Tory Island
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Toraigh Tory Island |
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| Island | |
Toraigh from the mainland
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 Toraigh
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| Coordinates: 55°15′45″N 8°13′00″W / 55.2626°N 8.2168°WCoordinates: 55°15′45″N 8°13′00″W / 55.2626°N 8.2168°W | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Ulster |
| County | County Donegal |
| Government | |
| • Dáil Éireann | Donegal South-West |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 144 |
| Time zone | WET (UTC+0) |
| • Summer (DST) | IST (WEST) (UTC-1) |
| Area code(s) | 074, +353 74 |
| Irish Grid Reference | B853466 |
| As this is a Gaeltacht, Toraigh is the only official name. | |
Tory Island, or simply Tory (officially known by its Irish name Toraigh), is an island 14.5 kilometres (9.0 miles) off the north-west coast of County Donegal in Ireland and is the most remote inhabited island of Ireland. It is also known in Irish as Oileán Thoraí or, historically, Oileán Thúr Rí.
The main spoken language on the island is Irish, although English is spoken to communicate with visitors. Tory is part of the Donegal Gaeltacht and Ulster Irish is the main Irish dialect in use.
The island is approximately 5 kilometres (3 miles) long and 1 kilometre (0.6 miles) wide. The 2002 census recorded a population of 133. The population is divided among four towns – An Baile Thoir (East Town), An Baile Thiar (West Town), An Lár (Middletown) and Úrbaile (Newtown). Petrol and diesel are available from Tory Oil at prices significantly higher than on the mainland.
Tory has no airport, but has regular ferry connections from mainland County Donegal. The ferry travels daily from April to October and five times a week for the rest of the year. The ferry does not take cars, but holds up to 70 passengers. During the winter months, sea crossings may not be possible due to rough seas – but from November to March, a small 4-seater helicopter runs from Falcarragh to Tory every other Thursday.
In the apocryphal history of Ireland, Lebor Gabála Érenn, Tory Island, was the site of Conand's Tower, the stronghold of the Fomorians, before they were defeated by the Nemedians in a great battle on the island. The later Fomorian king Balor of the evil eye also lived here. Balor would imprison Ethlinn in a tower built atop Tor Mór (or Túr Mór in Old Irish, meaning The High Tower). Tor Mór is the island's highest point.
A monastery was founded on Tory in the 6th century by Colmcille. The monastery dominated life on the island until 1595, when it was plundered and destroyed by English troops, waging a war of suppression against local chieftains. The monastery's bell tower is the largest structure to survive and was built in the 6th or 7th century.
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Wikipedia