So we were each assigned little individual research topics, pertaining to the course, to go more in depth about and explain to the other students. One of the topics that I was given was to research the man Martin Kearney. Now to fully explain who this man is, I need to first give a little back story as to where he comes from.
Martin Kearney was originally born on the Great Blasket Island, the largest of a system of islands off the coast of the Dingle Peninsula, located on the southwestern portion of the Republic of Ireland. The island is relatively small as landmasses go, despite being the largest of the Blaskets. This island was officially inhabited by people around 1710, though it was thought monks may have come here occasionally for the privacy that the island offered (similar to those who came to Iona to write the Book of Kells). Although there has been evidence of Spaniards inhabiting the island for a short period of time around 1593.
The primary means of food for the people that lived here was vegetables that they could grow, a scarce amount of livestock, and fishing once the boats that are now used were introduced in the 19th century. The island was approximately 2 kilometers from the mainland, and even further from the nearest inland city. There were no priests or doctors on the island, so when any kind of marriage, birth, serious illness, or death occurred on the island they had to trek quite a distance to receive help. This would not be a terrible issue if there was not also a hereditary thread of epilepsy on the island, effecting every permanent resident on the island. With most of the residents that reside on the island staying there as opposed to moving to the mainland, there was not much influx of different genes in order to decrease the prevalence of some negative phenotypes, such as epilepsy. The combination of epilepsy, lack of a steady food supply, and family deaths lead to the island being evacuated in 1953.
Two specific deaths that lead up to this evacuation were the deaths of Seamus and Sean Kearney, Martin's brothers. Seamus was his junior, who had died and buried on the island in a home made coffin on the island. Later Sean, his older brother, became very ill but there was storm about the island so contacting a doctor was impossible. Sean passed away, but the storm remained and there were no more coffins on the island. Thus Sean was left, dead, in the house for over three days while the family waited for the storm to pass. A house that couldn't have been bigger than most apartment living rooms, with Martin, all of his siblings and his father. It was after this time that Eamon de Valera came to visit the islands to convince everyone to evacuate.
Martin did not think twice about leaving. While the place was his home at the time, life there was difficult, and losing his brothers there was the final straw. He packed his bags and left for America, settling in Springfield, MA. He then spent the rest of his days working to support for himself, and the family that he raised with his wife, Ellie. He worked for several companies, including: a bakery, a lighting company, and lastly a truck driver/salesman for a beverage company which he worked at for 30 years until his retirement in 1988. He continued to live at his house on 70 Boylon Street until his death in November in 2009. He died surrounded by his friends and family, having lived a fulfilling life and raising numerous children and getting to see his great-grandchildren.
The primary means of food for the people that lived here was vegetables that they could grow, a scarce amount of livestock, and fishing once the boats that are now used were introduced in the 19th century. The island was approximately 2 kilometers from the mainland, and even further from the nearest inland city. There were no priests or doctors on the island, so when any kind of marriage, birth, serious illness, or death occurred on the island they had to trek quite a distance to receive help. This would not be a terrible issue if there was not also a hereditary thread of epilepsy on the island, effecting every permanent resident on the island. With most of the residents that reside on the island staying there as opposed to moving to the mainland, there was not much influx of different genes in order to decrease the prevalence of some negative phenotypes, such as epilepsy. The combination of epilepsy, lack of a steady food supply, and family deaths lead to the island being evacuated in 1953.
Two specific deaths that lead up to this evacuation were the deaths of Seamus and Sean Kearney, Martin's brothers. Seamus was his junior, who had died and buried on the island in a home made coffin on the island. Later Sean, his older brother, became very ill but there was storm about the island so contacting a doctor was impossible. Sean passed away, but the storm remained and there were no more coffins on the island. Thus Sean was left, dead, in the house for over three days while the family waited for the storm to pass. A house that couldn't have been bigger than most apartment living rooms, with Martin, all of his siblings and his father. It was after this time that Eamon de Valera came to visit the islands to convince everyone to evacuate.
Martin did not think twice about leaving. While the place was his home at the time, life there was difficult, and losing his brothers there was the final straw. He packed his bags and left for America, settling in Springfield, MA. He then spent the rest of his days working to support for himself, and the family that he raised with his wife, Ellie. He worked for several companies, including: a bakery, a lighting company, and lastly a truck driver/salesman for a beverage company which he worked at for 30 years until his retirement in 1988. He continued to live at his house on 70 Boylon Street until his death in November in 2009. He died surrounded by his friends and family, having lived a fulfilling life and raising numerous children and getting to see his great-grandchildren.
He still knew how to keep his head on straight throughout all of this, following a favorite Gaelic phrase of his: tog go bragh bog e - take it nice and easy. An inspiring man who came from a difficult upbringing, but ended up working hard to live a life worth remembering. Soon we will be able to see his home on the Blasket Island. Stay tuned.