Great Island Experience
For all ages! • Duration: 4-5 hrs • A Great Island Experience with time to fully explore the island!
For the more adventurous and those who enjoy walking , our great Island Experience allows you additional time to fully explore the island and includes a packed lunch option. This tour allows you to fully relax and soak up the peaceful atmosphere the island has to offer.
Rates
Adults (13 years and older) - €30
Teenager (13 to 17 years old) - €25
Children (3 to 12 years old) - €18
Family (2 Adults and 2 Children under 12 years old) - €85
OAP’s & Students (Must have an OAP card or student ID upon arrival*) - €27
Duration
~4 to 4.5 hours OR ~5 to 5.5 hours *depending on the tide
About
Located at the mouth of the Shannon Estuary on the West Coast of Ireland, Scattery offers tourists a unique visitor experience. This little island, now uninhabited, offers a calm and tranquil environment in which visitors can explore a wonderful range of interesting sites all within walking distance.
Home To A Monastery: Scattery was home to a monastery founded by St Senan in the early 6th century followed by many invasion of the Danes and Vikings. Saint Senan, probably chose Scattery Island to found his monastery because of its remote location. Early Irish monks tried to live like hermits, believing, like the Old Testament prophets, that being further from civilization brought them closer to God.
Teampall Na Marabh – “The Church Of The Dead”: Is the most modern Church building on Scattery and probably dates from the late 14th or early 15th Centuries. Inside the Church, there is a medieval carving of a man’s face to the right of the east window. It was common in medieval monasteries to have two burial grounds – one for ordinary lay people and the other reserved exclusively for the clergy. It is thought that the graveyard on the other side of the island near “Saint Senan’s Bed” was for the monastic community and that this graveyard closer to the pier was designated for the island community. This would explain why the graveyard at Teampall Na Marabh was the traditional burial place for the inhabitants of the island and is still in use today.
Napoleonic Wars: The French had attempted to land an invasion force in County Mayo to assist the Irish rebels. The French were defeated but their landing was enough to demonstrate to the English how poorly defended the west coast of Ireland was. To deter any future invaders, the English built six gun batteries along the Shannon estuary, one of them on the south-eastern point of Scattery Island. This battery, which was completed in 1814, was surrounded by a deep moat and housed up to 8 cannons. These are remnants of the artillery battery are positioned at the other side of the island that can be reached on foot.
What to Bring
Please bring a copy of your confirmation email to our ticketing booth upon your arrival.
Enjoy a complimentary audio tour, don't forget your headphones!