Inishbofin, County Donegal

This article is about Inishbofin, County Donegal. For Inishbofin, County Galway, see Inishbofin, Galway.

Inishbofin

Native name: Inis Bó Finne
Inishbofin as seen from Machaire Rabhartaigh, with Tory Island visible in the distance
Inishbofin
Geography
Location	Atlantic Ocean
Coordinates	55°10′23″N 8°10′08″W
Area	1.2 km^2 (0.46 sq mi)
Administration
Ireland
Province	Ulster
County	Donegal
Demographics
Population	16 (2022)[1]

Inishbofin (Irish: Inis Bó Finne, meaning 'island of the white cow'^[2]), also Inishbofinne, is an island and townland off the coast of Machaire Uí Rabhartaigh (Magheraroarty), County Donegal, Ireland.

Geography

The island is a 120-hectare (300 acre) land mass, with an economy traditionally based on fishing and farming. Irish is spoken routinely. There are no pubs or shops on the island. There is a boat service to and from it but no regular ferry.^{[citation needed]}

It is the largest of a small group of islands; the others, Inis Dúiche and Inis Beag, lie to the north and are uninhabited.^{[citation needed]}

Demographics

In 100 years Inishbofin's population dropped from 166 (1911) to 16 (2022).

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% 1841 121 —     1851 122 +0.8% 1861 150 +23.0% 1871 125 −16.7% 1881 139 +11.2% 1891 146 +5.0% 1901 150 +2.7% 1911 166 +10.7% 1926 136 −18.1%	Year Pop. ±% 1936 138 +1.5% 1946 139 +0.7% 1951 120 −13.7% 1956 102 −15.0% 1961 117 +14.7% 1966 98 −16.2% 1971 103 +5.1% 1979 69 −33.0% 1981 46 −33.3%	Year Pop. ±% 1986 6 −87.0% 1991 3 −50.0% 1996 24 +700.0% 2002 16 −33.3% 2006 36 +125.0% 2011 11 −69.4% 2016 2 −81.8% 2022 16 +700.0%
Sources: [3][4]

The table reports data taken from Discover the Islands of Ireland (Alex Ritsema, Collins Press, 1999) and the Census of Ireland. Census data in Ireland before 1841 were not complete and/or reliable.

Gallery

• Images of Inishbofin
• 
  Inishbofin as seen from Tory Island
• 
  The harbour
• 
  Inishbofin
• 
  Landing at Inishbofin

See also

• List of islands of Ireland

References

1. Population of Inhabited Islands Off the Coast (Report). Central Statistics Office. 2023. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
2. "Inis Bó Finne/Inishbofin". Placenames Database of Ireland (logainm.ie). Retrieved 23 June 2023.
3. "Our Living Islands – National Islands Policy 2023–2033" (PDF). Department of Rural and Community Development. June 2023. p. 82. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
4. Central Statistics Office. "CNA17: Population by Off Shore Island, Sex and Year". CSO.ie. Retrieved 12 October 2016.

External links

• Inishbofin Island - The Island Website with information on the island and its history.^{[dead link‍]}
• Inis Bó Finne - information from Comhdháil Oileáin na hÉireann^{[dead link‍]}
• Inishbofin, Donegal - a first-hand account – with photographs – of one American's visit
• Historical Map of Inishbofin