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578:. In the 1840s it was estimated that a population of about 150 people were living on the island. It was the most westerly settlement in Ireland, with islanders mostly living in primitive cottages perched on the relatively sheltered north-east shore. They subsisted mainly on fish, supplementing their diet with potato, oats, hunting rabbits and the eggs of birds who nested on the island; due to lack of wood they had to use
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result of poor weather, no doctor or priest could reach the island. Continued inclement weather prevented his body being taken to the consecrated graveyard across the
Blasket Sound in Dunquin for a number of days. It was this tragic event that led the Islanders to realise there was no continued prospect of a viable community remaining on the island.
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The island was inhabited until 1954 when the Irish government decided that it could no longer guarantee the safety of the remaining but rapidly declining population. In truth, the
Islanders had been petitioning for relocation following the death of Seánín Ó Cearnaigh. Seán had become ill and as a
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The hostel and café on the island were at the centre of a dispute between the Irish State, which wishes to make the island a national park, and an individual, who claims to own the greater part of the island. The differences between the State and
Blascaoid Mor Teoranta (BMT) were settled by an
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bought most of the property on the island, including the deserted village, and the state is now the majority landowner. Guided tours of the island were launched in 2010 and plans are underway for the preservation and conservation of the old village. The home of
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The island lies approximately two kilometres from the mainland at
Dunmore Head, and extends six kilometres to the southwest, rising to 346 m (1,135 ft) at its highest point (An Cró Mór). The nearest mainland town is
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agreement made in August 2007; subject to the granting of planning permission, the deal meant that more than 95% of the island land, including the old village, would be sold to the State and become a de facto national park.
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Considering the tiny population, the island has produced a remarkable number of gifted writers who brought vividly to life their harsh existence and who kept alive old Irish folk tales of the land. Best known are
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The Great
Blasket has been inhabited on and off for centuries. The earliest known reference to people living on the island was at the start of the 1700s. A Ferriter castle once stood at
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The weather was a present and constant hazard. In April 1947, the island was cut off from the mainland for weeks due to bad weather. The
Islanders sent a telegram to the
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Island life was very tough and the draw of emigration was strong, ultimately becoming the death knell for the Island.
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built five properties to improve the housing stock on the island. A two storey guesthouse was built later.
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shortages of sugar, soap, tea, paraffin, tobacco and flour/bread intensified this draw further.
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has been incorrectly cited as being the most westerly point of the Irish mainland, but
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was also restored by the OPW in 2018 and is now free to visit by the public.
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The table below reports data on Great
Blasket's population taken from
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562:. At longitude 10° 39.7', Tearaght Island is the westernmost of the
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1319:"Over 23,000 people apply for job on the Great Blasket Island"
643:' second home on the island has been restored. The home of
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1031:"CNA17: Population by Off Shore Island, Sex and Year"
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87:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
1227:"The Village|The Great Blasket Centre and Island"
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520:; a ferry to the island operates from a nearby
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674:(Alex Ritsema, Collins Press, 1999) and the
1176:"The Blasket Islands: History and Heritage"
50:Learn how and when to remove these messages
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1151:"Ireland - Geographical facts and figures"
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1373:The Blasket Islands: History and Heritage
212:Learn how and when to remove this message
147:Learn how and when to remove this message
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189:of all important aspects of the article.
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185:Please consider expanding the lead to
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85:adding citations to reliable sources
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1231:The Great Blasket Centre and Island
660:The Great Blasket Island Experience
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1519:Former populated places in Ireland
1155:Travel through the Ireland story..
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1317:Slater, Sarah (20 January 2020).
484:) is the principal island of the
31:This article has multiple issues.
1200:Moore, Kieron (6 January 1985).
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672:Discover the Islands of Ireland
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654:An abandoned home on the island
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39:or discuss these issues on the
1509:Uninhabited islands of Ireland
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1139:Townlands.ie - Great Blasket
611:Old village on Great Blasket
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1485:List of islands of Ireland
1083:An Old Woman's Reflections
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1292:"Living the Blasket life"
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462:Additional information
385:Highest elevation
353:Great Blasket Island,
96:"Great Blasket Island"
1514:Ghost towns in Europe
1469:Muiris Ó Súilleabháin
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324:52.09250°N 10.54250°W
1428:Great Blasket Island
639:is now in ruins but
560:this is Dunmore Head
467:inhabited until 1954
251:Great Blasket Island
81:improve this article
1464:Tomás Ó Criomhthain
1180:dingle-peninsula.ie
1111:Tomás Ó Criomhthain
1091:Fiche Bliain Ag Fás
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658:In 2014 a company,
645:Tomás Ó Criomhthain
546:52.1045°N 10.5074°W
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1350:. 28 June 2000
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1202:"The Blaskets"
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1352:. Retrieved
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1298:. 3 May 2019
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1206:RTÉ Archives
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666:Demographics
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630:In 2009 the
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490:County Kerry
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454:Pop. density
441:Demographics
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174:lead section
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79:Please help
74:verification
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33:Please help
30:
1474:Peig Sayers
1348:independent
1296:independent
1087:Peig Sayers
641:Peig Sayers
602:During WWII
549: /
340:Archipelago
327: /
303:Coordinates
1498:Categories
1433:Inishnabro
1126:References
1052:Literature
1040:12 October
590:as fuel.
537:10°30′27″W
534:52°06′16″N
446:Population
396:An Cró Mór
359:Inishnabro
315:10°32′33″W
312:52°05′33″N
195:March 2023
137:March 2023
107:newspapers
36:improve it
1302:6 January
1089:, 1939),
617:Taoiseach
509:Grey seal
500:Geography
288:Geography
179:summarize
42:talk page
1423:Beginish
1027:Source:
564:Blaskets
486:Blaskets
449:0 (2016)
418:Province
355:Beginish
293:Location
1416:Islands
1354:10 June
1328:27 June
1262:27 July
1236:27 July
1211:27 July
1185:4 April
1160:14 July
1062:slipway
1007:−100.0%
974:−100.0%
865:−100.0%
580:heather
570:History
518:Dunquin
494:Ireland
423:Munster
409:Ireland
121:scholar
1457:People
1035:CSO.ie
854:−40.0%
843:−59.1%
832:−23.1%
800:−10.6%
789:+10.3%
745:+36.8%
723:−36.6%
676:Census
430:County
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898:0.00%
887:0.00%
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767:−2.9%
756:+4.6%
734:−2.1%
478:Irish
435:Kerry
128:JSTOR
114:books
1356:2022
1330:2021
1304:2021
1264:2023
1238:2023
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