Donal Hickey: Are the Blasket Islands worth including as a Unesco World Heritage Site?

To be included on the UNESCO World Heritage List, a site must be of "outstanding universal value"

Ireland currently has two Office of Public Works (OPW)-managed world heritage sites: Brú na Boinne, County Meath, and Skellig Michael but the Blasket Islands are not officially listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site

Calls have again been made for the designation of the Blasket islands, in Kerry, as a Unesco World Heritage Site. So far, the islands, one of which was the holiday retreat of ex-taoiseach Charlie Haughey, have failed to be included in lists submitted to Unesco by the Government.

A proposal for inclusion was made by supporters of the Blasket case, more than a decade ago — and Micheál de Mordha, former director of the Blasket Centre, Dunquin, and a leading Blasket historian, now says it should be reconsidered.