Rathlin Island: North of Antrim

Rathlin Island may at first site appear to be a remote island of little, if any, real significance. However, its size does not reflect the importance of its position at the entrance to the North Channel, where during the World Wars and earlier, it witnessed the convoys that preserved Britain’s lifeline. Even going back to the earliest period of human settlement in the Neolithic period Rathlin was the centre of a wide trade in flint and was later even known to the celebrated Greek and Latin authors Ptolemy and Pliny. During the medieval period Irish monks stood at the head of European culture and the famous St Comgall of Bangor founded the first Christian church on Rathlin during the same period St Columba landed at Iona spreading Irish ideals of monastic learning and spirituality. But Rathlin also witnessed much barbarity. Much of its early history is characterised by a succession of Norman rulers, followed by disputes between Scottish and English factions. These rivalries led to the terrible massacre of the McDonnells by the Earl of Essex and the later extermination of the islanders by a regiment of Scots, inspired by Cromwell and the religious fanaticism of the day. However, they also created legends. Allegedly, Robert Bruce sought refuge there and mulled over his aspirations to kingship, drawing inspiration from the indefatigable persistence of a spider. In 1746, more peaceful times allowed the new landlords, the Gages, to bring more modern methods to agriculture and improve the lot of the farmers. The family remain a feature of Rathlin life to this day. Later, the manufacture of kelp on the island brought additional income to the hard pressed residents. Inevitably, the need to educate the children and more frequent contact with the mainland led to the eventual demise on the islanders’ native tongue - Irish. The influence of the Established Church of Ireland saw the introduction of prayer books and Testaments. However, Bishop Hutchinson was probably responsible for publishing the Raghery Catechism in the Irish language. Of great consequence to the whole world was the fact that Guglielmo Marconi, the master of wireless development, did much of his pioneering work on Rathlin. Not bad for a small island