Dugort Achill Island 1831-1861: The Rise and Fall of a Missionary Community (Maynooth Studies in Irish Local History)

This work traces the evolution of the settlement at Dugort from barren land to thriving village in a period of ten to twelve years. By the mid-1840s it was firmly established with its schools, reclaimed farmland and luxuriant crops. Secondary settlements were also established at Mweelin and on the island of Inishbiggle. However, very strong opposition to these developments came from the Roman Catholic archbishop of Tuam, and the priests he sent to the island. The great famine and its impact on the Mission, the departure of its founder Edward Nangle together with the falling off of voluntary contributions and emigration to the colonies and America, all contributed to the final collapse of this Protestant missionary experiment.