Overview
Beginish (Irish: Beiginis, “little island”) is the low, flat one in the Blasket group, lying in the Blasket Sound between Great Blasket and the Dingle mainland. Next to the towering cliffs of its neighbours it barely rises from the water, which is exactly why the seals like it. It is uninhabited and protected as part of the Blasket Islands Special Area of Conservation. With no pier, hidden rocks and strong tidal currents, it is rarely landed on, and there’s little reason to try: the wildlife shows itself just as well from a boat or from the mainland shore.
One point of confusion worth clearing up: there are two islands called Beginish in Kerry. The other, Beginish Island in Valentia Harbour, is a larger place with a Viking-age settlement. This page is about the low Blasket-Sound island, Beiginis.
Wildlife & Conservation
For its size, Beiginis does a lot of ecological work.
- Grey seals: This is the main birthing site for the Blaskets’ grey seals. From late summer into autumn the low shores fill with pups, hauled out on the sand while their mothers feed offshore. The wider Blaskets support up to 20,000 grey seals, some of which migrate down from Scotland.
- Arctic terns: The island holds a large colony of Arctic terns through late spring and summer – the same birds that make the longest migration of any animal, Arctic to Antarctic and back each year.
- A window into the Ice Age: On the island a raised beach sits sandwiched between two glacial deposits, laid down during a warm spell between glaciations. It’s the kind of detail geologists travel for and everyone else walks past.
The island is a Special Protection Area as well as an SAC, so tours keep their distance from the nesting and pupping grounds; the seals are easily spooked off the beach.
How to view the island
With no pier and hidden rocks in the sound, landing is difficult and rarely attempted. For most visitors that’s no loss – the seals and terns are easy to pick out from the water or the shore.
- Boat tours: Several operators run seasonal trips through the Blasket Sound from Ventry Pier and Dunquin Pier, coming in close enough to see the seals hauled out and the terns working the slopes above them. Some also offer kayaking nearby. There is a single stone house on Beiginis, listed as a national monument – the last trace of people having lived here.
- From the mainland: You get a clear view of Beiginis and the sound from the Dunquin Pier path, the Slea Head Drive and the Kerry Cliffs. Bring binoculars for the seals.
Practical Information
- Facilities: There are no facilities, shelters, or freshwater sources on the island.
- Safety: The Blasket Sound is notorious for powerful tidal races and unpredictable weather. Navigating the sound by private craft or kayak should only be attempted by highly experienced mariners with proper safety gear and tidal plans.
- Entry: Free to view. Any visits are limited to boat tour fees.
Nearby Attractions
- Great Blasket – The largest island in the archipelago, featuring abandoned historic villages and sandy beaches.
- Blasket Islands – The wider archipelago offering dramatic landscapes and rich maritime history.
- Dunquin – The nearest village on the Dingle Peninsula, home to the Blasket Centre which explores the literature and life of the islands.