Also known locally as Oileán Molua, Horse Island is an easy paddle out from Tráigh Carta. Alternatively, at low tide one could walk out to Trá na Marbh from Tráigh Carta and swim across the narrow channel with a dry bag/float and change on the main beach on the island.

From the main beach which faces the mainland, there is a track up to the ruins of the old village and graveyard. Local residents used to be buried on the island due to it's association with St Lua an early Christian saint and coffins would depart from Trá na Marbh (beach of the dead).

Places of interest on the island include the ruins of a tower built by Tom Somerville as a marker for his ships coming from the America's in the 1770's. Once they sighted the tower, they knew the safety of Castlehaven Harbour was just inside it.

The highest point on the island is a little hill on the middle of the island at about 36m. If one walks all the way to the SW corner there is a hair raising ridge that one can walk out on a calm day that offers amazing views of the surrounding coastline.

Can be easily be combined with Flea Island if you want bag two islands on the one trip. The much smaller Flea Island can be reached on foot from Tráigh Carta at low tide by walking out across the rocky ridge know as the Cois. Linkback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/2543/comment/22828/