Great Blasket Island

Opening Hours

Ferries to the Island usually run from 1 April to 30 September, from around 10.30 – 17.00, weather permitting.

Location

Great Blasket Island is located 1km off the coast of Kerry.

Transport

Transport to Great Blasket Island is by ferry only. These ferries are all privately run and licensed by the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine. Individual ferry companies are not associated with, nor endorsed by, the Office of Public Works. There is no jetty on Great Blasket, so the final part of the journey takes place by inflatable boat.

Ferries run to the Island during the summer months, when good weather is available. The journey takes between twenty minutes and an hour, depending on which harbour the ferry departed from. See up to date timetables and contact details at the following links: Blasket Islands Ferry, Blasket Island Ferries, Dingle Bay Charters, Marine Tours, Dingle Bay Speedboat Tours.

Facilities

There are no public facilities on Great Blasket Island. Behind the abandoned village, the majority of the island is a wilderness site. The five relatively modern houses built in the early 20th century, however, have been converted to a private hostel. You can access details on this hostel at this link.

The Island is inaccessible to wheelchair users and is only recommend for able-bodied persons.

App

Screen Shot 2016-03-05 at 14.05.54Download the Blasket Island trail app for iOS or Android free.

 

Guided Tours

Guided walking tours of the Island are also available. Ferries which run to the Island are privately owned and operated. These are highly dependent on the weather. The OPW provides free guided tours of the old village once on the Island.

Visit

The average length of a visit to the Island is an hour and a half.

Photography/ Video

Photography and video are both permitted.

Admission

Tours of the Island village are free.

If the weather is too bad to make the crossing, take the online tour instead!