Inishnabro, Inis na Bró 175m hill, Dingle West W: Blaskets Ireland at MountainViews.ie

Longitude: -10.606801, Latitude: 52.060946 , Easting: 21269, Northing: 93042 Prominence: 175m, Isolation: 1.9km
ITM: 421260 593095, GPS IDs, 6 char: Inshnb, 10 char: Inishnabro
Bedrock type: Red sandstone & siltstone, (Bulls Head Formation)

This island is higher and more rugged than its neighbour, Inishvickillane. Tomás Ó Criomhthain records in An t-Oileánach (The Islandman) how the well-known melody Port na bPúcaí magically came to one of the Daly family living on Inishnabro. This story in turn inspired Seamus Heaney's poem The Given Note. The island may well get its name from the remarkable rock arches near Cathedral Rocks / An Charraig Scoilte at the northern tip. The word bró or breo is used in several place-names to denote a remarkable fracture of the rocks or simply a cut or notch between hills, cf. Broemountain, Brow Head, Knocknabro. Inis na Bró is the 1441th highest place in Ireland. Inis na Bró is the second most southerly summit in the Dingle West area. It's also the third most westerly summit in Ireland.
Linkback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/1043/

MountainViews.ie Picture about mountain Inishnabro (<i>Inis na Bró</i>) in area Dingle West, Ireland

Picture: Homeward bound

A view along the island

by wicklore 9 Sep 2012

The upper reaches of Inis na Bro are covered in deep bell heather. When added to the spongy grasses and mosses elsewhere, it meant that the 175 metre ascent from sea level required more of an effort than a comparable ascent elsewhere. This photo shows the group leaving the summit to return to the boat, with the south of the island stretching before us and Inishvickillane beyond. Linkback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/1043/comment/14803/

Picture: Looking north to Inis na Brò

A rare view of Inis na Brò

by wicklore 19 Nov 2011

I took advantage of the recent trip to An Tiaracht to take this photo of Inis na Brò from the air. The sea roiling and boiling around the base seems to be the standard for these Blasket Islands. The photo is a little smudgy as it was taken through the perspex window of the helicopter. It is taken from the south looking north, and the main Blasket Island of Croaghmore is visible further north at the top of the photo.

As can be seen from the photo, this is not an island that will be easily reached and climbed. But no doubt an intrepid band of MountainViewers will do it someday! Until then we can only look and wonder and dream.... Linkback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/1043/comment/6629/

Picture: Inishnabro NE end

Jagged cathedral.

by simon3 10 Sep 2012

Cathedral Rocks at the NE end of Inishnabro.
In the background is Tearaght Island around 6 km away. Linkback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/1043/comment/14804/

Picture: The eastern flanks of the island

Another view of Inis na Brò

by wicklore 19 Nov 2011

Simply in the interest in expanding our knowledge, I'm attaching another picture of Inis na Brò. This one shows the eastern side of the island, and it is obvious that this is much more gently sloped than the fierce western side. Even so, the gentle slopes seem to end at a sheer drop all the way around, and I'd reckon this is a 15-20 foot drop at the lowest section about half way up the island.

Croaghmore is visible top right, with Inishtooskert faintly visible top left. Apologies for the lack of clarity, but the photo was taken through the perspex window of the helicopter that brought me to An Tiaracht. Linkback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/1043/comment/6630/

Rocket Man

by Conor74 9 Sep 2012

The landing on the island is pure James Bond, with the dinghy scraping through an archway barely wide enough to allow us through before entering a little cove hidden from the sea. The island nearly became even more like a scene out of You Only LiveTwice when in 1973 it was proposed as the launching site for a space flight by the youthful Dr. Gary Hudson. He wrote a letter to the Irish Vice Consul in the USA pointing out that as a neutral country with no affiliated space programme, access to the EEC and the grants that would flow, the island's isolation from a large population in the event of a serious accident, and ready access to fuel (one assumes springy heather must be ideal rocket fuel), Inis Na Bro would be the perfect launch site. He claimed his plans were supported by one astronaut who had walked on the moon. He had been taken to the island by the Kerry tourist board and claimed they were enthusiastic, perhaps the suggestion that it would provide 100 jobs enticed them. Apparently Dr. Hudson believed that by 2000 we earthlings would need to mine the moon to obtain much of our raw materials. The suggestion was taken seriously enough by the Irish diplomatic corps in the USA to arrange a meeting with Dr. Hudson. Sadly for them, but happily for those who cherish the beauty and value of the Blaskets, the initial enthusiasm was met with a little more cynicism on this side of the Atlantic, as the Vice Consul was advised by the Government here to "be on (their) guard lest the whole thing...be a gigantic leg pull"!

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/secret-plans-for-irish-spaceship-revealed-127645 star

A.html Linkback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/1043/comment/14799/

Picture: A rarely seen cove

The hidden entrance to Inis na Bro

by wicklore 9 Sep 2012

As Conor74 has pointed out, the access point for Inis na Bro is rather startling. Behind the rugged and sharp rocks that ring the island lies a tiny hidden cove, accessed through a narrow breach in the rocks. Because the dingy was inflatable it was able to squeeze through, scraping the sheer rock face on either side, with cheery calls of 'watch your heads and backs' issuing from the able navigator. Once inside the cove, there is a quick step onto the rocks before a rather steep and exhilarating climb up a grassy gully to the gentler slopes above.

Inis na Bro does not have sheep, so deep heather is in abundance, especially on the last haul up to the summit. Views are amazing of the surrounding islands of Inisvickillane, Tearaght, and the Great Blasket. Inis na Bro is another island with gentle eastern slopes and fierce, sheer west-facing cliffs. There are no obvious remains of human settlements, and a flock of seagulls huddled on the SE end of the island, perhaps deciding what to do about these most unexpected visitors.

We saw some giant slugs and the burrows of either rabbits or petrels. They must live in absolute peace from humans for most of the year, and even our visit was short and hopefully not too intrusvive for them.

My photo shows the hidden cove with the entrance sea-arch behind as the dingy squeezes through. A most remarkable way to access an island! Linkback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/1043/comment/14802/

COMMENTS for Inishnabro (Inis na Bró)

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