Islands of Ireland: Off with his head

This week we leave Ireland’s rocky shores and expand this series to take in global islands where Irish people have had a strong influence, whether malign or benign, writes Dan MacCarthy. MacCarthy Island in Gambia, Africa, is one of five or six MacCarthy islands globally and was named after governor Charles MacCarthy who was born in Cork in 1764.

MacCarthy actually served his time in the Irish Brigade of the French army and then the Dutch before receiving a commission to the British army in 1799. He was regarded as a reformer and in 1807, when the British parliament abolished the slave trade, he arranged a base far up the Gambia river to protect British commercial interests, as well as enforce the act. They settled on Lemain Island, which was later renamed after him.