24/06/2024 Inisbofin ramble part 3

Our final ramble features some of the buildings of the island. The old schoolhouse and some of the derelict cottages are a reminder of the communities that once lived on the islands. It’s easy to fall in love with the dramatic scenery and splendid isolation as a well heeled day tripper, but island literature & folklore tells a different story -hard lives, hard weather, and sadly, little more than lip service from the State ~ an establishment that on the one hand, boasted of a precious cluster of Gaelic speaking gems along its Western Coast, but failed miserably to support the islanders themselves. It looks like there is a lot of refurbishment going on at the moment, and I understand there has been a real effort to develop infrastructure and transport ~ all good, of course, but I’m conscious that these photos might romanticize the isolation, emigration and governmental neglect of islanders for decades. Hopefully, we now understand and appreciate what a magnificent resource our islands and island communities are, and they will be the drivers and beneficiaries of revitalization. Slán go foill, beidh muid ar ais ar oilean eile go luath, go raibh maith agaibh Donal agus Lorraine, Harry, Lucky bhí cuairt galanta againne
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