History of Tory Island

amily:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"" lang="EN-US">Since the 1950s, the island has been home to a small community of artists, and has its own art gallery. The English artist Derek Hill was associated with the Tory artist community.

Reflecting a long-standing tradition, a "king" is chosen by consensus of the islanders. This is a unique tradition that does not exist anywhere else in Ireland. The current RíThoraí (Irish for "King of Tory") is painter Patsy Dan Rodgers (Patsaí Dan Mac Ruaidhrí). The king has no formal powers, though duties include being a spokesperson for the island community and welcoming people to the island.

Power is generated on the island today from three diesel electricity generators. These have a total capacity of 4 MW and burn through approximately 500 litres of fuel every day.

Public attention was focused on the island in 2009, when a one-time resident was awarded a payout following a court case after his house