[4] The island lies about 15 km (9 mi) off the coast; its highest point reaches 189.3 m (621.1 ft) above sea level.

[citation needed] A Martello tower was built during the Napoleonic Wars, c. 1805, on Inishturk's western coast.

In June 2014 the ESB commissioned three new Broadcrown BCP 110-50 100kVA diesel generators to supply electricity to the island.

[8] The ESB have operated a diesel power station on the island since the 1980s[9] Inishturk gained international attention in 2016 after a number of websites claimed that the island would welcome any American "refugees" fleeing a potential Donald Trump presidency.

Prior to 1997 there was no scheduled ferry service and people traveled to and from the islands using local fishing boats.