Capel Island

Capel Island
Native name: Oileán an Cháplaigh
	View from the sea
	Capel Island
Geography
Location	Atlantic Ocean
Coordinates	51°52′57.36″N 7°51′11.88″W / 51.8826000°N 7.8533000°W
Administration
	Ireland
Province	Munster
County	Cork
Demographics
Population	0

Capel Island (Gaeilge: Oileán an Cháplaigh^[1]) is a small island in County Cork, Ireland located a short distance from Knockadoon Head, near Youghal.

Features

Capel Island and Knockadoon Head were legally protected as a national nature reserve by the Irish government in 1985.^[2] Most of the reserve, 314 acres (1.27 km²), is owned by the state, with a small part in private ownership 40 acres (0.16 km²). The reserve includes Capel Island, Knockadoon Head and the area of sea between.^[3]

The tower on the island is an incomplete 19th century lighthouse. The island is home to a herd of goats.^[4]^[5]

A story is told of how the island got its name. There was a swimming race to reach the island for ownership. As one man was about to touch land the other reached forth his sword and pipped him at the post. A name associated with this story is De Capel Brookes.^{[citation needed]}

Permission from BirdWatch Ireland is required in order to land on the island.^[4]

References

^ Logainm.ie
^ "S.I. No. 381/1985 - Nature Reserve (Capel Island and Knockadoon Head) Establishment Order, 1985". electronic Irish Statute Book. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
^ "Capel Island and Knockadoon Head Nature Reserve". National Parks & Wildlife Service. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
^ ^a ^b MacCarthy, Dan (11 September 2017). "Discover the lighthouse that never was". Irish Examiner. Archived from the original on 11 November 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
^ "Knockadoon Slip". eoceanic.com. Archived from the original on 15 September 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2020.