Lambay was known to the ancient
Egyptians and Romans. Ptolemy of Alexandria (150 A.D.) marked it on a map. He
called it Limnus or Limni. In Irish, it was called “Reachra”, but RathlinIslandoff the coast of Antrim is also called Reachra in Irish, and Lambay was given the
full name of Reachra Breagha. Breagha was the Irish name for this part of . Portrane gets its name from the island – “Port
Reachrann”, the port for Lambay. According to local tradition, there was a
causeway joining Lambay to the mainland, but that this road sank, and could not
then be used for traffic.
Lambay was known to the ancient
Egyptians and Romans. Ptolemy of Alexandria (150 A.D.) marked it on a map. He
called it Limnus or Limni. In Irish, it was called “Reachra”, but