Hollywood stuntman and last Omey Island resident Pascal Whelan laid to rest

There was a time when Pascal Whelan’s car got stuck in the sand halfway across the drive to Omey Island from the mainland. Another local drove to his aid and his car was also embedded, only to finally pull clear after burning out the clutch.

Pascal’s car remained there, to be swamped by the waves. It was fished out later, but he never drove it again. According to Pascal: “That is the price you pay for living in paradise.”

Malachy King of Sweeney’s Strand Bar in Cleggan, recalls this tale and many others involving the Hollywood stuntman who went from big budget pictures back to his roots on the tidal island off Co Galway. For years he has been its sole resident. It’s now said his death last Sunday, on his 75th birthday, means it is the first time in 500 years that no one is permanently living on the island.