On an island, fading into background isn’t an option for a single parent

As on any island, life on Inis Mór, largest of the Aran islands, has its particular set of challenges.

For Brid, who returned to her homeplace from London to raise her daughter when her relationship broke up, the stigma associated with being a single parent has been particularly hard to bear.

“I was one of the first girls who wasn’t married to return to the island with a baby,” Brid told me. “And it was very difficult at first. Because on an island, everybody knows you, who you are, who your people are. You can’t just fade into the background.