leaving Blasket Islands - November, 1953 - ref. 297G EMIGRATION. ISLAND LIFE. OLD KERRY BLACK AND WHITE PICS 99
A reader Jerry Hayes has updated the caption for us: No, Mike is not in the photo himself, but these are the folks he grew up with on the island. From left to right, they are Seán ‘Sheáisi’ Ó Cearna, Pádraig ‘Fíogach’ Mistéal, Seán Ó Súilleabháin, Seán ‘Filí’ Ó Cearna, Seán Ó Guithín and Seán ‘Faeilí’ Ó Catháin. Notice the smiles on their faces. They were glad to be away from the island!



By the way, legend has it that Seán Ó Guithín is carrying an RMS Lusitania deck chair that washed up on the island sometime after the ship’s sinking off Old Head near Kinsale in 1915 with the loss of 1,195 lives – look closely and you will see the chair.