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{{Coord|54|00|N|10|00|W|display=title|type:isle}}
[[File:Achill Island.png|thumb|250px|Location of Achill Island]]
[[File:Atlantic Drive.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Overlooking the west coast of Achill Island]]

'''Achill Island''' ({{pronEng|ˈækəl}}; {{lang-ga|Acaill, Oileán Acla}}) in [[County Mayo]] is the largest island off the coast of [[Ireland]], and is situated off the west coast. It has a population of 2,700. Its area is {{convert|148|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|lk=off}}. Achill is attached to the mainland by [[Michael Davitt Bridge]], between the villages of Gob an Choire ([[Achill Sound]]) and Poll Raithní ([[Polranny]]). A [[bridge]] was first completed here in 1887, and replaced by the current structure in 1949. Other centres of population include the villages of [[Keel, Achill|Keel]], [[Dooagh]], Dumha Éige ([[Dooega]]) and [[Dugort]]. The parish's main [[Gaelic football]] pitch and two [[secondary school]]s are on the mainland at Poll Raithní. Early [[human settlement]]s are believed to have been established on Achill around 3000 BCE. A paddle dating from this period was found at the [[crannóg]] near [[Dookinella]].
The island is 87% [[peat bog]]. The parish of Achill also includes the [[Curraun]] [[peninsula]]. The people of Curraun consider themselves Achill people, and most natives of Achill refer to this area as being "in Achill". In the summer of 1996, the [[RNLI]] decided to station a [[lifeboat (rescue)|lifeboat]] at [[Kildownet]].

==History==
It is believed that at the end of the [[Neolithic Period]] (around 4000 BCE), Achill had a population of 500–1,000 people. The island would have been mostly forest until the Neolithic people began crop cultivation. Settlement increased during the [[Iron Age]], and the dispersal of small forts around the coast indicate the warlike nature of the times. [[Grace O'Malley|Granuaile]] maintained a castle at Kildownet in the 16th century.
[[File:Achill Ireland Keel.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[Keel Strand]]]]
Achill Island lies in the Barony of Burrishoole, in the territory of ancient Umhall (Umhall Uactarach and Umhall Ioctarach), that originally encompassed an area extending from the Galway/Mayo border to Achill Head in Co. Mayo.

The hereditary chieftains of Umhall were the O’Malleys, recorded in the area in 814 AD when they successfully repelled an onslaught by the Vikings in Clew Bay. The Anglo/Norman invasion of Connacht in 1235 AD saw the territory of Umhall taken over by the Butlers and later by the de Burgos. The Butler Lordship of Burrishoole continued into the late fourteenth century when Thomas le Botiller was recorded as being in possession of Akkyll & Owyll.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, there was much migration to Achill from other parts of Ireland, particularly [[Ulster]], due to the political and religious turmoil of the time. For a while there were two different [[dialect]]s of Irish being spoken on Achill. This led to many townlands being recorded as having two names during the 1824 [[Ordnance Survey]], and some maps today give different names for the same place. Achill Irish still has many traces of [[Ulster Irish]].

===Archaeology===
[[File:Achill Ireland Keem bay.jpg|left|thumb|250px|[[Keem Bay]]]]Achill Archaeological Field School is based at the Achill Archaeology Centre in Dooagh, which has served as a catalyst for a wide array of archaeological investigations on the island. It was founded in 1991 and is a training school for students of [[archaeology]] and [[anthropology]]. Since 1991, several thousand students from 21 countries have come to Achill to study and participate in ongoing excavations. The school is involved in a study of the prehistoric and historic landscape at [[Slievemore]], incorporating a research excavation at a number of sites within the deserted village of Slievemore. Slievemore is rich in archaeological monuments that span a 5,000 year period from the [[Neolithic]] to the Post Medieval.<ref>{{cite web | title=Achill Archaeological Field School 2009 | work=Achill Archaeological Field School | url=http://www.achill-fieldschool.com/ | accessdate=7 March 2009}}</ref> Recent archaeological  research suggests the village was occupied year-round at least as early as the 19th century, though it is known to have served as a seasonally occupied [[booley village]] by the first half of the 20th century. (A booley village is a village occupied only during part of the year, such as a resort community, a [[lake]] community, or (as the case on Achill) a place to live while [[Transhumance|tending flocks or herds]] of [[ruminant]]s during winter or summer [[pasturing]].)<ref>[http://www.achill247.com/pictures/slievemore-7.html ''Deserted village, Slievemore, Achill Island'', achill247.com] Retrieved on 2008-02-17.</ref> Specifically, some of the people of Dooagh and [[Pollagh, Achill|Pollagh]] would migrate in the summer to Slievemore and then go back to Dooagh in the autumn.

From 2004 to 2006, the Achill Island Maritime Archaeology Project was sponsored by the [[College of William and Mary]], the Institute of Maritime History, the Achill Folklife Centre, and the [[St. Augustine Light|Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program (LAMP)]].  This project focused on the documentation of archaeological resources related to Achill's rich maritime heritage.  Maritime archaeologists recorded 19th century fishing station, ice house, and boat house ruins, a number of anchors which had been salvaged from the sea, 19th century and more recent [[currach]] pens, a number of traditional vernacular watercraft including a possibly 100-year old Achill yawl, and the remains of four historic shipwrecks.  The summer 2009 field school excavated Round House 2 on Slievemore Mountain under the direction of archaeologist Stuart Rathborne.  Only the outside northwall, entrance way and inside of the Round House were completely excavated.<ref>Amanda Burt, member of Achill Field School, Summer 2009.</ref>

==Places of interest==
Despite some unsympathetic development, the island retains some striking natural beauty. The cliffs of [[Croaghaun]] on the western end of the island are the third highest sea [[cliff]]s in [[Europe]] but are inaccessible by road. Near the westernmost point of Achill, [[Achill Head]], is [[Keem Bay]]. [[Keel Beach]] is quite popular with [[tourist]]s and some locals as a [[surfing]] location. South of Keem beach is [[Moytoge Head]], which with its rounded appearance drops dramatically down to the [[ocean]]. An old [[United Kingdom|British]] observation post, built during [[World War I]] to prevent the [[Germany|Germans]] from landing arms for the [[Irish Republican Army]], is still standing on Moytoge. During the Second World War this post was rebuilt by the Irish Defence Forces as a Look Out Post for the Coast Watching Service wing of the Defence Forces. It operated from 1939 to 1945.<ref>See Michael Kennedy, 'Guarding Neutral Ireland' (Dublin, 2008), p. 50</ref>
[[File:Slievemore.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[Slievemore]] mountain dominates the centre of the island]]

The [[mountain]] [[Slievemore]] (672&nbsp;m) rises dramatically in the north of the island and the [[Atlantic Drive]] (along the south/west of the island) has some dramatically beautiful views. On the slopes of Slievemore, there is an [[abandoned village]] (the "Deserted Village") The Deserted Village is traditionally thought to be a remnant village from An Gorta Mór ([[Irish Potato Famine (1845–1849)|The Great Hunger of 1845-1849]]).

Just west of the deserted village is an old [[Martello tower]], again built by the British to warn of any possible [[France|French]] invasion during the [[Napoleonic Wars]]. The area also boasts an approximately 5000-year old [[Neolithic tomb]]. [[Achillbeg]] (''{{lang|ga|Acaill Beag}}'', ''Little Achill'') is a small island just off Achill's southern tip. Its inhabitants were resettled on Achill in the 1960s.<ref>Jonathan Beaumont (2005), ''Achillbeg: The Life of an Island'', ISBN 0 853616310</ref>
[[File:IMG 3696w.JPG|thumb|left|250px|Mural on [[Gaelic handball|handball]] alley. Muralist: [[Karen Forde]]]]

The villages of [[Dooniver]] and [[Askill]] have very picturesque scenery

==Economy==
While a number of attempts at setting up small industrial units on the island have been made, the economy of the island is largely dependent on [[tourism]]. Subventions from Achill people working abroad, in particular in the [[United Kingdom]]  the [[United States]] and Africa allowed many families to remain living in Achill throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.{{Citation needed|date=November 2008}} Since the advent of Ireland's "[[Celtic Tiger]]" [[economy of Ireland|economy]] fewer Achill people are forced to look for work abroad. [[Agriculture]] plays a small role and is only profitable because of [[European Union]] [[subsidies]].{{Citation needed|date=November 2008}} The fact that the island is mostly bog means that its potential for agriculture is limited largely to [[sheep farming]]. In the past, [[fishing]] was a significant activity but this aspect of the economy is small now.{{Citation needed|date=November 2008}} At one stage, the island was known for its [[shark]] fishing, [[basking shark]] in particular was fished for its valuable [[liver oil]]. There was a big spurt of growth in tourism in the 1960s and 1970s before which life was tough and difficult on the island. Since that heyday, the common perception is that tourism in Achill has been slowly declining.{{Citation needed|date=November 2008}}

==Religion==
Most people on Achill are [[Roman Catholic]].                                                                                                                    
There are three priests on Achill and eight [[church (building)|churches]] in total 
*Catholic:
**[[Bunnacurry]] Church
**[[Tóin an tSeanbhaile|Valley]] Church   
**[[Dookinella]] Church
**[[Currane]] Church  
**[[Pollagh]] Church
**[[Derreens]] Church   
**[[Dooega]] Church 
**[[Belfarsed]] Church  
**[[Achill Sound]] Church
*[[Church of Ireland]]: 
**[[Dugort]] Church (St.Thomas's church)

==Education==
In Achill there are two [[post primary schools]] [[Mc Hale College]] and [[Scoil Damhnait]]

==Transport==
* [[Achill railway station]] opened on 13 May 1895, but finally closed on 1 October 1937.<ref>{{cite web | title=Achill station | work=Railscot - Irish Railways | url=http://www.railscot.co.uk/Ireland/Irish_railways.pdf|format=pdf | accessdate=2007-09-08}}</ref>
* [[Bus Éireann]] provide daily commutes to [[Westport, County Mayo|Westport]] and beyond from the island's scattered villages.
* [[Bus Éireann]] provide transport for the areas secondry school children  

==Cuisine==
{{Empty section|date=July 2010}}
==Sport==
Achill has a [[Gaelic Athletic Association|GAA]], [[Soccer]] and [[Golf]] club. [[Fishing]] and [[watersports]] are popular with tourists and locals alike. Different [[card games]] are played, including [[Whist]].<ref>http://www.achilltourism.com/dwl/achill-weekly-flyer-0503-1203-2010.pdf</ref>

==Population==
In 2006, the population was 2,701. The island's population has declined from around 6,000 before the [[Great Famine (Ireland)|Great Hunger]].

==Architecture==
{{Refimprovesect|date=January 2009}}
Because of the inhospitable climate, few inhabited houses date from before the 20th century, though there are many examples of abandoned stone structures dating to the 19th century.
[[File:Achill Slievemore Deserted Village.jpg|250px|thumb|The "Deserted Village" at the foot of Slievemore was a [[Booley village]]; see [[Transhumance]]]]
[[File:Deserted Village in the Shadow of Slievemore.JPG|250px|thumb|The location of the village is relatively sheltered]]
The best known of these earlier can be seen in the "Deserted Village" ruins near the graveyard at the foot of Slievemore. Even the houses in this village represent a relatively comfortable class of dwelling as, even as recently as a hundred years ago, some people still used "Beehive" style houses (small circular single roomed dwellings with a hole in ceiling to let out smoke).

Many of the oldest and most picturesque inhabited cottages date from the activities of the [[Congested Districts Board for Ireland]]—a body set up around the turn of the 20th century in Ireland to improve the welfare for inhabitants of small villages and towns. Most of the homes in Achill at the time were very small and tightly packed together in villages. The CDB subsidised the building of new, more spacious (though still small by modern standards) homes outside of the traditional villages.

Some of the recent building development on the island (over the last 30 years or so) has been contentious and in many cases is not as sympathetic to the landscape as the earlier style of [[whitewash]]ed raised gable [[cottage]]s. Because of generous tax incentives, many holiday homes have been built over the last ten years. This building boom has brought benefits but at a cost. On the one hand it has provided much-needed employment for the local people, has increased the demand and value for suitable development land and has allows the island to support more tourists. On the other hand, many of these houses have been built in prominent scenic areas and have damaged traditional views of the island while lying empty for most of the year. They may also be contributing to the declining fortunes for the traditional beneficiaries of tourism - [[bed and breakfast]]s, [[public house]]s and guesthouses.

==Notable people==
[[File:Acaill Abú.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Achill [[Gaelic football|football]] team celebrate winning the Junior [[County Mayo|county]] title, [[Castlebar]], [[21 October 2007]]]]
* [[Manus Sweeney]] from Achill was hanged by the British in [[Newport, County Mayo|Newport]] for his part in the [[1798 rebellion]]. There is a monument to him at the eastern end of Keel beach.
* The artist [[Paul Henry (painter)|Paul Henry]] stayed on the island for a number of years in the early 1900s and some of his most famous paintings are of the dramatic landscape of the island. Not long after arriving, he threw his return train ticket into the sea near [[Purteen Harbour]].
* The [[Nobel Prize]] winning author, [[Heinrich Böll]], visited the island and wrote of his experience in his "Irish Journal" (''Irisches Tagebuch''). The Bölls later bought a cottage near Dugort and lived in it periodically until 2001 when they donated it to be used as an artists' residence.
* Novelist [[Graham Greene]], visited and stayed on Achill Island a number of times in the late 1940s. He wrote parts of the novels ''[[The Heart of the Matter]]'' (subsequently banned in Ireland) and ''The Fallen Idol'' in Dooagh, and Achill Island is also said to have inspired Greene to write some of his best poetry. He retained a special affection for Achill Island, which he mentioned frequently in his letters and notes, although this was largely due to the circumstances of his visits, as he was introduced to Achill by his mistress, [[Catherine Walston]]. She rented a cottage in Dooagh, with no electricity, one outside tap for water, and a corrugated iron roof on the traditional stone cottage, now since demolished.<ref>{{cite web | title=Graham Greene & Achill Island | work=Achill 24/7 | url=http://www.achill247.com/writers/ggreene.html | accessdate=7 March 2009}}</ref>
* Artist [[Robert Henri]] came to Achill on a regular basis in the early decades of the 20th century. He painted a famous portrait of Johnny and Biddy Commins in Dooagh in 1913, entitled 'Himself and Herself'. This painting is now regarded as a master-piece and reproductions are in big demand in America. The painting won the coveted Beck Gold Medal Award. It was during his early trips to Achill prior to the outbreak of [[World War I]] that Henri painted extensively and is reputed to have done portraits of almost all the children in Dooagh village. He bought Corrymore House on the hill above Dooagh in 1924. He died in America in 1929.<ref>{{cite web | title=Their portraits are famous in America but - Whatever happened to the Commins family of Achill? | work=Western People - 1 April 1998| url=http://archives.tcm.ie/westernpeople/1998/04/01/News.htm | accessdate=7 March 2009}}</ref>
* [[Thomas Patten (socialist)|Thomas Patten]] from Dooega died fighting [[Francisco Franco]]'s [[fascist]] forces during the [[Siege of Madrid]] in December 1936. There is a monument to him in his native village.
* English writer [[Honor Tracy]] lived there until her death in 1989.
* In the centre of Dooagh is a commemoration plaque to [[Don Allum]], the first man to row across the [[Atlantic Ocean]] in both directions. He landed close to the memorial on Dooagh beach on 4 September 1987, completing the second leg of his voyage.<ref>{{cite web | title=Don Allum | work=Doc Brown.info| url=http://www.docbrown.info/docspics/irishviews/ivpage115.htm | accessdate=7 March 2009}}</ref>
* Footballers [[Kevin Kilbane]]([[Hull City AFC]] and [[Football Association Of Ireland]]), [[Darren Fletcher]]([[Man Utd]] and[[Scottish FA]]), [[John Joe O Toole]]([[Sheffield Utd]] and [[FAI U21 player]] and [[Manchester United]]'s wonder youth defender 16 year old [[Sean McGinty]] parents hail from the island.
* [[Mid West Radio]] DJ Tim Norton comes from the [[Currane peninsula]].
* Singer [[James Kilbane]], also known for his research on traditional Achill watercraft, lives on the island. Other notable residents include country and western starlet Ciara Levelle, whose bid for the 2008 eurovision contest was dashed after losing to [[Dustin the Turkey]].

==Literature==
[[Heinrich Böll]]: ''Irisches Tagebuch'', Berlin 1957<br />
Kingston, Bob: ''The Deserted Village at Slievemore'', Castlebar 1990<br />
McDonald, Theresa: ''Achill: 5000 B.C. to 1900 A.D. Archeology History Folklore'', I.A.S. Publications [1992]<br />
Meehan, Rosa: ''The Story of Mayo'', Castlebar 2003<br />
Carney, James: ''The Playboy & the Yellow lady'', 1986 POOLBEG<ref>http://openlibrary.org/b/OL2431852M/playboy_the_yellow_lady</ref>

==See also==
* [[Connacht Irish]]
* [[Dooniver]]
* [[Saula (achill)|Saula]]
* [[Askill]]
* [[Bunnacurry]]
* [[Dooagh]]
* [[Achill Sound]]
* [[List of RNLI stations]]
* [[Mid West Radio]]
* [[James Kilbane]]
* [[mayo]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons|Achill Island|Achill Island}}
{{Wikisource1911Enc|Achill}}
* [http://www.maritimehistory.org/content/achill-island-maritime-archaeology-project Achill Island Maritime Archaeology Project]
* [http://www.achill-island.com Achill Island web site]
* [http://www.achilljournal.com Achill Island Local News & Events]
* [http://www.achill-fieldschool.com Achill Archaeological Field School web site]
* [http://www.visitachill.com VisitAchill multilingual visitor's site]
* [http://www.kerndter.de/achill-island Latest News from Achill Island]
* [http://www.dooniver.com] Dooniver's officeal website
* [http://www.podcasts.ie/weekly-shows/mayos-heritage/] In this series of podcasts on Mayo's Heritage you can hear an excerpt from John Mc Hugh's Heritage Tour of Achill(ref Programme 6 & Programme 8)

[[Category:Islands of County Mayo]]
[[Category:Achill Island| ]]
[[Category:Gaeltacht places in County Mayo]]

[[cy:Ynys Achill]]
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[[fr:Île d'Achill]]
[[ga:Acaill]]
[[gv:Aghill]]
[[gl:Achill - Acaill]]
[[it:Achill Island]]
[[lt:Akailo sala]]
[[nl:Achill Island]]
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[[pl:Wyspa Achill]]
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