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Situated three miles off the coast of Dunquin Pier in West Kerry lies a group of Islands known as the Blasket Islands. Of these, it is the Great Blasket which is most visited with thousands of tourists making the ferry ride over to explore this beautiful island every year.
As a result of the 1940s collapse of the fishing industry, this picturesque island has not moved in time. No cars or phones exist on the island offering the tourist the peace and tranquility so often yearned for. Indeed, the island has been virtually abandoned since 1953, when the government paid the remaining 22 inhabitants to move to the mainland. Now the visitor is able to explore this picturesque island by foot and discover the unspoiled beaches, extraordinary bird-life as well as the huge group of seals who have made the Blasket Island their home.
No other community of this size has produced the literary wealth of this island with three of Ireland's most famous writers coming from Great Blasket. Many tourists come to view the authors' houses and to attempt to imagine the hardship that the island people endured. There is no accommodation on the island but camping facilities are free and there is a cafe which will provide meals to the campers. Alternatively there are plenty of B&Bs in the Dingle area with a daily ferry service leaving Dunquin every half an hour.
The Blasket Centre has been set up in Dunquin in order to demonstrate the way in which the Islanders lived. In this centre one will find a model of the island, an Audio Visual documentary and guided tours.
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