Ireland’s only cable car

Dursey Island is a small island located at the end of the Beara Penisula in County Cork. It is separated from the mainland by a small stretch of turbulent water known as the Dursey Sound. It is connected by Ireland’s only cable car and is one of the few in Europe that crosses open water. On the island, you can find prehistoric huts, bullaun, radial, and cup-marked stones. During the Viking Era, the island was used for 200 years as a staging post to export Irish slaves (mostly female) to overseas markets like Norway, Sweden, and Iceland. You can also find a ruined monastic church and a castle once owned by the O’Sullivan Beare family. The island is a bird watchers’ paradise and attracts thousands of seabirds including Gannets, Manx Shearwaters, Guillemots, Razorbills, and Puffins and during the migration season, you can see birds from North America, Southern Europe, Siberia, and the Far East. Dolphins, whales, and basking sharks are also sometimes seen in the sea off this stunningly wild island.