Boa Island (Inis Badhbha)

A Lough Erne island famed for its enigmatic two-faced stone idol.

Boa Island, linked to the mainland by bridges, is named after the war goddess Badhbh. In its old Caldragh graveyard stands the Janus figure, a mysterious two-faced carved idol thought to date from the Iron Age.

At a glance

• Named after the goddess Badhbh
• The Iron Age 'Janus' two-faced idol
• On Lower Lough Erne

In County Fermanagh

Boa Island is in County Fermanagh, Fear Manach in Irish, which means “men of Manach”.

More in Fermanagh

• Lough Erne (Loch Éirne): A vast island-studded lake system in County Fermanagh, dotted with early Christian sites.
• Devenish Island (Daimhinis): A serene monastic island on Lower Lough Erne, crowned by a perfect round tower.

Other places of this kind

• Aran Islands (Oileáin Árann): A group of three islands located at the mouth of Galway Bay.
• Skellig Michael (Sceilg Mhichíl): A jagged island monastery off the Kerry coast, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a modern film location.
• Rathlin Island (Reachlainn): Northern Ireland's only inhabited offshore island, an L-shaped seabird haven off the Antrim coast.
• Achill Island (Acaill): Ireland's largest island, joined to Mayo by a bridge, with cliffs and blue-flag beaches.
• The Saltee Islands (Na Sailtí): Two small islands off the Wexford coast, one of Ireland's great bird sanctuaries.
• Clare Island (Cliara): A mountainous island at the mouth of Clew Bay, home of the pirate queen.

The Irish name

The Irish form of Boa Island is Inis Badhbha. You can hear it spoken, and take apart names like it, in the Placename Explorer. The authoritative record for any Irish place-name is logainm.ie.