Gola Island

Offshore island in County Donegal, Ireland

55°05′30″N 8°22′00″W / 55.09167°N 8.36667°W / 55.09167; -8.36667Administration

Ireland

ProvinceUlsterCountyDonegalDemographicsPopulation15 (2022)^[1]

Gola (Irish: Gabhla or Oileán Ghabhla) is a small island off the coast of Gweedore, County Donegal, Ireland. It was unpopulated as late as 1996 but more recently people have started to return. A ferry service operates during the summer holiday season and on request for the remainder of the year.^[2]

Description

Gola Island is one kilometre (0.62 mi) off the coast of Gweedore. Its many beaches and secluded bays attract visitors throughout the year. The island was populated up until the mid-1960s. Today most of the buildings on the island are derelict, but some have been renovated as holiday homes and the island has been inhabited for most of the year since 2002.^{[citation needed]}

The island terrain is mildly hilly with many bog road and sheep paths. At present, during the winter the only inhabitants on Gola are animals. Sheep and some goats tend to reside along the cliffs. To the back of the island, seabirds are numerous, with cormorants, shags, razorbills, guillemots as well as the odd passing gannet and skua. At the southern end of the near Port na Crin and the old school house, many shore species of bird can be admired such as the eider, oystercatcher, divers and various species of tern.^{[citation needed]}

Gola is the birthplace of renowned Irish writer, Seán 'ac Fhionnlaoich. The island has also been immortalised in the traditional children's song Báidín Fheilimí ("Phelim's Little Boat").^[3]

Before 2005, there was no mains electricity available on the island, all dwellings relying on generators, oil lamps and renewable power sources such as solar and wind.^[4]

Demographics

The table below reports data on Gola's population taken from Discover the Islands of Ireland (Alex Ritsema, Collins Press, 1999) and the Census of Ireland.

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1841	68	—
1851	143	+110.3%
1861	165	+15.4%
1871	96	−41.8%
1881	107	+11.5%
1891	131	+22.4%
1901	142	+8.4%
1911	169	+19.0%
1926	168	−0.6%

Year	Pop.	±%
1936	139	−17.3%
1946	132	−5.0%
1951	131	−0.8%
1956	125	−4.6%
1961	93	−25.6%
1966	43	−53.8%
1971	0	−100.0%
1979	0	0.00%
1981	0	0.00%

Year	Pop.	±%
1986	0	0.00%
1991	0	0.00%
1996	0	0.00%
2002	5	—
2006	4	−20.0%
2011	15	+275.0%
2016	5	−66.7%
2022	15	+200.0%

Source: Central Statistics Office. "CNA17: Population by Off Shore Island, Sex and Year". CSO.ie. Retrieved 12 October 2016.

Media depictions

The broadcaster RTÉ offended viewers by depicting a dog having its legs tied together and being tossed overboard into the sea off the coast of Gola as part of its TV50 celebrations in a broadcast on 3 January 2012.^[5]

Raidio na Gaeltachta reported^[when?] that Donegal County Council has begun a planning investigation into major planning breaches on the island.^{[citation needed]} Mobile homes have been placed illegally on the island along with other building regulation breaches. Those affected were notified of the breaches.^{[citation needed]}

Gallery

A view of Gola Island from Go Island.
The popular Twin Cave area of the Gola sea-cliffs, on a windy day. Twin Cave Buttress, on the right, is about 20 metres (66 feet) high and contains six climbs with grades S/4a to E3/6a.

References

Alan Tees (editor), Rock Climbs in Donegal (Mountaineering Council of Ireland, 2002) ISBN 0-902940-17-1 [1]

^ Population of Inhabited Islands Off the Coast (Report). Central Statistics Office. 2023. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
^ "Gola Island - Gabhla - Attractions - Islands - Offshore Islands - All Ireland - Republic of Ireland - Donegal - Gola -Gabhla - Discover Ireland". discoverireland.ie.
^ Báidín Fheilimí The Session. Retrieved: 2023-09-11.
^ "Gola Goes Electric". RTÉ.ie.
^ "Horror as RTÉ show footage of dog being drowned off Donegal coast". Donegal Daily. 5 January 2012. Retrieved 5 January 2012.