Ireland's most remote inhabited island, 11km off the Donegal coast and reachable only by ferry from Magheraroarty (about 45 minutes) or, in winter, by occasional helicopter from Falcarragh — Tory Island packs an extraordinary depth of heritage into three square kilometres: the remains of St Colmcille's 6th-century monastery, including the round tower and one of only two Tau crosses in Ireland; Dún Bhaloir, the cliff-top promontory fort tied to the myth of Balor of the Evil Eye; the living folk-custom of the elected 'King of Tory'; a Donegal Gaeltacht community that resisted a 1974 government plan to relocate it to the mainland; the self-taught Tory Island School of naive painters associated with Derek Hill; and the working 1832 lighthouse at the island's western tip. This trail's centre point sits over open water, roughly equidistant between the Magheraroarty ferry slip and the island's landmark cluster, with a wide trigger radius to allow for GPS drift on the crossing — you will only actually reach these stops after making the boat trip yourself. Looking for things to do in Tory Island? Start here — no car, no ticket, no booking.
Opens the free interactive app — point your phone at each stop and hear it speak, in 12 languages.
Stops on This Trail
An Cloigtheach — Tory Island Round Tower
The Tau Cross, Tory Island
Dún Bhaloir (Balor's Fort)
Rí Thoraí — The King of Tory
The Tory Island School of Painters
West Town & East Town — Tory's Gaeltacht Settlements
Tory Island Lighthouse
Móirsheisear — Grave of the Seven
For Schools
This trail is also available as a free printable classroom worksheet or full trail booklet — no site visit required. See how Classroom Prep Mode works →