Today the day came where our class had the opportunity to step foot on the Great Blasket Island. This was an absolutely unforgettable experience. After we got off of our bus on what seemed like just a random stop on the road, we hiked a ways towards the ocean and found that there was a path leading down to the water. The path was steep and rocky, with a constructed cement railing to keep people from falling off. The path crisscrossed down to a small pier area constructed of concrete. Our guide for the day was named Tomas and was describing little bits of history as we went along. There was a bit of graffiti on the side of the pier that read the name of a man also named Tomas, I assumed that meant that the pier was owned by our guide. Turns out that the man that used to frequent the dock area, Tomas, decided one day to sign his name one day and date it, but then died at sea later that year. In memory of him, locals continued to paint his name there in remembrance. Our boat arrived and we set off towards the island.
The ride there was slow as the boat itself was rather small and a little over capacity, but it was great as it gave more time to admire the sea and build up anticipation for the approaching shore. The only way safely on to the island is tucked behind a few rocks in a little area where the water is still and there is a path leading up from the water. The original path was there was well ,which was just worn down grass, but the path we took was partially cemented to help make the climb easier for the livestock. We climbed our way up the incline and on to the lush carpet of grass above, which was actually a rather sketchy climb after you get past the concrete area. The stones were wet and smooth, worn down by the sea. This made it rather impressive that the men would carry their boats, their currachs or naomhog, up the hill with them as they went. The naomhogs, or at least the replica in the Blasket Island Centre, was about 10 feet in length constructed of wood and had a tarred canvas underside. While the boat wouldn't be impossibly heavy for a few fit men, we found out that every year the undersides of the naomhogs were layered with another coat of tar to insure that it was utterly waterproof. Over the years this could add up weight-wise, making the transport of the naomhog that much more impressive.
Once on the island with everyone gathered, Tomas began to guide us around the ruins of the past residents of the island. He knew who each of the houses had belonged to, what they did, and how they interacted with their fellow islanders. It seemed that the village was separated by who lived on the high side and who lived on the low side. Those who lived on the low side liked to think of themselves as more of the academics, the artists and writers of the island and not so incorrectly so as the famous writers of the Blasket all lived in that area. We touched on specific houses more as they belonged to people of interest such as Peig Sayers, Tomas O'Crohan, and the Kearney family. After giving a brief history of each residence, Tomas bid us ado and we split off on our own ways to explore the island. Many of us climbed down to the small beach area, the White Strand, and experienced the ocean water. The sandy beach was used by the islanders much in a way that we used it, a means of relaxation and merriment. Life was incredibly difficult on the island, so much so that it was taboo to cry in public. Everyone had to keep a face of confidence in order to motivate their neighbors. Peig herself was nearly thrown off the island for crying in public. So getting away from everything and laying by the beach was probably a welcomed activity when all the work was done, to sit and escape from your troubles if only for an hour or so.
After our time on the island had to come to a close, we boarded the dingy to the boat and made our way back to the mainland. We walked over to the Blasket Center where we ate lunch, chatted, and then revisited the historical collection for one last time. While combing through the information I found a couple of quotes from Tomas O'Crohan (the anglicized version of Tomas O Criomhthain). He was famed for writing his observations and musings about the island life and the people around him in his most famous work, the Islandman. What he was noticed for was the very liberal way that he discussed everything. The times that he was writing in were very conservative, with many things being hush-hush (e.g. no crying in public). This man, though, had the audacity to write about breast feeding, occasional crude statements regarding mainlanders as well as women, and other humorous musings that were highly frowned upon in that day. But was most immortalized him was that his work fully captured what is was like on the Blasket: the good, the bad, and the raunchy. In addition, it was in Irish Gaelic, which allowed for the further sharing of the Islands culture.
The ride there was slow as the boat itself was rather small and a little over capacity, but it was great as it gave more time to admire the sea and build up anticipation for the approaching shore. The only way safely on to the island is tucked behind a few rocks in a little area where the water is still and there is a path leading up from the water. The original path was there was well ,which was just worn down grass, but the path we took was partially cemented to help make the climb easier for the livestock. We climbed our way up the incline and on to the lush carpet of grass above, which was actually a rather sketchy climb after you get past the concrete area. The stones were wet and smooth, worn down by the sea. This made it rather impressive that the men would carry their boats, their currachs or naomhog, up the hill with them as they went. The naomhogs, or at least the replica in the Blasket Island Centre, was about 10 feet in length constructed of wood and had a tarred canvas underside. While the boat wouldn't be impossibly heavy for a few fit men, we found out that every year the undersides of the naomhogs were layered with another coat of tar to insure that it was utterly waterproof. Over the years this could add up weight-wise, making the transport of the naomhog that much more impressive.
Once on the island with everyone gathered, Tomas began to guide us around the ruins of the past residents of the island. He knew who each of the houses had belonged to, what they did, and how they interacted with their fellow islanders. It seemed that the village was separated by who lived on the high side and who lived on the low side. Those who lived on the low side liked to think of themselves as more of the academics, the artists and writers of the island and not so incorrectly so as the famous writers of the Blasket all lived in that area. We touched on specific houses more as they belonged to people of interest such as Peig Sayers, Tomas O'Crohan, and the Kearney family. After giving a brief history of each residence, Tomas bid us ado and we split off on our own ways to explore the island. Many of us climbed down to the small beach area, the White Strand, and experienced the ocean water. The sandy beach was used by the islanders much in a way that we used it, a means of relaxation and merriment. Life was incredibly difficult on the island, so much so that it was taboo to cry in public. Everyone had to keep a face of confidence in order to motivate their neighbors. Peig herself was nearly thrown off the island for crying in public. So getting away from everything and laying by the beach was probably a welcomed activity when all the work was done, to sit and escape from your troubles if only for an hour or so.
After our time on the island had to come to a close, we boarded the dingy to the boat and made our way back to the mainland. We walked over to the Blasket Center where we ate lunch, chatted, and then revisited the historical collection for one last time. While combing through the information I found a couple of quotes from Tomas O'Crohan (the anglicized version of Tomas O Criomhthain). He was famed for writing his observations and musings about the island life and the people around him in his most famous work, the Islandman. What he was noticed for was the very liberal way that he discussed everything. The times that he was writing in were very conservative, with many things being hush-hush (e.g. no crying in public). This man, though, had the audacity to write about breast feeding, occasional crude statements regarding mainlanders as well as women, and other humorous musings that were highly frowned upon in that day. But was most immortalized him was that his work fully captured what is was like on the Blasket: the good, the bad, and the raunchy. In addition, it was in Irish Gaelic, which allowed for the further sharing of the Islands culture.
This was a fantastic way to end the trip. It was the perfect capstone, the culture that we had been studying throughout our trip but never had a chance to see directly. Tomorrow we will be sharing our final projects