Gougane Barra with the hermitage of St Finbarr, County Cork

Saint Finbarr of Cork, a late sixth-century monk, is said to have sought a hermitage at the source of the River Lee (Gougane Barra). In 1704 a Carmelite, Denis Mahony, registered as parish priest in the area and erected the present enclosure on the islet. The ruins of what are reputed to be the Saint's original cell and part of the first chapel on the island are a place of pilgrimage on the Sunday nearest to the Saint's day, 25 September. To the left of the watercolour can be seen the oratory on the causeway connecting the island to the mainland.