Saint Macdara's Island

The island is located on a 60-acre (24.5 ha) granite mountain island off the coast of Connemara, 6 km (3.7 mi) west-southwest of Carna.^[5][6]

Saint Sinach Macdara, patron saint of seafarers, is believed to have built a wooden church on the island in the sixth century.^[7] It was replaced by the present stone building in the 10th century.^[8] The roof stones were cut to mimic wood shingles.^[9]

Local fishermen traditionally dipped their sails three times while passing the island.^[10]

A wooden statue of the saint was paid special reverence by locals; in an act of iconoclasm the Archbishop of Tuam ordered it buried.^[11]

Every 16 July on Féile Mhic Dara (Feast of Macdara) local people make a pilgrimage to the island for a mass and blessing of boats (including the famous Galway hookers).^[12][13][14]

There is no pier on the island. Nine people drowned on a pilgrimage to the island during a storm in 1907. The roof on the island's church was restored in 1977. In addition to the church, there are three penitential stations consisting of cross slabs, and a holy well. There are also the ruins of a much later bothy around which animals were once raised.^[12]

A stone church or oratory, probably a shrine for Macdara's remains. There are several cross slabs and an enclosure.^[15]

The Irish postal service, An Post, released a series of definitive stamps between 1982 and 1986 depicting the tenth century Macdara's Church on the island. The five stamps were as follows:^[12][16][17]