History of Achill Island

the times. Granuailemaintained a castle at Kildownet in the 16th century. Achill has a long history of human settlement and there is evidence that Achill was inhabited as many as 5,000 years ago. Megalithic tombs (see picture, right) and promontory forts testifying to this can be seen at Slievemore, along the Atlantic Drive and on Achill Beg Island. Grace O'Malley's Castle Kildamhnait Castle is a 15th century tower house associated with the O' Malley Clan, who were once a ruling family of Achill. Grace O' Malley, or Granuaile, the most famous of the O' Malley's was born in Clare Island around 1530. Her father was the chieftain of the barony of Murrisk. The O'Malleyswere a powerful seafaring family, who traded widely and refused to submit to English rule. Grace became a fearless leader and gained fame as a sea captain and pirate. She is reputed to have met with Queen Elizabeth 1 in 1593. She died around 1603 and is buried in the O'Malley family tomb on Clare Island.

Achill Mission (The Colony) One of Achill's most famous historical sites is that of the Achill Mission or 'the Colony' at Dugort. In 1831 the Protestant Reverend Edward Nangle founded a proselytising mission at Dugort. The Mission included schools, cottages, an orphanage, a small hospital and a hotel (now The Slievemore Hotel). The 'Colony' was very successful for a time and regularly produced a newspaper called the 'Achill Missionary Herald'. The Reverend Nangle expanded his mission into Mweelin, where a 'school' was built. The Achill Mission began to decline slowly after Nangle was moved from Achill and was finally closed in the 1880s. Edward Nangle died in 1883.

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