The story of a small island on the coast of West Connemara is remembered at an event in Carna

The story of a small island on the coast of west Connemara was brought back to life at an occasion in the Emigrants Remembrance Centre in Carna yesterday.

“Oileán an Cheoil”, the island of music, was the theme of yesterday’s event at which local historian, Cóilín Hernon was the main speaker.

House by house around the shores of Feenish – Cóilín went through them one-by-one and recounted where the residents took their route in life as the music gradually faded into silence.

Feenish was renowned for its music, song, dance and folklore but it also had its tragedies. .

The community was decimated by the Famine of the 1840’s but it recovered only to be hit by a disaster in 1867.

In March of that year a barrel of oil which was washed ashore exploded in a house in Feenish killing at least 8 people.

A school was opened on the island in 1884 but its doors were closed in 1937.

As the world changed, the island changed and was down to 70 people in 1950.

By 1983 Feenish vanished as a living community.

The music was stilled on Oileán an Cheoil.