Puffin Island (County Kerry) Explained

Puffin Island
Map:island of Ireland
Native Name:Oileán na gCánóg
Native Name Link:Irish language
Location:Atlantic Ocean
Coordinates:51.8333°N -35°W
Area Acre:138
Length Km:1.5
Width Km:0.7
Elevation M:213
Elevation Footnotes:[1]
Country:Ireland
Country Admin Divisions Title:Province
Country Admin Divisions:Munster
Country Admin Divisions Title 1:County
Country Admin Divisions 1:Kerry
Population:0

Puffin Island (Irish: Oileán na gCánóg), historically called Inishfearglin,[2] is an uninhabited steep rocky island lying off the coast of the Iveragh Peninsula, County Kerry, Ireland.

Geography

The island is about 1.5 km long and 0.7 km wide, and rises to 213 metres. It is separated from the mainland by Puffin Sound, which is only about 250 metres across. Day visits to the island from Valentia can be arranged. It lies off the northern headland of St. Finian's Bay.

Nature conservation

Puffin Island holds important populations of several seabird species, including Atlantic puffins, Manx shearwaters and European storm-petrels, and was acquired as a nature reserve by the Irish Wildbird Conservancy (now BirdWatch Ireland) in the early 1980s.[3]

History

The island also has some signs of ancient human habitation, and it has attracted the interest of archaeologists.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Puffin Island . . townlands.ie . 17 December 2021.
  2. Web site: Puffin Island/Oileán na gCánóg . Placenames Database of Ireland.
  3. Web site: Puffin Island, Co. Kerry . 2020-01-06 . BirdWatch Ireland . BirdWatch Ireland .