Lonely idyll This Irish island is looking for caregivers for the high season
If you've always wanted to live on a desert island, your dream could come true. The Irish island of Great Blasket is looking for new caretakers. This is what's behind the job advertisement.
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- The Irish island of Great Blasket is looking for a caretaker duo for the high season.
- The uninhabited island is popular with tourists. It is home to a café and three vacation cottages.
- If you get the job, you are prepared to spend a few months without electricity and hot water, but you will be rewarded with beautiful nature.
- Depending on the weather conditions, the island can sometimes be cut off from the outside world.
The cliffs, the surf - and hills with grazing sheep. Otherwise: not a soul far and wide. Visitors to the Irish island of Great Blasket are rewarded with this. From April to October, this small idyll is a popular destination for tourists.
But no one has lived on the island since 1953. According to the British Guardian, the last permanent resident moved away due to a lack of access to emergency services.
Except for the two people who look after the café and the three vacation cottages on the island. A new couple or duo of friends is sought every year. The caretaker position has just been advertised again for the period from April 1 to October 1.
The landlady can hardly save herself from applications - the job is in high demand and people from all over the world want to call the uninhabited idyll their home for a few months.
Ex-islanders enjoyed "a special time"
If you think it's all about putting your feet up and enjoying the beautiful view, you'd be wrong. The website says: "Please note that this is not a vacation job. It can get very stressful during the season and you will be on your feet most of the day." They are looking for a hard-working, responsible and trustworthy duo.
What is needed for the job in addition to hard work? Certainly the willingness to live in a lonely environment and in modest accommodation. Guests come and go, but it can happen that the caretaker duo is cut off from the outside world due to harsh weather conditions. If the swell is too high, boats cannot dock.
Emma Melay (26) and Darren McFadden (34), who won the race for the job last season, experienced this first-hand. Right at the beginning of their time on Great Blasket, a violent storm raged for twelve days.
But for the Irish couple, despite the stormy start, it was "a special time", as Melay told the Guardian last September. They watched seals from the kitchen at breakfast. In the evenings, they were rewarded with "spectacular sunsets".
A busy working day
It is a return to simplicity. The caretakers live on Great Blasket without electricity or hot water. The small staff apartment is located directly above the café. According to Melay, it is "cozy" there. It is furnished with a fireplace and photos of former islanders.
As there are no shopping facilities on the small island, groceries and laundry are delivered by boat every day.
Everyday life on Great Blasket is clearly organized, as a closer look at the description of the place shows. When the guests check out at 10 a.m., the houses have to be cleaned and prepared for new arrivals. According to the job advertisement, this takes three hours. Afterwards, the café opens at 1 pm, where tea and coffee is served until 5 pm. There, too, the island attendants must then take care of cleaning and tidying up.
It is an "intensive position" and applicants must be aware that they will be living on an island with very few resources. Fluent English is also a prerequisite, Irish is not required.
It is not known how much the job will pay. The job advertisement simply states: "The salary will be explained in more detail in the application." The beautiful view could be reward enough.