Two dream caretaking positions on a remote island on Ireland’s famous Wild Atlantic Way have been snapped up once again.
The caretaking roles, available annually on Great Blasket Island off the coast of County Kerry, have attracted more than 100,000 applications over the last three years and are among the most sought-after jobs in the world.
The dream jobs involve managing a coffee shop and guest cottages on the island, meeting and greeting guests, serving tea and coffee to day visitors and collecting goods such as fresh laundry, coal and food from the pier from April to October.
Days off can be determined by the weather; however, after work, the new caretakers will be able to unwind amid the rugged wild Atlantic scenery and the island will be their own.
This year, a lucky pair, yet to be named but understood to be from outside Ireland, have been picked for the jobs from the vast list of previous applicants who have dreamed of living on the island.
With no permanent residents, electricity or hot water, Great Blasket Island, or An Blascaod Mór in Irish, is the main island in a group of six which lie about three miles off the coast of the stunning Dingle Peninsula in Kerry.
Stretching over 1,100 acres of unspoiled, largely mountainous terrain, the island is approximately four miles long by half a mile wide and offers a pristine natural environment.
Great Blasket is known for its strong links to Irish literature and folklore and for centuries it was inhabited by a small, close-knit Irish speaking population who followed the traditional ways of farming, fishing and weaving.
The late great female author and storyteller Peig Sayers, whose writings were required reading in Irish schools, hailed from the island and at one stage its residents were the subject of important linguistic studies because of their use of a largely unchanged version of the Irish language.
At its peak, the island’s population was only around 175 and it was finally vacated in the 1950s following a decline in population alongside worries about the difficulty of reaching it in the event of an emergency.
A boat trip through the incredible coastal scenery and tour of Great Blasket is one of the best experiences to be had on the beautiful Dingle Peninsula today. There are still ancient ruins to explore, and the simple, self-catering cottages can be rented to give a longer experience of island living.
Back on the mainland the recently revamped Blasket Centre, situated on a clifftop at the tip of the Dingle Peninsula, tells the story of life on Great Blasket through a variety of exhibitions, interactive displays, artefacts, audio-visual presentations and artworks.
Last year the centre saw the opening of a new Wild Atlantic Way Viewing Point. With remarkable views of the Blasket Islands, a restaurant, services and ample parking on site, it is a wonderful place to spend a morning or afternoon and contemplate island life.
