Tory Island, County Donegal
Tory is a little island off the north coast of County Donegal, measuring about four and a half kilometers long and a little more than one kilometer broad. Tory Island is one of the most distinctive destinations to visit in the Atlantic, known for its rough terrain and as a stronghold of Irish customs.
The name of the island is thought to have come from the Irish word for rock (tor) or the Irish word for robber (robber) (torai).
The term "rock" refers to the cliffs and rocks that make up the majority of the island. Meanwhile, 'robber' is thought to relate to the island's earliest residents, a gang of pirates known as the Fomorians.
Tory Island is made mostly of granite cliffs on the north side that gradually transition into pink quartz high rocks in the island's extreme northeast. Tor Mor, at around 115 feet in height, is the tallest of these cliffs. Meeting the King – the only King in Ireland – the Tau Cross, and if you arrive at the proper time, the island is also one of the greatest places in Ireland to observe the Northern Lights are all things to do on Tory Island.
