Ireland’s coastline is scattered with islands, and each one feels like a small world of its own. Some are windswept outposts of stone and seabird colonies; others are Gaeltacht communities where Irish is still the everyday language, or sheltered gardens warmed by the Gulf Stream. Getting to most of them is half the pleasure, whether that means a short ferry hop, a bridge across a narrow sound or a boat trip past basking seals.
We have gathered ten of the finest Irish islands worth visiting, spread from Antrim in the north to West Cork in the south. For each one you will find where it sits, how to reach it and what to see when you arrive. Here are our top ten.
1. Inis Mór (Aran Islands), County Galway
Inis Mór is the largest of the three Aran Islands, lying across Galway Bay off the coast of Connemara. Ferries run from Rossaveal and, in season, from Doolin in County Clare, while a small airstrip links the island to the mainland by light aircraft. Its most famous sight is Dún Aonghasa, a prehistoric stone fort perched on the edge of a sheer Atlantic cliff, and the island is criss-crossed by dry-stone walls and quiet lanes best explored by bike or pony trap. Irish remains the everyday language here.
2. Achill Island, County Mayo
Achill is the largest island off the Irish coast and is joined to the Mayo mainland by a road bridge at Achill Sound, so no ferry is needed. The island is known for its Blue Flag beaches, the dramatic Atlantic Drive and the slopes of Slievemore and Croaghaun. At the foot of Slievemore sits the Deserted Village, a long row of roofless stone cottages abandoned during and after the Great Famine. Keem Bay, a horseshoe of sand hemmed by cliffs, is one of the finest beaches in the country.
3. Skellig Michael, County Kerry
Skellig Michael is a steep rocky pinnacle rising from the Atlantic off the Iveragh Peninsula, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Reached by licensed boat from Portmagee and nearby harbours during the summer season, weather permitting, it is home to a remarkably well-preserved early Christian monastery. Visitors climb hundreds of stone steps to reach the clustered beehive huts near the summit. The island also drew fresh attention as a filming location for the Star Wars sequels.
4. Valentia Island, County Kerry
Valentia lies at the western end of the Iveragh Peninsula and is one of the most accessible islands, linked to the mainland by a bridge at Portmagee and by a summer car ferry from Reenard Point. It was the eastern terminus of the first lasting transatlantic telegraph cable, a heritage still celebrated on the island. Highlights include the Cromwell Point lighthouse, the slate quarry grotto and a set of fossilised tetrapod footprints among the oldest evidence of vertebrates walking on land. The cliffs at Bray Head reward walkers with sweeping ocean views.
5. Cape Clear Island, County Cork
Cape Clear is Ireland’s southernmost inhabited island, sitting off the coast of West Cork and reached by ferry from Baltimore and Schull. It is a Gaeltacht community where Irish is spoken, and a noted spot for birdwatching, with a long-running observatory that records seabirds and migrants. The island has a working goat farm and creamery, quiet coves and hillside walks with views towards the Fastnet Rock lighthouse. Its old signal tower and lighthouse ruins crown the higher ground.
6. Bere Island, County Cork
Bere Island shelters Bantry Bay off the Beara Peninsula and is reached by two ferry services from Castletownbere. The island was an important British naval base until 1938, and its Martello towers, gun batteries and military ruins remain scattered across the landscape. Waymarked loops of the Beara Way take walkers past these fortifications and along the rugged coast. It is a quiet, low-key destination well suited to walking, cycling and sea views.
7. Rathlin Island, County Antrim
Rathlin is Northern Ireland’s only inhabited offshore island, lying off Ballycastle on the Antrim coast and reached by a regular ferry. It is best known for its seabird colonies, and the RSPB West Light Seabird Centre offers close views of puffins, guillemots and razorbills in the breeding season. The upside-down West Lighthouse clings to the cliff face and is a striking sight. Legend links a cave on the island to Robert the Bruce and the spider that inspired his return to battle.
8. Arranmore, County Donegal
Arranmore is the largest inhabited island off the Donegal coast, reached by car ferry from Burtonport in around fifteen minutes. It is a Gaeltacht island with a strong tradition of music and language, ringed by high cliffs, sea caves and a lighthouse on its northern shore. Walking routes lead to freshwater loughs and cliff-top viewpoints looking out over the Atlantic. The island is a peaceful base for kayaking, diving and coastal walks.
9. Clare Island, County Mayo
Clare Island guards the mouth of Clew Bay off the Mayo coast and is reached by ferry from Roonagh Pier near Louisburgh. It is closely tied to Gráinne Mhaol, the sixteenth-century pirate queen, whose tower house stands near the harbour and who is said to be buried in the island’s medieval abbey. The abbey retains rare surviving medieval wall paintings. A single road climbs towards Knockmore, the island’s high point, with fine views across the bay to Croagh Patrick.
10. Garinish Island (Ilnacullin), County Cork
Garinish Island, also known as Ilnacullin, sits in the sheltered harbour of Glengarriff in West Cork and is reached by a short boat trip, often passing a colony of basking seals on the way. Thanks to the mild climate warmed by the Gulf Stream, the island holds a celebrated ornamental garden laid out in the early twentieth century. Its centrepiece is a sunken Italian garden with a formal pool, a temple and a Martello tower on the higher ground. The gardens are managed by the Office of Public Works and open to visitors in the warmer months.
Plan your island escape
From the prehistoric forts of Inis Mór to the seabird cliffs of Rathlin and the sub-tropical gardens of Garinish, Ireland’s islands offer a remarkable range of experiences within a short boat ride of the mainland. Ferry timetables are lighter outside the summer months and sailings can be cancelled in rough weather, so it is always worth checking the schedule and the forecast before you set out. Pack layers, sturdy footwear and a little patience, and you will be rewarded with some of the most memorable corners of the country.
Which of these islands would you visit first? Tell us in the comments, and safe travels.
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