Island in Strangford Lough on the market

Island in Strangford Lough on the market

11 June 2025

AN island in the middle of Strangford Lough could be yours for £108,000.

Located 2.5km off the shore of Killyleagh, Dunnyneil Island is for sale and is being advertised by Tim Martin Estate Agents.

The current owners bought the island over a decade ago to perform excavations and measure the rate of coastal erosion.

Excavations in 2012 revealed that the island was a trading post in the seventh century, and had traded with countries such as Russia, Germany, Iceland and France.

The native Irish at the time traded slaves as well as Irish wolfhounds, furs and seal skins in exchange for wine and other luxury goods from European merchants. 

The historic island is now home to a range of flora and fauna, with the larger main island being formed from a small drumlin with a boulder clay core.

Surrounded by the Ards Peninsula, the main island is B-shaped and rises 16 meters above sea level, while the south of the island has a steep cliff which faces towards the mouth of Strangford Lough.

It is linked to a smaller island by a causeway, which is visible at low tide.

Owen Gunning, from Tim Martin Estate Agents, said the island could attract a range of buyers.

“The National Trust may purchase it, or it could be used for scientific research – it depends on the buyer,” he said.

“It is certainly a chance to buy a bit of Ireland’s history,” he added.