Plan to designate historic island National Heritage Area

THE Government has accepted a report which charts the future of a famous literary island.

The report forms the basis of a management plan for the conservation of the Great Blasket, off the Kerry coast, and its rich heritage.

The public has limited access to the island and progress is being made on planning a new pier on the island, as well as extending the existing pier at Dunquin, the point on the mainland from which visitors take ferries to the island.

The report is the work of the Great Blasket Forum, a representative group set up to chart future plans for the island, and the idea is to designate the island a National Heritage Area, a Special Area of Conservation and to obtain World Heritage Status. Kerry County Manager Martin Nolan said Kerry County Council would take forward recommendations in the report, which would include the development of a partnership involving State agencies, heritage bodies and the landowners.

The future of the island is seen as a “living island,’’ which will support its own ecology and a small number of people whose jobs will involve the conservation of the island.

A previous attempt by the Government to acquire the island and turn into a national historic park was deemed unconstitutional and turned down by the Supreme Court in 1999.

In the meantime, the majority owners, Blascaod Mór Teo, have been looking at ways of providing facilities for the public while the State has been trying to come up with ways of conserving the island.

In 1953, the last inhabitants evacuated the Great Blasket.