Inishturk

Inishturk is an inhabited island of County Mayo, in Ireland.GeographyThe island lies about 15km off the coast; its highest point reaches 189.3m above sea level. Between Inisturk and Clare Island lies Caher Island. It has a permanent population of 58 people. There are two main settlements, both on the more sheltered eastern end of the island, Ballyheer and Garranty. Bellavaun and Craggy are abandoned settlements. The British built a Martello tower on the western coast during the Napoleonic Wars. Inisturk has the highest per capita donation rate towards the RNLI in the whole of Ireland.HistoryInishturk has been inhabited on and off since 4,000 BCE and has been inhabited permanently since at least 1700. Some of the more recent inhabitants are descended from evacuees from Inishark to the southwest. The social club Mountain Common is situated on the hill that separates the two settlements.Recent historyIn 1993 Inishturk Community centre was opened, this community centre doubles as a library and a pub.In June 2014 the ESB commissioned three new Broadcrown BCP 110-50 100kVA diesel generators to supply electricity to the island The ESB have operated a diesel power station on the island since the 1980s