Hare Island

Hare Island lies at the southern end of Lough Ree, not far out from Athlone. Tradition says Saint Ciarán founded a monastery here before moving on to Clonmacnoise, and the island was raided again and again: the annals name its church among those of the lake plundered in 1089. After the Norman invasion the Dillon family held it, with Augustinian canons, until the 1650s. In the 19th century it belonged to the Handcock family, later the Lords Castlemaine, who built a lodge for fishing and shooting parties; a royal duke is said to have stayed there in 1850. The Duffy family lived on the island until the 1950s, and the lodge has since fallen into serious disrepair. We have no source for a landing place, so admire it from the water.