Coney Island

Coney Island, Lough Neagh (Image: Northern Ireland Tourist Board)

CONEY ISLAND, a tiny wooded islet in the south-west corner of LOUGH NEAGH, is a short distance by boat from Maghery, County Armagh.

In 1837 this little island extended to a mere two acres; the Lough, however, has since been lowered several times, and today comprises nine acres.

A cottage was built in 1896 as a summer retreat for Lord Charlemont.

The building has been renovated more recently and is now the dwelling of the warden on the island.

Coney Island ca 1840 (historic OS map)

The remains of a heavily overgrown, ruinous, rectangular, redbrick outbuilding located to east side of Cottage may originally have served as a summer house, though became the servants' range possibly following building of the cottage in 1896.

The mature woodland has winding paths, most of which are close to the lough, with fine prospects across to the mainland.

The open ground in front of the house used to be a croquet lawn.

At the eastern side of the island there are the ruins of a 16th century stone tower (O'Neill's Tower/ Coney Keep) and motte, where there was once a flag-pole.

Coney Island ca 1830 (historic OS map)

The National Trust remarks that the tower must formerly have stood almost on the tip of the pear-shaped island, but since lough levels have dropped through successive "lowerings" in the 20th century, the tower now stands well within the present lake edge.

The tower was extensively renovated by LORD CHARLEMONT to serve as a rustic mausoleum, and in which he was subsequently buried in 1913.

Coney Island, formerly called Inisdaville, was granted by Walter de Burgh, Earl of Ulster, to the Archbishop of Armagh ca 1266.

Ash, horse chestnut, sycamore, beech, oak, wych elm, and Scots pine trees predominate the island, and alder proliferates the circumference.

The island is owned by the National Trust and administered by the local borough council with public access.