'Like a jewel' Good karma comes to Hare Krishna Island at last

But Hare Krishna Island, as it came to be known, struggled. It was isolated, costly to maintain and froze in winter.

- Rory Carroll

In the early 1980s, Ireland's tiny Hare Krishna community made a bold decision: it bought an island. Inis Rath, a nine-hectare wooded island on Lough Erne, just inside Northern Ireland, was available for £125,000. There was a tradition of monks inhabiting Irish islands and this one was tranquil, midway between Dublin and Belfast, and appeared ideal for a new headquarters.

But Hare Krishna Island, as it came to be known, struggled. It was isolated, costly to maintain and froze in winter. People left to seek jobs and start families. The Hare Krishnas decided to sell up in 2002, the dream seemingly dead.

Twenty years later, however, incense wafts from the temple, the vegetable garden is blooming, the cows, peacocks and deer are thriving, and the island has recently seen an influx of visitors.

"It's a rare jewel," said Manu, chair of the temple council, whose non-Krishna name is Martin Davies. “We are surrounded by water and that’s good for meditation. The canopy of trees we have – you can’t buy that.”

The community is busy turning the island into a retreat for visitors . Drilling and hammering compete with the tinkle of bells.