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. People come out here for three things: the monastic ruin on the largest island, clear water for diving, and wildlife that does well precisely because nobody lives on them.
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. 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 the enclosure is closed to casual visits; boat trips land on the beach below the walls, where you can see the cross and the ruins up close. Illauntannig lies about a mile off Scraggane Pier.
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 archipelago is part of an 11,000-hectare Special Area of Conservation and an Important Bird Area. The dunes and shallow pools are a critical breeding habitat for the Natterjack toad, Ireland’s rarest amphibian, most likely to be seen in late spring and early summer when the sand is warm. Oileán tSeanaigh holds one of the last known Little Tern colonies in Kerry, so visitors are asked to keep off its rocky and shingle beaches between mid-May and mid-July, 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.
Diving and water activities
Clear visibility and rich reefs make the Maharees one of Ireland’s more reliable dive spots, with kelp forests and channels holding wrasse, pollack and the odd dolphin pod. Waterworld Dive Centre at Scraggane Pier, a five-star PADI and National Geographic dive centre, runs boat dives and courses from bubble-maker sessions for children up to instructor training. Above the water, the peninsula is a known surfing and paddleboarding base, and local operators run sea-safari trips from Sandy Bay around the islands and Brandon Bay.
Getting out there
There is no regular ferry. Every visit is a private charter, arranged through the boat operators or the Castlegregory Information Centre, leaving from Scraggane Pier. It is entirely weather- and tide-dependent, so late May to early September is the realistic window. Confirm the landing plan when you book: dive trips stop at specific reefs, while heritage and wildlife trips aim for Illauntannig’s beach. Operators provide life jackets and a safety briefing before departure.
Practical information for visitors
- Getting there: Drive to Castlegregory, roughly 28 km north of Tralee via the N86 and R560, and follow signs to Scraggane Pier. The small pier car park fills quickly in July and August.
- Admission: The islands are free; operators charge for the boat and guiding.
- Facilities: None on the islands – no toilets, shelter or shops. Bring water, snacks and weather-appropriate clothing; the nearest amenities are in Castlegregory.
- Dogs: Allowed on boats and landing beaches on a short lead, but keep them well away during the Little Tern season (May to July) and around grazing livestock.
- Accessibility: Access is by boat only, landing on uneven shingle and rock, which rules the islands out for wheelchairs or limited mobility.
- Nearby beds: Harbour House at Scraggane Pier has an indoor pool and leisure facilities, and there are seasonal caravan parks such as Anchor close by.
Book the boat a few days ahead in high summer, check the tide before you drive to Scraggane, and bring boots that can take a shingle landing – the islands run on nature’s timetable, not a tourist one.