Clare Island by John Feehan

Abstract

61 BOOK REVIEW Clare Island John Feehan Royal Irish Academy, 2019 i-x + 309pp. RRP €40 ISBN: 978–1–911479–13–0 In this mighty tome on Clare Island, John Feehan digests, analyses and interprets in a comprehensive but readable style the results of undoubtedly one of the most intensive scientific and cultural surveys ever undertaken of a location in Ireland. Feehan, a brilliant academic and teacher of natural sciences and agriculture, and an accomplished author, is one of the few who could have taken on such a daunting task with apparent ease (and he generously acknowledges the support he received from his many colleagues and friends, including the people of Clare Island). The Original Clare Island Survey, coordinated by the renowned naturalist Robert Lloyd Praeger, was undertaken largely between 1909 and 1911. The results were published in 68 parts (one part was not published) in Volume XXXI of the Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy (1911–15). Praeger assembled a team of the best experts available to address two main objectives:(i) the detailed biological study of a chosen area in western Ireland with the desire of adding to our knowledge of the flora and fauna of the extreme verge of the European continent; and (ii) the examination of an insular area, with a view of throwing light on the question of island life and the problems of dispersal (Praeger, Part 68, General Summary). On the first objective, the results greatly exceeded expectations, with numerous additions to the flora and fauna of Ireland and the British Isles as well as many species new to science. On the second objective,the proximity of Clare Island to the mainland proved a factor that diminished its value for the investigation of insular problems. The idea of a New Survey of Clare Island was first mooted by the Royal Irish Academy in 1988 and was eventually launched in 1992. Like its predecessor , a team of best available experts was assembled with the objective of establishing a new baseline using modern ecological techniques and approaches that would be invaluable for future environmental monitoring.The New Survey would also allow comparison and evaluation of change over the century between the two surveys. With the New Survey adopting a more ecological focus rather than taxonomic, the results are published according to broad themes in ten volumes by the Royal Irish Academy (1999 onwards, with two volumes yet to be published).As with the Original Survey,the New Survey can be considered an outstanding success in providing a new ecological and cultural baseline for the island. However, John Feehan rightly points out that it has not entirely succeeded in its aim of making and evaluating detailed comparison between the island of a hundred years ago and today.This is due in part to differences in survey methodology and intensity of effort between the two but also to numerous taxonomic changes and revisions to species concepts. Indeed, Praeger and his colleagues could not have imagined the modern techniques available, such as Lidar which uses remote sensing technology to show topographical detail of incredible precision. The book comprises a foreword by Michael Viney, ten main chapters, a comprehensive bibliography , a general index and a taxonomic index (prepared by Martin Steer). It is exceptionally well illustrated, with colour photographs (many by John Feehan and other surveyors but also usage of online imagery), high quality reproductions of photographs from the Original Survey (R.H.Welch) as well as from the Charles Browne collection, various Lidar images, a multitude of maps including the 1838 Ordnance Survey Fair Plan maps, and many other drawings including various taxonomic figures from the Original Survey.The quality and reproduction of the illustrations is excellent throughout but the wraparound cover photograph of Clare Island at sunset (by P.J. Rankin) can only be described as stunning. Each chapter is supported by notes which follow the main text—these vary from references to short paragraphs of explanatory information. The Introduction (Chapter 1) gives the background to the two Clare Island surveys as well as a short biography of R. Ll. Praeger. Chapters 2 and 3 cover the geology (Geology:the island’s rock framework ) and geomorphology (The legacy...