Achillbeg
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Native name: Acaill Bheag | |
|---|---|
 Achillbeg's lighthouse | |
  Achillbeg | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Atlantic Ocean |
| Coordinates | 53°51′N 9°57′W / 53.850°N 9.950°W |
| Administration | |
| Province | Connacht |
| County | Mayo |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 1 (2016 census) |
Acaill Bheag, or Achillbeg,[1] is a small island in County Mayo, Ireland, just off the southern tip of Achill Island. The island is located within a Gaeltacht (Irish speaking) area.[1]
The English name Achillbeg derives from the Irish Acaill Bheag meaning "Little Achill".
Having been inhabited for over 3000 years, Acaill Bheag was evacuated in 1965[2] and the inhabitants were settled on the main (Achill) island and nearby mainland. A lighthouse on Acaill Bheag's southern tip was completed in 1965 to replace and coincide with the closure of the lighthouse on nearby Clare Island.[3]
A book about the life and times of the island and its people, Achillbeg - The Life of an Island by Jonathan Beaumont, was published in 2005.[4] The Irish artist Pete Hogan also wrote a book about his time spent living on the island in 1983, The Artist on the Island: An Achill Journal, which was published in 2013.[5]
In 2012, a small plaque was built on Achillbeg to celebrate 100 years since boxer Johnny Kilbane's first championship win.[6] Though born in Ohio, Kilbane's father was from the area.[6]
