As we find out, the blasket is more than a pretty face. The western island or the great blasket robin flower on. Blasket islands ireland irish poetry irish poetry ireland blasket islands irish. You really should have hiking boots and a stick for getting up the hills from the. The western isle or the great blasket is an memoir by robin flower from his experience of visits to the great blasket over a period of twenty years. During the years covered by the blasket books the islands never had a population of more than about one hundred.
Under flowers influence, george derwent thomson and kenneth hurlstone jackson made scholarly visits to blasket. Oh, i have recently ordered blasket island guide by stagles and redican. The paperback of the the islandman by tomas ocrohan, robin flower, tom. After his death his ashes were scattered on the blasket islands. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to know what life was like in the blasket islands from the late 1880s through the 1920s. The lost world of the great blasket kanigel, robert on. Im looking for recommendations from those of you who have read others. He tells of the adversities and frugality of the gaelicspeaking people, of the folk tales and the stories of ghosts and fairies and poets. His books include the catalogue of irish manuscripts in the british museum vol.
Images of ireland dont come better than the blasket islands. The only previous translation is by robin flower, from 1934. As a scholar of anglosaxon, he wrote on the exeter book he identified interpolations in the old english bede, by laurence nowell. The western island tells the history of the great blasket, of the frugality and adversities of life on the island, its folktales including stories of ghosts and fairies, and also recounts the dramatic day in the great blasket s history when the flying galleons of the spanish aramada were destroyed on its coast. Between 1910 and 1930, the scholar robin flower went many times to the blasket islands off the southwest coast of ireland in search of the irish tradition. Robin ernest william flower 18811946 in proceedings of the british academy, 32 19 127. Tomas ocrohan was born on the great blasket island in 1856 and died there in 1937, a great master of his native irish. Robin flower was deputykeeper of manuscripts in the british museum from 1929 to 1944 and a lifelong visitor to the blasket islands in kerry. This book is an account of my experiences during a number of intermittent holiday visits to the great blasket covering roughly a period of some twenty years. The elegant, curving beach is called the white strand. Until their evacuation just after the second world war, the lives of the 150 or so blasket islanders had remained unchanged for centuries. Great blasket an blascaod mr in irish is the principal island of the blaskets, county kerry, ireland.
Blasket literature tomas ocrohan, island crosstalk tr. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Its the largest of the small group of islands off the westernmost point of this westernmost peninsula in ireland. Visiting scholars the great blasket centre and island. You can read about a few of the islands tales and characters in issue nine available now. He shared to the full the perilous life of a primitive community, yet possessed a shrewd and humorous detachment that enabled him to observe and describe the world.
He was born at meanwood in yorkshire, and educated at leeds. They were inhabited until 1953 by a completely irishspeaking population, and today are part of the gaeltacht. The 7 blasket island books published by oup contain memoirs and reminiscences from within this literary tradition, evoking a. The western island, or the great blasket by robin flower. Later he took up a position teaching old irish in the school of celtic studies in dublin. The western island, or the great blasket oxford paperbacks. Western island, or great blasket by flower, robin and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. A rich oral tradition of storytelling, poetry, and folktales kept alive the legends and history of the islands, and has made their literature famous throughout the world. They encouraged the islanders to write their life stories in their native tongue, and the books they wrote give a unique insight into the hardship of island life. I remember first encountering the distant islands while visiting dingle and wondering what stories those tiny white houses could tell. Until blasket islands eco marine tours started bringing visitors around the outer blasket islands they were known only to fishermen and passing sailors, but no doubt in time they will become as famous as the giants causeway in northern ireland. With a bit of luck and some good weather i may be able to visit blasket next may. Robin ernest william flower was an english poet and scholar, a celticist, anglosaxonist and translator from the irish language.
With four illustrations from drawings by his wife ida m. The inhabitants were evacuated to the mainland on 17 november 1953. Ii, 1926, the western island 1944, the irish tradition 1994 and a. Appreciation of these books is always of course subjective but a brief introduction to the library would be.
On the west coast of ireland off the dingle peninsula lies a group of tiny, barren islands surrounded by the great swells of the atlantic. The islanders spoke only irish, which flower learned well. Tomas ocrohan was born on the great blasket island in 1865 and died there in 1937, a great master of his native irish. It was written in irish and translated to english by robin flower. The evacuation of the great blasket island in the irish literary supplement, new york, 3. In 1910 he came to study old irish under carl marstrander at the recently founded school of irish learning in dublin. Robin ernest william flower 18811946 was an english poet and scholar, a celticist, anglosaxonist and translator from the irish language. Buy the western island, or great blasket oxford paperbacks new edition by flower, robin, flower, ida m. Blasket islands skip to main search results amazon prime. The western island, or great blasket oxford paperbacks.
The blaskets were abandoned for the mainland by the last islanders in 1953. The western isle or the great blasket by robin flower. Robin flower 18811946 having read classics at oxford, robin flower joined the manuscripts department of the british museum in 1906. On a driving holiday, the writer takes a rather lucky wrong turn and it leads her to the folklore and culture of the blasket islands. Blasket islands ireland 87 works search for books with subject blasket islands ireland. Binchy, daniel a two blasket autobiographies in studies 23 dec. Today inhabited by only a few sheep and sea birds, the blasket islands were once home to a population of nearly 200, most of whom lived on the largest island. The blasket islands fascinated me when i was traveling ireland a month ago and this particular resident, very much so. The western island, or the great blasket oxford paperbacks flower, robin, flower, ida m. Blasket islands great blasket island dingle west coast. The irish tradition by robin flower overdrive rakuten. The great blasket islanders my heart is full of love and. The western island, or the great blasket flower, robin, flower, ida m. Googling gets me a lengthy list of other blasket authors and books.
Encouraged by marstrander, he came to the great blasket to learn modern irish in the summer. The blasket islands are three miles off irelands dingle peninsula. The 7 blasket island books published by oup contain memoirs and reminiscences from within this literary tradition,evoking a. Many of the descendants currently live in springfield, massachusetts, and some former residents. Buy the western island, or the great blasket by robin flower online at alibris. Island authors the great blasket centre and island. Leslie matson is among that select group of authors who have immortalised in literature the rich culture of the blasket islands, along with others such as robin flower, carl marstrander, peig. On an irish island by robert kanigel nook book ebook. Dr flower spent a considerable amount of time between 1910 and 1930 living amongst the 150 inhabitants of the great blasket island. The western island or the great blasket by flower robin. The above picture, taken from the end of the dingle peninsula, is of the great blasket island. The three most famous blasket island books by those who lived there. The blasket islands are located off the southwest coast of ireland.
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