Ram’s Island is located approximately one mile offshore from Lennymore Bay and Sandy Bay on the eastern shore of Lough Neagh

Lough Neagh

Lough Neagh, sometimes Loch Neagh, is a large freshwater lake in Northern Ireland. Its name comes .-Geography:With an area of , it is the largest lake in the British Isles and ranks among the forty largest lakes of Europe. Located twenty miles to the west of Belfast, it is approximately twenty...

, Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

.

Features

It is nearly one mile long by a quarter of a mile wide and is the largest island on Lough Neagh. Notable features of the island are a round tower

Round tower

Round tower may refer to:Types of tower:* Irish round tower, a type of early mediaeval stone tower* Broch, a type of Iron Age drystone structure found in Scotland* Round-tower church, a type of church found mainly in England...

 and the ruins of the O'Neills' 19th century summer house. The island was last permanently inhabited in the 1920s by the Cardwell family who were caretakers for the O'Neills. It also has a unique collection of mature trees and the remains of an ancient monastic settlement including the round tower.

History

The Island played a part during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, as a flying boat

Flying boat

A flying boat is a fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a float plane as it uses a purpose-designed fuselage which can float, granting the aircraft buoyancy. Flying boats may be stabilized by under-wing floats or by wing-like projections from the fuselage...

base (RAF Sandy Bay), utilizing the shelter offered by the Island from the westerly wind.

Transport

In 2006, a redevelopment programme funded from the Lough Neagh Partnership (LNP), which is supported by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD), to finance the provision of a ferry to carry visitors to Ram's Island. The new ferry, called 'The Island Warrior', has opened up the island and resulted in around 2,500 visits. In 2007 a new jetty was built. In 2009 over 7500 people visited Rams Island.