Five miles off Slea Head on the Dingle peninsular is the so called 'last parish in Ireland before America' The Blasket Islands consist of seven islands set at the entrance to Dingle Bay. The islands are uninhabited except for summer visitors, the last permanent settlement was in 1953 when the government encouraged the islanders to move to the mainland.

It was on Great Blasket (4.7 sq km) that the Irish chieftain Piaras Ferriter had a castle, he holds the distinction of being the last Irish chieftain to surrender to Cromwell.

The westernmost island, Tearaght, has a lighthouse 83 m (272 ft) high. The islands are a popular destination for tourists because of their scenic beauty, with cliffs on Great Blasket reaching 293 m (961 ft) in height. Two ships of the Spanish Armada went ashore there in 1588.

You will find boats in the towns of Dingle and Dunquin which will take you to the islands, (In good weather).

Go to Irish Islands home page.