the level of the sea. Some of the rocks projecting like capes are ! perforated in the form of hugh arches through which the sea foams continually, even in the calmest days, and must appear if it could be beheld from below in tempestuous weather most romatic and picturesque; the eastern side has not that grand appearance, as the rock on which the island is composed goes shelving down on that side in almost regular stems to the edge of the water where the little children walk down with ease to wash themselves or to swim. About 130 acres of the surface is covered with a thin soil five or six inches deep, and produces grass enough to feed five cows as many horses and thirty sheep, all the arable produce about twenty barrels of corn, besides potatoes and garden stuff. The colony at that time consisted of forty-five children included, which compose five families inhabiting as many houses. They have besides five large buildings, who serve as barns, stables and stores. The males are all fisherman and they sell their cargoes on the main. They in! termarry among themselves and have inhabited the island in succession these five or six hundred year (as they told us) when they find themselves overstocked they send their children, when able, to the main to provide for themselves, who do not return but on visits to their parents, or to take possession of an inheritance. All of the inhabitants look neat and decent, the men having good coats or jackets, and most of the women wearing cotton or linen gowns, their houses within are clean, and though not overstocked with furniture, the tables, benches and stools are whole and entire and it seemed to me that this people are blessed with all the necessities of life and that their wishes do not extent on the superfluities of it." -- to be continued.