Formerly called An Caladh (“the ferry”), the area served as the main crossing to Valentia Island and appeared on early maritime charts.

In the early 1700s, it became known as Portmagee after Captain Theobald Magee.

Magee’s marriage to Bridget Morgell of Dingle’s merchant family established the name locally.

The “Old Year” festival, first held in 1727 after a visit from a French ship, remains an annual New Year’s Eve tradition.

Fishing and trade expanded through the 18th–19th centuries; the pier was extended in the late 1800s.

The name Portmagee appears in 19th-century official records

Population (2022): 116 permanent residents