Welcome to White Island

White Island is a spiritual and magical place, with much of its story yet to be revealed. Mystery surrounds the early history of the church site and the unique stone figures that dominate the landscape. The site has a long history of Christian worship and burial. Research has found evidence of ecclesiastical enclosures that may date to the time of St Patrick and the earliest Christians in Ireland.  

The island is famous for its remarkable sandstone carved figures, now inset into the north wall of the church. The figures date to the 9th or the 10th century AD. Six of the eight figures were found at various times from 1830 to 1958. These six figures consist of three pairs, in terms of height. They predate the current building and would originally have been part of an earlier church, most likely used in pairs as supporting pillars. 

The unfinished figure tells us that the figures were carved on site. In the 12th century they were reused as building blocks for the stone church you can see today. Despite much research and many theories, the figures still hold many secrets.  

The church has a beautiful Romanesque doorway, reconstructed in 1928 and the only surviving example of its type in Northern Ireland. Stone carvings such as those on White Island and Boa Island suggest that Fermanagh had stonemasons capable of detailed and original figurative work. Each figure on White Island conveys a Christian message. Across the bay is Davy’s Island, the site of Early Christian monastery.  

In 2023, exciting new archaeological investigations at White Island and nearby Davy’s Island, uncovered possible prehistoric activity.  The findings suggest that the importance of the islands pre-date their significance as Early Christian monastic sites. A digital story map of the archaeological process, findings and analysis is accessible through this link https://tinyurl.com/LEPW-Archaeology   

Nature Note: Breeding Waders  

The islands on Lower Lough Erne are important havens for wildlife including Lapwings, Curlews and Snipe. The Lower Lough is one of the last refuges on the island of Ireland for these birds. Curlew and other breeding wader species including Snipe, Lapwing and Redshank breed on the shores of the loughs around Fermanagh. Curlews are wading birds, identifiable by their long down turned beak, brown markings, long legs and have a very distinctive call. Curlew nest on the ground and favour areas where vegetation is typical of damp habitats, making the shores of Lough Erne the ideal habitat for nesting sites.