Scattery Island Reopens For The 2026 Season

Over 1,400 years ago, Clare's Saint Senan is said to have permanently banished the dragons and serpents from Kilrush, on the ancient monastic settlement of Inis Cathaigh. Located on the Shannon Estuary, Scattery Island which was inhabited until 1978, survived Vikings, Normans and rebellions and saw a population boom after the famine, officially reopened for the tourist season last week. Last year, just below 4,500 people set foot on the historic island, complete with 6 churches, one of only two round towers in Ireland with ground entry, graveyards, a lighthouse, a gun battery from the Napeleonic Era and an array of thriving wildlife. Clare FM's Daragh Dolan was among the latest to visit Scattery Island for the new season and spoke to Head OPW Guide John Mulqueen.