Ireland’s loneliest man to go home after 20 years on island
For most of the time Barry Edgar Pilcher, who will be 70 this year, has lived alone on the island. He didn’t even get to see his wife and daughter on New Year’s Day because his Skype wasn’t working.
They moved from Essex when he transferred to Inishfree, but only stuck the island for a couple of years before moving back to Britain.
But his broadband service has not been working recently and he couldn’t even share a smile with them over the new year.
Barry admitted his loneliness yesterday: “Skype is no substitute for giving her a hug.”
Barry, who lives in a ramshackle home, writes poetry, plays his saxophone, and maintains internet contact with other musicians in Europe — when his broadband works.
He moved from London in 1993 because he was struck with the glorious beauty of the island and its isolation, which permitted him to work on his music and poetry without being disturbed.
A handful of people have holiday homes on the island — six can even go to the polling booth at election time in Barry’s house to vote — but their main homes are on the mainland.
Barry gets a ferry once a week to the mainland village of Burtonport to buy supplies.
He told John Murray on RTÉ radio yesterday: “If I want to do a curry, I can’t really phone up for a takeaway.”
One reason, apart from loneliness, that he is planning to return to Britain this year is because his wife hasn’t been too well lately and he wants to meet an older brother who he hasn’t seen for a long time.
“You have to be tough to live out here. I’ll be glad when I can move on in life,” he said, before admitting that he will miss Inishfree.
“I’ll be going as soon as I can organise it. But it is very magical out here. There is no street lighting so you can see the stars at night and things like that.”
