Future of the Blasket Islands discussed at An Díseart

Blasket Island oral hearing in Dingle

The future of An Bhlascaod Mór (the Great Blasket) was up for discussion in Dingle this week as An Bórd Pleanála hosted an oral hearing regarding the island's future development at Institute of Education and Celtic Culture, An Díseart, on Tuesday August 5th and Wednesday August 6th. A decision on proposed plans by majority shareholder An Bhlaoscaod Mór Teoaranta (BMT) to construct a café and supporting facilities at the Island had been deferred by An Bórd Pleanála following a submissions made by a number of applleamnts since Kerry County Council initially granted the project planning last November. The construction of these dwellings however is paramount to the Government's plans to buy out the Island with the view towards developing the home of literary greats such as Peig Sayers, Tomás Ó Criothain and Muiris Ó Suilleabháin as a protected historic and national park. However the proposed dwellings have raised questions locally as some individuals feel that this route is not the best way forward in preserving what weaver Sue Redicon, (who lived and worked on the Great Blasket for 20 years), described as "the true essence of the Island" as the buildings would be two to three times larger than exisitng structures on the Island. Questions were also raised about the granting of exclusive commercial rights to BMT for ferry services, the café and supporting facilities and the co-dependence of the Government's plans upon the granting of planning persmission for the dwellings. Other issues were raised at the hearing by various concerned parties including environmental and ecological concern. On Wednesday Ásta Bowen of the Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, travelled from New York to Dingle to testify about findings that indicate sea-birds Manx Shearwaters are actually breeding in the village on Great Blasket. For the past 20 years, Government proposals on the future of the Island have progressed slowly.The Office of Public Works have been negotiating for many years on behalf of the Government and local supporters of the project to designate the Island as a National Historic Park. A budget of around €10 million was also allocated by the OPW last year for the Island's future preservation and development. It is, as of yet, unclear how this will now proceed given the fact that the plan was linked with the construction of BMT's café and supporting facilities with An Blascaod Mor Teo owning 17 of the 25 holdings on the island.