Overview
The Seven Hogs are a scatter of seven uninhabited islands off the tip of the Maharees Peninsula in County Kerry, across the narrow Maharees Sound. The Maharees archipelago lies off the north side of the Dingle Peninsula. People come to look out at the monastic ruin on the largest island and at wildlife that does well precisely because nobody lives on the islands. The islands form part of a protected area for seabirds, and they are best seen from the mainland.
History and the monastic ruin
Illauntannig (Oileán tSeanaigh), the biggest of the group, holds a monastic settlement traditionally founded by St Senach – the records argue over the century, with the 7th the usual answer. The monastic remains on Illauntannig include stone buildings and an enclosure. Behind its cashel wall sit two small oratories, three beehive huts (clochán), a souterrain, three stone altars (leachtaí) and a Celtic cross. It is a National Monument, and because the stonework is fragile it is not an island for casual visits.
The island is privately owned. Landing requires the owners’ permission, so do not set out expecting to step ashore. Watch from signed public shore paths on the mainland and give nesting areas space.
The islands were farmed until the early 1980s. Rather than give up the land, local farmers switched to seasonal grazing, and still move cattle and sheep across the sound each summer in a modified flotation cage – the modern version of the old trick of swimming livestock at low tide while a currach kept pace alongside.
Wildlife
The islands form part of the protected area for seabirds noted above. The dunes and shallow pools on the mainland are breeding habitat for the Natterjack toad, most likely to be seen in late spring and early summer when the sand is warm. The islands hold a Little Tern colony, so visitors are asked to keep well away from nesting beaches in the breeding season, when the chicks are most vulnerable. Through the winter the sound draws Whooper and Bewick’s swans and waders such as Brent goose, shelduck, wigeon and curlew. The community-led Maharees Conservation Association, which plants marram and runs beach cleans on the mainland, keeps an eye on the wider dune system.
Water activities
Above the water, the peninsula is a known surfing and paddleboarding base. Respect the protected area and nesting sites on and around the islands.
Getting out there
There is no regular ferry, and the islands are not a place to arrive at by your own boat. Landing on Illauntannig needs the owners’ permission, and any trip is weather- and tide-dependent. For most visitors the best plan is to look out at the islands from public shore paths on the mainland, and to treat Illauntannig as a place to appreciate from a distance.
Practical information for visitors
- Getting there: Drive to Castlegregory, roughly 28 km north of Tralee via the N86 and R560, and follow signs to the Maharees. Check local signs for parking.
- Admission: There is no admission to look at the islands from the shore. Any boat trip is arranged and charged by the operator.
- Facilities: None on the islands, with no toilets, shelter or shops. Bring water, snacks and weather-appropriate clothing; the nearest amenities are in Castlegregory.
- Dogs: Keep dogs on a short lead on the shore and well away from nesting birds and grazing livestock.
- Accessibility: The islands are reached only by boat over uneven shingle and rock, which rules them out for wheelchairs or limited mobility.
Check the tide and the weather before you drive out, give nesting birds a wide berth, and take the view from the shore. The islands run on nature’s timetable, not a tourist one.