Has anyone ever gone camping on Great Blasket Island? (1 Viewer)

plug

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cád é an scéal? it's an uninhabited island, but I heard a long time ago that you can just pitch a tent wherever, and stay overnight. can anyone verify this? anyone here visited/stayed over?

also, where's the best place to get the boat... i assume dingle?

hope the fucking weather improves soon. it's literally pissing all over my summer camping planz.

anyway, thx in advance etc. :)
 
you should read fiche bliain ag fas before you go to the blasket islands..you can get the english translation in waterstones..its by muiris o'suilleabhain..
 
There are two boats. One from Dingle - faster, slightly more expensive, run by the solicitor who owns most of the Island, Peter Callery - but he's the guy who put bouncers on the Island a couple of years ago in order to stop people getting off other ferries onto the Island, so I'd boycott that if I were you. There is another boat which goes form the pier at Dunquin, near the Blasket Island interpretive centre. This one is cheaper and goes more frequently; used to be run by the Slatterys, but I think this is no longer the case.

Once on the island, yes, you can camp where you like; unless the aforementioned Callery has barred that, which he was talking about! Best place to camp would be close to the well, just past the houses on the "main" path, as it's the only fresh water on the island. There is a hostel / cafe which operates in summer, also run by Callery.

I spent six weeks out there a few years ago, and I can highly recommend it. Be prepared to be cut off from the mainland for days on end - bring enough supplies for that contingency. Also, be aware that rain makes the island treacherous - it's like a very slippery slide. Bring rain gear, cooking facilities, torches and good grass. And if you're going to stay out for a while, make sure to befriend the locals - there's always a dozen or so people living out there each summer, and life is a lot easier if you all get along.
 
Had the best day of the summer last year lazing on great blasket, picnicking with friends, blazing july heatwave, cork vs. kerry on a little transistor radio, shimmery ocean and kerry peninsulas in the haze...wouldn't wanna go again in case it ruined it on me..lots of people were camping though we weren't. It can be a little busy (relatively), but still lovely. As far as I know there used to be a hostel bit not in operation at the mo, some sort of dispute over rights of way is ongoing..
 
cool. deadly advice one and all!

this peter callery sounds like quite the prick.

what's the story with islands and squabbling? apparently it's rife on cape clear as well. I'm assuming land/greed/begrudgery is to blame as usual..

according to wikipedia (regarding the closing of the coffee shop and hostel):

This is a result of the ongoing ownership dispute between the Irish state and the company which own 90% of the island.

ah, ireland...
 
There are two boats. One from Dingle - faster, slightly more expensive, run by the solicitor who owns most of the Island, Peter Callery - but he's the guy who put bouncers on the Island a couple of years ago in order to stop people getting off other ferries onto the Island, so I'd boycott that if I were you. There is another boat which goes form the pier at Dunquin, near the Blasket Island interpretive centre. This one is cheaper and goes more frequently; used to be run by the Slatterys, but I think this is no longer the case.

Once on the island, yes, you can camp where you like; unless the aforementioned Callery has barred that, which he was talking about! Best place to camp would be close to the well, just past the houses on the "main" path, as it's the only fresh water on the island. There is a hostel / cafe which operates in summer, also run by Callery.

I spent six weeks out there a few years ago, and I can highly recommend it. Be prepared to be cut off from the mainland for days on end - bring enough supplies for that contingency. Also, be aware that rain makes the island treacherous - it's like a very slippery slide. Bring rain gear, cooking facilities, torches and good grass. And if you're going to stay out for a while, make sure to befriend the locals - there's always a dozen or so people living out there each summer, and life is a lot easier if you all get along.

Peter Callery has just lined himeslf up a place on the UCC board.

Get your hands off Blasket you cunt.
http://thumped.com/bbs/showthread.php?p=831860
 
Callery wants exclusive rights to run the cafe, hostel and Dingle boat as part of the final state settlement - some of the other landowners disagree, so things are a bit up in the air... In fairness to him, he has been renovating houses on the island and making plans for a proper pier. Everyone involved is being extremely stubborn. (It is Kerry, after all...)

Anyway - it's a blessing in disguise, as it's not clear whether the OPW will allow people to stay overnight when they take it over. So enjoy the legal limbo while you can!
 
I'm curious... when you stayed for 6 weeks that time, had you intended to stay that long from the start, or did you go for a day or two and lose track of time? sounds deadly... especially the treachrousness!

I think the thought of an uninhabited, tourism and culturally significant island being someone's private property/monopoly is a pretty terrible thing. then I don't know much about this whole situation. seems interesting. from what I gather the government were going to buy up all the land? OPW is the office of public works, right? think I need to do some reading.. any links?

woah. lots of questions..
 
Yes, I had planned to go out for that long. I am friendly with the people who used to run the boat, and they had made one of the houses habitable, so I had a spare room there... Which was sweeeet when the clouds and the rain came in... I would not like to be camping out there right now, for example!

There was a good TV prog about the Blaskets on RTE last year, I think? Interviewed everyone...

It's a looong story - and this is my personal - probably inaccurate - version - but basically, when the government forced everyone off the island in the 50s, people still owned their pieces of the island. An Irish-American instructed a local solicitor, to buy up as much of the island as he could. People had given up hope in the island at that point, so they were happy to sell, and the guy got 90% of the island. When he died, the solicitor and his brother bought the land off the estate. And they just sat on it for years. Then the state tried to issue a compulsory purchase order for quite a small sum. The state argued that, according to the Islands act brought in by Haughey, no-one can own an island. The solicitor argued that Haughey had exempted himself, in owning Inishvickillane, so that the legislation was unconstitutional. There followed a protracted legal wrangle with the state, which continues to this day. The main problem now is that the owners of the remaining 10% and the solicitor cannot agree on terms among themselves. The solicitor has put a significant amount of investment into the island in recent years, renovating buildings / upgrading wells etc, and he wants some return - i.e. exclusive rights to run Dingle ferry, hostel, cafe, etc. Other people feel that they have as much right, since they have also been making contributions to the island as well, or since they have family heritage there. So it's all quite complicated now. It will be sorted eventually, and the worst case scenario is that Dúchas or the OPW or whoever take it over will stop camping and wandering, so until then, enjoy...

P.S. http://www.greatblasketisland.com
 
I'm jealous is all I can say. I've never been on any of the islands out wesht. I was on Ireland's Eye which is nice for a barbie but the amount of detritus on its beaches is depressing.
 
Camped there Saturday night and it's a beautiful spot.

There's a gorgeous beach facing the mainland and yesterday morning the seals came right up to us as we were swimming, curious little buggers.
Went for a hike around the island, whatever you say about Peig, I'd say she had a great ass, those hills are on the steep side.

There was a group from Dive Ireland camping near the slip and one of them came up to warn us that Callery would be on island yesterday and to avoid him. Apparently he takes pictures for whatever the ongoing legal case is and hassles campers.

On the ferry back to Dun Chaoin, some genius had tried to drive down to the slip on a narrow pathway meant only for humans and sheep.

cardockmedta0.jpg


All these highs and lows.
carslipmedlt9.jpg


It's a somewhat famous spot from this postcard.
sheepslipdunchaoineq8.jpg

And the sheep shall inherit the berth? (sorry)
 
anyother amazing camping recommendations please let me know

so excited

i camped at sauce creek on the north dingle peninsula, and it was THE most impressive place i've ever been. anywhere. it's a totally isolated cove with a beach about 350m down an extremely steep incline. Apparently its the most isolated beach in ireland. i would only recommend camping there in pretty good weather- its incredibly exposed. to get there you go to brandon beach and walk about an 45mins towards mount brandon, then turn off the path and head for the sea (north), over the bog, over the creast of a hill, then onto a kind of peninsula and you can see the beach below. we camped on top of the peninsula- incredible spot.

did a bit of searching and here's more info: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/travel/2008/1101/1225321612738.html

Location here: <http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&layer=x&g=52.274103,-10.212879&ll=52.267947,-10.201836&spn=0.133205,0.266762&z=12>

Best bring an OS Map though if you intend to go.

Photos here: (we were pretty lucky with the weather)

1422167838074488012S425x425Q85.jpg



1422167465074488012S425x425Q85.jpg


1422167085074488012S425x425Q85.jpg


1422166807074488012S425x425Q85.jpg
 
mega nice one,

rep rep rep

i camped at sauce creek on the north dingle peninsula, and it was THE most impressive place i've ever been. anywhere. it's a totally isolated cove with a beach about 350m down an extremely steep incline. Apparently its the most isolated beach in ireland. i would only recommend camping there in pretty good weather- its incredibly exposed. to get there you go to brandon beach and walk about an 45mins towards mount brandon, then turn off the path and head for the sea (north), over the bog, over the creast of a hill, then onto a kind of peninsula and you can see the beach below. we camped on top of the peninsula- incredible spot.

did a bit of searching and here's more info: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/travel/2008/1101/1225321612738.html

Location here: <http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&layer=x&g=52.274103,-10.212879&ll=52.267947,-10.201836&spn=0.133205,0.266762&z=12>

Best bring an OS Map though if you intend to go.

Photos here: (we were pretty lucky with the weather)

1422167838074488012S425x425Q85.jpg



1422167465074488012S425x425Q85.jpg


1422167085074488012S425x425Q85.jpg


1422166807074488012S425x425Q85.jpg
 
cooooool...

camped near brandon, in clogheen last weekend. not anywhere too impressive; just a field (i.e: a sheep shit filled bog) behind some pub. it shat rain all weekend, so I just sat in the pub and got hammered and went to sleep in a drenched tent. deadly buzz. I'm going to have to check out that beach sometime. kerry rules.
 

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