This is a list of islands of Ireland. Ireland is itself an island, lying west of the island of Great Britain and northwest of mainland Europe.
The Hebrides off Scotland and Anglesey off Wales were grouped with Ireland ("Hibernia") by the Greco-Roman geographer Ptolemy,. but this was not geographically correct and is purely of historical interest.
Largest offshore islands by area and population
English nameCounty AreaHectares (Acres) Population2022 AreaRank PopulationRank Bridge / Causeway Great IslandCork >130002011 Census gives 6500 for Cobh Town and 7534 for Cobh Rural ED; most were on Great Island but 148 were on Haulbowline and some on Fota Island. 4 1 YesAchill IslandMayo 2345 1 2GorumnaGalway 1044 5 3Inishmore 820 2 4 NoValentia Island or Valencia IslandKerry 658 3 5 YesLettermoreGalway 542 12 6Arranmore or Aran IslandDonegal 478 7 7 NoInch Island 396 10 8 YesInisheer or InishereGalway 343 17 9NoBere Island or Bear IslandCork 218 6 10Lettermullen or LettermullanGalway 214 25 11 YesInishmaan948 (2,342)1841312NoInishbofin 1,275 (3,151) 184 11 12Rathlin IslandAntrim 141 9 c.22 Clare Island Mayo 1,640 (4,053) 138 8
Total population of Irish offshore islands The number of people living on Irish offshore islands decreased dramatically during the Irish famine and the period following it. Since then the trend on most islands has been a decreasing population until the 1950s and 1960s, during which many islands were forcibly evacuated by the Irish Government as continuous bad weather meant that islanders were unable to travel to the mainland for several consecutive months. Of the remaining islands that were not evacuated, many of their populations have continued to dwindle ever since, with some seeing stabilisation or even a slight increase in population during and after the Celtic Tiger.
The chart below shows the total number of people living on Irish islands throughout the years.
Full table
English nameIrish nameTaken from the Placenames Database of Ireland entry linked in the PDI ref columnCountyGroup/Location AreaAcresUnless stated otherwise, area is from Ordnance Survey Ireland's 19th-century 6" maps (viewable via the Historic 6" layer of the link in the OS-map column) HeightMetresUnless stated otherwise, height is from Ordnance Survey Ireland's 1:50,000 series maps (viewable for Republic of Ireland islands via the Wind Report layer of the link in the OS-map column ) Population1841Unless stated otherwise, populations are from Population (Number) by Off Shore Island, Year and Sex Central Statistics Office Population2022Connection to mainlandCoordinatesOS gridOSmapPDI refRathlin IslandReachlainnAntrimNorth Channel 3552 134 1010 141 Passenger ferry from Ballycastle 61298 The Maidens or Hulin Rocks Na Maighdeanacha 0 None 1166440Angus Rock Down Strangford Lough 0.4 2 0 0 —Copeland Island Oileán ChóplainnNorth Channel 295 33Converted from height in feet given on Ordnance Survey Ireland's 19th-century 6" maps (viewable via the Historic 6" layer of the link in the OS-map column) 31Commissioners 14th Rpt, p.45 Bangor E. Division 1166534Cannon Rock — Mid Island Strangford Lough 15 7Commissioners 14th Rpt, p.44 Grey Abbey E Division 65848 Rough Island 7 13 4Commissioners 14th Rpt, p.46 Comber E Division Causeway accessible at low tide 66037 Reagh Island 128 19 14Commissioners 14th Rpt, p.47 Tullynakill E Division Road 66111 Mahee Island Inis Mochaoi 177 27 28 Road via Reagh Island 66110 Wood Island 23 8 4 66116 Rainey Island 40 10 65894 Sketrick Island 41 11 Road 65898 Trasnagh Island 25 13 65899 Roe Island 21 7Commissioners 14th Rpt, p.42–3 Killinchy E Division 65896 Conley Island or Conly Island 65 23 66233 Dunsy Island 33 24 6 66236 Islandmore 122 18 18 66241 Pawle Island 50 12Commissioners 14th Rpt, p.43 Killyleagh E Division 66271 Simmy Island 8 3 66274 Island Taggart 77 15 66266 Castle Island 113 37 68Commissioners 14th Rpt, p.44 Ranolf E Division Road 66882 Gores Island or Gore's Island 99 30 18 66883 Salt Island 51 16 2 66895RockabillCloch DábhiollaDublinIrish Sea 0 0 1165790Colt IslandInis Coilt Skerries 7 13 0 0 17032 St Patrick's Island Inis Pádraig 15 12 0 0 17034 Shenick Island or Shenick's Island Oileán Sionnaigh 15 8 4Commissioners, 12th R, p.54 Skerries E Division 0 17033Lambay IslandReachrainnIrish Sea 595 126 (Knockbane, and Tinian Hill) 89 16 1166603 Ireland's EyeInis Mac Neasáin 53 69 0Commissioners 14th Rpt, p.22 Howth E Division 0 1166256 Bull Island or North Bull Oileán an Bhulla Dublin Bay c.740 4 12 14 Road causeways 57172Dalkey IslandOileán DheilginseIrish Sea 21 90 8Commissioners 14th Rpt, p.14 Killiney E Division 0 16606 Keeragh Islands Wexford Saint George's Channel Begerin Island or Beggerin Island Beigéirinn North Slob 22 5 20 0 Road (no longer an island) 53675 Tuskar Rock an Tuscar Saint George's Channel 4 0 1166860Saltee Island GreatAn Sailte MórSaltee Islands 216 58 0 0 1166651 Bannow Island Oileán Bhanú Bannow Bay 14419th-century area, before reclamation 81 24 0 Road (no longer an island) 53760 Fota Island or Foaty Fóite Cork Cork Harbour 767 30 209Commissioners 9th Report, p.8 South Cork Union, Queenstown E. Division. The Great Island area and population are those of the total ED (, 10060 people) less those of Foaty, Haulbowline, Spike, Rocky, and Coney Islands (, 636 people) Rail and road bridges (no longer an island) 1166136Great Islandan tOileán Mór 6115 91 9424 >120002006 Census Vol.1 Table 6 gives 6541 for Cobh town and 6339 for Cobh rural ED; most were on Great Island but 165 were on Haulbowline and some on Fota Island. Rail and road bridges via Fota I; car ferry to Passage West 1166543 Rocky Island an tOileán Carraigeach 3 3 Road bridge 9407 Haulbowline Island Inis Sionnach 86 20 222 148 Road bridge via Rocky Island 1410428 Spike Island Inis Píc 98 24 202 0 1166269 Inchydoney Oileán Inse Duine Clonakilty Harbour 475 63 235 247 Road causeways (no longer an island) 1166540 Rabbit Island Oileán Bhríde Squince Harbour 18 19 17Commissioners 2nd Rpt, p.17 Myross E Division 0 None 13263 Fastnet Rock Carraig Aonair Atlantic Ocean 24 0 0 1165639Cape Clear IslandCléireCarbery Islands1502 160 (Killickaforavane)1052 110 Passenger ferries (Baltimore; Schull, seasonal) 543Sherkin IslandInis Arcáin1248101 (Slievemore)1131110Passenger ferry from Baltimore 13016 Spanish Island 134 34 26Commissioners 2nd Rpt, p.15 Cape Clear E Division 0 None 13005Ringarogy IslandRinn Ghearróige 951 44 597 88 Road bridge 1166618InishbegInis Beag 370 37 335 23 13298 Mannin IslandManainn Roaringwater Bay14184Commissioners 2nd Rpt, p.19 Kilcoe E Division0 None 13298Heir Island, Hare Island, or InishodriscolInis Uí DrisceoilCarbery Islands 380 26 358 29 Passenger ferry (Baltimore–Schull; seasonal) 129542Calf IslandsNa Laonna 77 (East)62 (Middle)63 (West) 22 (East)14 (Middle)28 (West) 19 (East)Commissioners, 2nd Rpt, p.14 Aghadown South E Division 39 (Middle)Commissioners, 2nd Rpt, p.19 Skull E Division