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RTE just had news item about a new publication on the music of the Blaskets, partly archive material, partly recordings of descendants of islanders. This expands on earlier collection of the same name. The collection was put together by Ríonach uí Ógáin.

New publication on Blasket Island music

Thanks Peter

My mother-in-law was from a place called Cuas which is around 8 miles west of Dingle and she remembered when there were people living on the Island. She used to go to Dingle one day a week for the shopping and she stated that you always knew whether someone was from the Blaskets by the fact that they always walked in single file. The paths on the Island were so narrow only one person at a time could traverse them so people walked in single file. This carried on even when they were walking on the large concrete paths in Dingle. She said that, as a child, she found this to be hilarious. She also said that they spun their own clothes. Everything they had, even their shoes, were handmade by the Islanders themselves.

John

The past really is a different country, isn't it? The films that were included in the newsitem only drive that home.

Interesting too they got this on the main news, its not like there's nothing else going on in the world. An they have the Taoiseach launching it tonight too.

Mr.Gumby wrote: ↑Thu Aug 04, 2022 10:00 am The past really is a different country, isn't it? The films that were included in the newsitem only drive that home.

Interesting too they got this on the main news, its not like there's nothing else going on in the world. An they have the Taoiseach launching it tonight too.

Ah, that'd be the person Liz Truss refers to as the "Tea Sock".

Mr.Gumby wrote: ↑Thu Aug 04, 2022 10:00 am The past really is a different country, isn't it? The films that were included in the newsitem only drive that home.

Interesting too they got this on the main news, its not like there's nothing else going on in the world. An they have the Taoiseach launching it tonight too.

They seem to have a lot of social capital alright.

The Irish Times has a write up as well today : Here

Contributor Aoife Granville adds a comment of her father's that pretty much echoes the recollection of John's mother in law above.

John:

she stated that you always knew whether someone was from the Blaskets by the fact that they always walked in single file.

Aoife:

Dad used to tell us you could always tell the islanders when they were walking around town, because they would walk one behind the other, as they would have done on the island.