The Blasket Islands, situated three miles off the western tip of the Dingle Peninsula, form an archipelago. The largest of these, the Great Blasket, curves gracefully from the Atlantic with a beautiful skyline contour. It stretches approximately four kilometres along its east-west axis and half a kilometre from north to south, ascending nearly 1,000 feet above sea level.
On the sheltered side facing the mainland lies an abandoned village, once home to fishermen, farmers, and their families. In its prime in 1911, the village housed about 160 residents. At the edge of Western Europe, the Great Blasket Island has always held a dual allure for its inhabitants. While its proximity to America’s eastern coast brings thoughts of distant shores, it’s also a mere stone’s throw away from Ireland’s mainland. For generations, the island’s youth pondered their options, seeking a brighter future.
Some opted for the short journey across the Sound to settle in neighbouring places like Dún Chaoin, Ballydavid, or Muiríoch. Others cast their gaze westward and embarked on the 3,000-kilometre voyage to America. This choice posed challenges familiar to many European immigrants who arrived on American shores, where English wasn’t their native language. Much like Russians, Hungarians, Ukrainians, Greeks, Italians, Germans, and Jews, they gravitated towards specific enclaves that offered mutual assistance and camaraderie.
Why were they leaving the Blasket Islands?
There were many reasons why the youth of the Blaskets left the islands. Among them was that there was a lack of medical care, a lack of education opportunities, there was a hostile weather situation, out in the wild Atlantic. But most importantly, young people were leaving for better opportunities abroad. This left an older generation unable to continue the farming and fishing lifestyle. And more young women were leaving than men.
The promise of an escape from poverty and hardship led many women to set their sights on the US, and particularly, Springfield, where earlier Blasket Islanders or extended family members had prospered. Accounts of a more promising existence abroad fuelled the allure of emigration. The longing for America permeated the Islanders’ conversations and aspirations.
Through letters and conversations, dreams were woven about the grandeur of the unknown land. Pictures from Springfield adorned walls, and the prospect of stepping into the new land was a source of boundless excitement. A pattern emerged in the migration process, where the eldest daughters ventured first. Having earned a few coins through work, and moved by their siblings’ plight, they sent back the fare to enable another family member’s journey.
Migration
This practice, while emblematic of familial sacrifice, gradually eroded the island’s vitality as its youth departed for America. The final straw for the Blasket Island inhabitants happened on Christmas Eve in 1947. Sean O’Cearna returned from the fields and silently collapsed. At only 24 years old, he was a robust young man who toiled alongside his aged father.
The island’s radio phone, predictably, was out of commission, and the tempest raging outside was too fierce for anyone to leave for help. Sean was cared for by his sister, yet his fate was sealed. He succumbed to meningitis. If youth, robust and vibrant, could be snatched like this, what prospects remained for the island? The Irish government decided to evacuate the Blasket Islands soon after, starting in the 1930s.
The Blaskets Abandoned
In 1953, the last remaining residents left the islands. The government provided assistance and resettlement options for those who were willing to leave. Sean O’Cearna’s brother Mike Carney and most of his siblings journeyed to America after his death. Successive generations of the island’s youth migrated, and they all ended up congregating within the same streets in Springfield.


The main street of Springfield in 1908.
A significant portion of Blasket Island emigrants settled in Hungry Hill in Springfield. Even today, one can chance upon conversations in fluent West Kerry Irish among the town’s inhabitants. Mike Carney told The Telegraph, “It was like the island had been picked up and carried over the ocean to Hungry Hill. You could walk through the Hill and hear only pure Blasket Irish being spoken.”
The evacuation of the Blaskets marked the end of a unique way of life and an ancient Gaelic culture that had existed on the islands for generations. Today, the Blasket Islands are mainly uninhabited, with some of the abandoned cottages preserved as historical landmarks and tourist attractions.
Blasket To Springfield
The Blasket Islands and Springfield have kept their profound connection, all these years later. Springfield, along with nearby cities like Hartford, Connecticut, and Holyoke, held a stronger allure for the Islanders than their own capital of Dublin or the distant European cities of London and Liverpool.
This connection was potentially forged through the construction of railways. These lead the first Islanders to Springfield, possibly in the 1830s or 1840s, though historical traces from that period are elusive. Stories of those left behind paint a poignant picture of separation and yearning. Families dispersed, leaving homes empty of the laughter of grandchildren. The pain of knowing they would never be reunited with their loved ones in America was a heavy burden to bear.


The evacuation of the Blaskets marked the end of a unique way of life.
Today in Springfield
From this vibrant Blasket community in Springfield emerged the Irish Cultural Centre of Western New England (Irishcenterwne.org), a beacon of cultural preservation. The club’s mission is centred around safeguarding their unique iteration of their cultural heritage. Its endeavours extend beyond linguistic preservation. They delve into the realm of music and dance, and trips to Ireland, celebrating the rich tapestry of Irish culture.
This hub has managed to perpetuate their version of Irish by passing it down to younger generations, ensuring its continuity and relevance. There has been a great effort to foster economic ties between Western New England and Western Ireland. This has led to partnerships with Dingle merchants, featuring their wares in shops in West Springfield.
Springfield tourism and Blasket History
Springfield is now a distinctive Gaeltacht enclave and is attracting Irish people to visit. The bond between Corca Dhuibhne’s Gaeltacht on the Dingle Peninsula in western Kerry and Springfield has remained strong. Throughout the years, Kerry educators, poets, and scholars with familial ties to Springfield have graced the city, adding to its rich apestry.
Dairena Ní Chinnéide, a poet, for instance, captivated audiences with a Gaelainn poetry reading during her visit. The late Pádraig Ó Fiannachta, the eminent Kerry scholar, poet, and priest renowned for his Irish translation of the Bible, also participated in this cultural exchange. In fact, one of his relatives served as Springfield’s chief of police, creating a meaningful link.
Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill, a celebrated Kerry poet and Ó Fiannachta’s niece, similarly left an imprint. During her tenure as a writer-in-residence at Northampton College in nearby PA, Ní Dhomhnaill engaged with local Irish language enthusiasts, enhancing their linguistic prowess through interactive sessions.
Gaelic in Springfield
Springfield has welcomed not only Kerry speakers but also Gaeilgeoirí (fluent Irish speakers) from every corner of Ireland. They have infused the city with the vitality of Irish speech. Springfield has Irish language activities, with numerous organisations synergising their efforts. Conradh na Gaeilge Iarthar Massachusetts and the Irish Cultural Center of Western New England collaborate to host myriad events, while Elms College offers Irish language classes with the assistance of a Fulbright teaching assistant from Ireland.
Beyond weekly classes, they hold an annual Lá na Gaeilge (Irish language day) each May, an event that has drawn both local and international attention. Springfield thrives as an unexpected centre for the Irish language, attracting luminaries and enthusiasts alike. The Great Blasket Island’s saga is one of resilience, community, and the preservation of a cherished heritage.
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