A Geology Trip to The Magharee Islands, Co. Kerry, Ireland 1963

*Part of the footage shown here is mute.

Murt O’Leary and student geologists travel by currach to the Magharee Islands in Kerry.

The Maharees Peninsula is situated on the north side of the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry. Across the Maharees Sound lie the Magharee Islands, also known as the Seven Hogs.

In preparation for his degree, Cambridge University student Michael Thornton has visited the Seven Hogs for the past two years to study rock formation. On this trip, he is accompanied by a Greek student George Sevastopulo.

Mortimer ‘Murt’ O’Leary, the well known pilot from Fahamore, is the owner of the Seven Hogs. He brings the geology students, along with a Teilifís Éireann crew, to the islands by currach.

It is a rough, tough, wet crossing, but Murt O’Leary has operated in worse conditions. Local fishermen,

Didn’t believe we were going, they thought it was all a joke.

Murt O’Leary is certain his passengers were not in any danger. The students arrive at their study headquarters safely.

Four or five generations of Murt O’Leary’s family lived on the islands. He left in 1929 as he wanted to send his five children to school. Murt O’Leary went to school in Cloghane as did three of his brothers. Two more of his brothers attended school in Maharees and another one went to school in Aughacasla.

We’d never meet except at Christmas.

Murt O’Leary now uses the Seven Hogs for grazing cattle and sheep but admits they are not much good. He pays £11 a year in rates for the seven islands. He would be open to selling them, but refuses to name his price,

If the buyer is right we’ll do a deal.

A ‘Newsview’ report broadcast on 23 August 1963. The reporter is Sean Egan.