Maharees or Magharees ( or ''Na Machairí'') is a 5 km long

tombolo A tombolo is a sandy or shingle isthmus. It is a deposition landform by which an island becomes attached to the mainland by a narrow piece of land such as a spit or bar. Once attached, the island is then known as a tied island. The word ''t ...

located on the northern side of the

Dingle Peninsula The Dingle Peninsula (; anglicised as Corkaguiny or Corcaguiny, the name of the corresponding barony) is the northernmost of the major peninsulas in County Kerry. It ends beyond the town of Dingle at Dunmore Head, the westernmost point of m ...

County Kerry County Kerry () is a Counties of Ireland, county on the southwest coast of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. It is bordered by two other countie ...

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

. Fenit Harbour, the main port of County Kerry, is sheltered from large Atlantic swells by the Maharees. To the north of the Maharees lie the Magharee Islands or ''Seven Hogs'', the largest of which, Oileán t-Seanaigh/Illauntannig, contains remnants of an early Christian monastic settlement, said to have been founded by St. Senan in the 7th century AD. The peninsula is a sandy spit for much of its length, with sand dunes giving way to earth and rocky ground towards the northern end. The sand dunes create a unique ecosystem, home to the rare

Natterjack toad The natterjack toad (''Epidalea calamita'') is a toad native to sandy and heath (habitat), heathland areas of Europe and the United Kingdom. Adults are in length, and are distinguished from common toads by a yellow line down the middle of the b ...

which is found locally in significant quantities. Lengthy beaches are found on both sides of the peninsula, which separates Brandon Bay on the western side from

Tralee Bay Tralee Bay () is located in on the west coast of County Kerry, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is situated between Kerry Head on the north side and the Maharees on the west and extends eastwards as far as the bridge at Blennerville. Several ...

to the east. The Brandon Bay beaches are open to the North Atlantic and often receive long swells, suitable for surfing given wind and tide conditions. The peninsula has a number of campgrounds and caravan parks and contains three hamlets, Fahamore, Kilshannig, and Candeehy.

Castlegregory Castlegregory (, meaning "castle of Griaire") is a village in County Kerry, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is situated on the north side of the Dingle Peninsula, halfway between Tralee and Dingle. As of the 2022 census of Ireland, 2022 census, ...

Golf and Fishing club is a nine-hole links

golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various Golf club, clubs to hit a Golf ball, ball into a series of holes on a golf course, course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standa ...

course located at the base of the peninsula, and a PADI certified dive centre is located at the fishing harbour at Scraggane Bay. Several

windsurfing Windsurfing is a wind-propelled water sport that is a combination of sailing and surfing. It is also referred to as "sailboarding" and "boardsailing", and emerged in the late 1960s from the Californian aerospace and surf culture. Windsurfing gain ...

and surf schools are also located at the beaches on the Maharees. Maheree Island Tours and Angling is based at Scraggane Pier. Yachting facilities, a marina, and a sheltered harbour are located a few miles east at Fenit.

References

Geography of County Kerry {{Kerry-geo-stub