Blasket Centre eyes 63,000 visitors a year after €3m revamp

Centre in Dingle has proved a success with around 50,000 visitors a year and it has now become a focal point for cultural events, exhibitions, and talks

Maírín Uí Shé, Cathair an Treanntaigh, stands beside the illustrations of her uncle Seán Feilí Ó Cathaín and grandfather at the Blasket Centre (Ionad an Bhlascaoid) in Dún Chaoin. Picture: Valerie O’Sullivan

Almost €3m has been invested in a revamp of Dingle's Blasket Centre, Ionad an Bhlascaoid, as it aims to increase its 50,000 per year visitor numbers.

Controversial at the outset, Ionad an Bhlascaoid was officially opened in 1994 by then finance minister Bertie Ahern, telling the story of the Blasket Islands and the tiny Irish-speaking community who lived there until the mid-20th century.