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Voykit pocket guide · Ireland
Tory Island
Oileán Toraigh
Go for one night, not a day trip: the 45-min ferry runs 3 times a day and the last sailing back leaves you about 3 hours ashore.
Tory Island is a 5 km Irish-speaking island 11 km off the Donegal coast, reached by a foot-passenger ferry from Magheroarty. The draw is the crossing, the clifftop walk to Balor's Fort, the round tower and the bird cliffs, not a list of sights. One night lets you see the west end in the evening light and eat at An Club; a day trip is possible but tight.
- Country
- Ireland
- Local name
- Oileán Toraigh
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Feb (storms, few sailings)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere, including pubs and taxis.
- Daily spend
- Budget €50–80 excl. bed · Mid €80–130 excl. bed · High €130+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Vodafone, Three and Eir run the networks; prepaid SIMs (also 48, Tesco Mobile, GoMo) sell in phone shops and newsagents, no registration fuss.
- Emergency
- Police, ambulance, fire, coast guard 112 · Police, ambulance, fire (alternative) 999 · Tory Island Hotel +353 74 913 5920
- Plugs
- Types G · 230 V · 50 Hz · Type G three-pin, like the UK; European and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurant with table service: 10–15% if service is not included.; Pub: Not expected when ordering at the bar.; Taxi: Round up.; Tour guide or driver: €5–10 per person for a day tour.; Hotel porter: €1–2 per bag.
- Water
- Tap water is safe; occasional local 'boil water' notices are posted by Uisce Éireann.
- Toilets
- Free in shopping centres, museums, pubs (as a customer) and many petrol stations; some public toilets charge 50c.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or tea at the mainland pier cafe | €3–4 |
| Pub main course at An Club | €14–20 |
| Pint of stout | €5–6 |
| Tory Shop groceries | Limited stock; bring what you need if self-catering |
| Bicycle hire on the island | €10–15 a day (check) |
| Boat trip from the harbour | check with the operator |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- CFN · Donegal Airport (Carrickfinn)
- About 1 h 30 min by road to Magheroarty; check car hire before booking.
- DUB · Dublin
- About 4 h by road to Magheroarty; the usual arrival point for overseas visitors.
Typical fares
- Magheroarty → Tory Island, Tory Ferry
- about 45 min, foot passengers only, year-round; check the fare and sailing times
- Magheroarty → Letterkenny, Mangan Tours
- about 1 h, 3 times Mon–Sat, connects with the ferry
- Magheroarty → Dungloe, Local Link 966
- once a day
Get around
Walk. The island is about 5 km long with one lane through it, and the west end (Balor's Fort, the lighthouse) is the only long walk. Bicycles can be hired but are barely needed. Bring waterproofs: there is no shelter on the cliffs.Walk. The island is about 3.1 mi long with one lane through it, and the west end (Balor's Fort, the lighthouse) is the only long walk. Bicycles can be hired but are barely needed. Bring waterproofs: there is no shelter on the cliffs.
See and do
Known for
- Balor's Fort and the 100 m sea cliffs
- The Tau Cross and the Round Tower
- The King of Tory tradition
- Bird cliffs and a rat-free island
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Magheroarty and the Donegal mainland | Tory Ferry from the island pier, about 45 min | About 1 h to the pier |
| Letterkenny | Mangan Tours bus from Magheroarty, about 1 h | About 2 h |
| Dungloe | Local Link Bus 966 from Magheroarty pier, once a day | About 1 h 30 min |
| Falcarragh | Mangan Tours bus from Magheroarty | About 30 min |
Sleep
- West Town (An Baile Thiar)
- The main settlement and ferry pier; the hotel, the shop and An Club are all here. Stay here unless you have a reason not to.
- East Town (An Baile Thoir)
- A short walk east along the lane; quieter, with the St Brigit shrine on the way.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Dia duitjeea gwit |
| Thank you | Go raibh maith agatguh rev mah agut |
| Goodbye | Slánslawn |
| Please | Le do thoilleh duh hull |
| Where is the pier? | Cá bhfuil an ché?kaw will an khay |
| Yes / No | Tá / Níltaw / neel |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake, first names quickly; avoid: Over-formality; it reads as coldness
- Conversation: Banter, weather and sport; self-deprecating humour; avoid: Opening with Northern Ireland, religion or the Famine
- Pubs: Buy your round; chat at the bar; avoid: Leaving a round without buying one
- Identity: Say Ireland, or the Republic when you need to distinguish; avoid: 'Southern Ireland' and calling it British
- Driving: Lift a finger from the wheel to thank drivers who pull in for you; avoid: Stopping on narrow bends for photos
Scams and watch-outs
- The ferry is foot passengers only and sailings move with the tide: check the operator's site the day before.
- No cars are carried, so park free at Magheroarty pier and travel light.
- 4G from Eir and Three, no Vodafone signal; expect gaps on the west end.
- Cliff edges at Balor's Fort are unfenced and the wind is strong; keep back from the edge.
- The island has no rats and ground-nesting birds depend on that: report any sighting, do not handle it.
- Book beds ahead in summer; the island has very few rooms.
Very safe for a small island: the real risks are the ferry crossing in a swell, unfenced cliff edges in high wind, and having no plan if sailings are cancelled.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Tory Island yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Balor's Fort and the 100 m sea cliffs
- The Tau Cross and the Round Tower
- The King of Tory tradition
- Bird cliffs and a rat-free island
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Tory Ferry: www.toryferry.com/
- Tory Island Hotel: www.hoteltory.com/
- Irish Lights — Tory Island lighthouse: www.irishlights.ie/tourism/our-lighthouses/tory-island.aspx
- Mangan Tours: www.mangantours.ie
- Tory Island Charters: www.toryislandcharters.com/
- Wikivoyage: Tory Island, revision 5336926 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5336926
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Tory IslandOileán Toraigh
Chun an ché, le do thoil
To the pier, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, ambulance, fire, coast guard112
- Police, ambulance, fire (alternative)999
- Tory Island Hotel+353 74 913 5920
No embassy on the island. The US Embassy is in Dublin; UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand have embassies in Dublin (check addresses).
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/tory-island). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.