A lifetime of Islands: Island 30 - St Patrick's Isle, Peel, Isle of Man

Wednesday, 9 March 2011

Island 30 - St Patrick's Isle, Peel, Isle of Man

St Patrick’s Isle is so named because tradition says that it was here that St Patrick landed to bring Christianity to the Isle of Man. The island is connected to the Isle of Man on the west side of Peel Harbour by a causeway, which has a road on it. St Patrick's Isle is only about 250m from north to south by 150m from east to west. Almost all the original island is within the walls of Peel Castle. I think the road that runs up the east coast of the island is on reclaimed land. At some point before 1869 a breakwater was built out from the north east corner of the island. At some time later a small area of land to the south west of the breakwater was reclaimed.

Peel castle was originally the fort of Magnus Barefoot, the 11th century Viking King of Mann. At this time the fortifications were made of wood. The walls and buildings that can still be still be seen today were built of local red sandstone in the 14th and 15th centuries. The castle was abandoned in the 18^th Century and is now in the care of Manx National Heritage. It is open to the public in the summer months but there is a fee to look round it.

Eleanor Cobham, Duchess of Gloucester was imprisoned in Peel Castle for 3 years from 1446 to 1449, after her conviction for treasonable necromancy against King Henry VI in 1441. She was the mistress and later second wife of Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester and she became obsessed with her husband's claim to the English throne. She consulted astrologers who predicted that Henry VI would suffer a serious illness, which would endanger his life in 1441.

Peel Cathedral, which was built in the 13th century and is situated within the walls of Peel Castle, is dedicated to St German. He was one of the early missionaries from Ireland and Iona. The first monastery was established on St Patrick's Isle in the 6th century. There is also an unusual round tower, which was built by the monks to use as a belfry, a lookout and a place of refuge. The ruins of St Patrick's Church are located close to the round tower. The cathedral fell into ruin at some time in the late 18th century.

In the 1980s the grave of a Viking Pagan Lady was found buried on St Patrick's Isle. She was buried in a Christian cemetery in the 10th century but was surrounded by her worldly goods and some charms, which was the way that pagans were buried. She was wearing a beautiful necklace, which was made from 73 glass, amber and jet beads from all round Europe.

The beach that has formed on the south west side of the island since the causeway was built is called Fenella Beach.

Peel Lifeboat Station is located on the east side of St Patrick's Isle close to the breakwater. It has a Mersey class carriage launched lifeboat. The Lifeboat House was built on St Patrick's Isle in 1885.

There is a public footpath, which runs around the west side of the island outside the castle walls. It is well surfaced and is a delightful walk.

I visited St Patrick's Isle for the first time while on holiday on the Isle of Man in August 1985. There was then a gap of 34 years before my next visit in July 2019.