Valentia Island is one of Ireland's most westerly points. It lies off the Iveragh Peninsula in the southwest of County Kerry. It is linked to the mainland by bridge (and seasonal ferry). The Valentia Island site is separate to the mainland Met Éireann Valentia Observatory. It is on the western side of the Island and is almost completely uninhabited. There are very few dwellings close to the site. As with Mace Head, the dominant prevailing winds are reasonably uniformly spread over a sector stretching from westerlies to southerlies with lesser but significant occurrences from both northerly and easterly directions. The station has ample exposure to both clean background and polluted airflows in a broad range of meteorological conditions. The station is operated and maintained by Met Éireann.