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It is mainly the trees and the infrastructure that are significant here. Some of the various specimen trees we have observed in the area are named and described below.
There are a wide variety of rather unusual tree species, ranging from Monkey Puzzles to Lime trees to Wych Elm, which have either been planted, or are surviving in this area. These are very large trees, many of which need careful management at the moment and are not getting it. Bramble thickets (beloved of the Boars) are also encroaching formerly managed areas. Portuguese Laurel is another invasive species which is probably not doing the area any good. The initial impression we get of the site is that it could be an ideal base for some sort of retreat or study centre, linked to Drumshanbo by boat, possibly, rather than by road, and could provide a unique and distinctive holiday venue for many people, of many interests.
Wych Elm (Ulmus glabra) (below). A native species, and one not all that common in  recent years. In the 1960’s and 70’s, Dutch Elm disease (a fungus carried by an Elm bark beetle) destroyed almost all Common Elms in Ireland and Britain. The Wych Elm was also affected, but it is slightly hardier and more resistant to this disease. Some quite old specimens like this one (which is possibly 30metres high) can still be found, especially in isolated locations like this. Its leaves are not as asymmetrical as the Common Elm, have about 10 to 12 leaf veins, and are finely toothed at the edges. This tree had many seeds (carried in thin flattened discs) in clusters or bunches in the higher branches.
Copper Beech (Fagus species) Not a native tree, but one that is often planted for ornamental purposes. The specimens on Inishfale were, like the other interesting tree species, probably fairly old specimens. This was a beautiful sunny day, and their reddish brown leaves looked stunning against the various shades of green of the commoner trees such as Willow, Ash and Chestnut.
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Inishfale is an environment, different in nature to most of Lough Allen, mainly because of its interesting man-built structures and introduced plants.
Some of these trees are not common elsewhere in Leitrim; for example, Copper Beech occurs here,  and Wych Elm, described opposite. Most of the trees on the island are hardwoods several large and attractive Scots Pine, a native tree, are growing here. Some big Horse Chestnuts also occur.
The house is just a pile of ruins at this stage, but there are some interesting navigational facilities designed to facilitate getting to and from the island from Drumshanbo. These include a harbour for a large boat or barge, and a turning area with a mooring bay connecting, by a very short canal, to the lake. These are all, unfortunately, dry at this stage, and full of rocks, indicating a change of water levels since the time the place was occupied. But it would make an interesting project to clear out and make navigable again, if the overall problem of Lough Allen’s changing water levels could be addressed. (Many of Lough Allen’s unique plants and animals are suffering from unseasonably high Summer water levels in the lake over the past few years. e.g. the Irish Lady’s Tresses and the Mergansers.)
The isolation and the dense tree cover, and the rich variety of trees all mean that this ‘island’ provides a valuable haven for several of our more interesting birds. The Raven, Jay, Blackcaps, Woodcock and Flycatcher, to name a few. The Blackcap is now a common species in Ireland but its cousin, the Garden Warbler, is extremely rare. Being aware of the characteristics of its trees and plants, this island seems to provide a possible suitable habitat for this species.
(below)
The Garden Warbler, illustration by W v Wright from his book on Swedish Birds (c. 1910)
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Lime. We noticed two or three of these trees, though most likely there are other specimens. This is a fairly old tree (25 to 30 metres high) with typical fresh growth or shoots all around the base of the trunk. Limes were commonly planted around gardens of big houses in the past, they have an attractive pale green leaf.
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The Garden Warbler has not yet been found in Lough Allen, but occurs in the lakes of Fermanagh and rumours exist regarding the Shannon Lakes. This is one the main reasons why we have approached this area, as Garden Warblers breeding here would be a significant asset to the Lough Allen repertoire of rare plants and animals.
Woodcock have also been seen ‘roding’ through the trees. (Roding is a peculiar type of slow flight and calls with which the male Woodcock tries to attract the female in Spring.) In the bay between the isthmus and the mainland, Greenshank have been seen on migration in the Spring, also Teal and Wigeon.
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