Meet the caretakers of Great Blasket Island: ‘I have never craved an ice cream this much’

They met on a London Tube, but they left the bright lights of the city to become caretakers on the Great Blasket Island. Emily Campbell and Daniel Regan tell Caroline Delaney about life without WiFi, electricity and warm water

Emily Campbell and Daniel Regan are the caretakers on the Great Blasket Island. Pictures: Dan Linehan

They are livin’ the dream — paid to move to an island with seals, lambs, and basking sharks for company. Off to bed when the sun goes down and waking up refreshed each morning. And if they could only get an ice cream on a sunny day, then they’d have it all, say Emily and Dan, the newest caretakers of Great Blasket Island.

The Kerry island needs two ‘caretakers’ every year for the busy summer period — duties include managing the coffee shop and a handful of holiday cottages from April until October.