On the contrary, I see Channel Island can provide refuge (5,3)
I believe the answer is:
noahs ark
'refuge' is the definition.
Both the definition and answer are singular nouns.
Maybe they are linked in a way I don't understand?
'on the contrary i see channel island' is the wordplay.
'the contrary' shows that the letters should be reversed in order.
'i see' becomes 'ah' (exclamation used to indicate understanding).
'channel island' becomes 'Sark' (Sark is one of the Channel Islands).
'on' written backwards gives 'no'.
'no'+'ah'+'sark'='NOAHS ARK'
'can provide' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for noahs ark that I've seen before include "Biblical ship" , "Has Koran got converted to biblical boat?" , "Huge boat that withstood a great Flood" , "Great biblical boat" , "Hebrew patriarch's vessel" .)