Beaver Island

Beaver Island is the largerst inhabited Island in the great lakes, with a population of around 450. In 2000 it was twinned with Arranmore, a monument was built on the shores of the loch, it shows a Beaver on one side and an Otter on the other side, in the middle there is a salmon representing the link between the two communities, there has always been very strong liknks between Arranmore and Beaver Islandm dating back to the potato famine in the 1940's, when the poeple of Arranmore were forced to leave there homes in search of a better life. Once settled in they wrote to their families and friends abour " America's Emerald Isle". Over the following three decades, the population gre taking on an Irish flacour. Ordinary conversations and services in the Catholic Church were conducted in Gaelic. Of the 881 residents in 1880, there were 141 Gallaghers, 123 Boyles and 90 O'Donnells recorded in census.

www.beaverbeacon.com