A Donegal Wild Atlantic Way Discovery Point

Island Roy

Island Roy is a small island in Mulroy Bay, County Donegal, Ireland and is a Wild Atlantic Way Discovery Point. It’s name in Irish is Oileán Ruaidh, meaning ‘red island’ due to the rusty colour of the vegetation in winter. ‘Island Roy’ is an anglicisation created by surveyors in the 19th century.

It is accessible by a causeway from the mainland, passable at low tide. Before this causeway was built, children used get to school by wading across to the mainland on stilts at low tide.

Seaweed is harvested from it’s shores for use in seaweed baths.