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Coney Island lies in Lough Neagh, a mile from the County Armagh Shore. It is a thickly wooded island of nearly 9 acres. It was given to the National Trust in 1946 by Mr. Fred Storey and may be visited by boat from Maghery. Excavations carried out in 1962-63 revealed that there was a settlement on the island in Neolithic times which lasted in to the Bronze Age. Coney Island is a natural island unlike many in Lough Neagh which are crannogs or artificial islands. The island was connected to the mainland by a causeway or submerged ridge, which can be easily seen in summer as it is then under less than two feet of water. The causeway is known locally as St. Patrick's Road, as the saint was said to have used the island as a place of retreat. |