A Dark Day on the Blaskets: The Drowning of Donal O Criomhthain And Eibhlin Nic Niocaill on the Blasket Islands,13 August 1909

by Micheal O Dubhshlaine

In the summer of 1909 Eibhlin Nic Niocaill (Eileen Nicholls) arrived on the Dingle Peninsula in the extreme south-west of Ireland. One of the finest scholars in the new national movement, she had come from Dublin to study the West Kerry dialect of Irish. Here she explored the countryside and travelled to the Great Blasket, spending an intense, mystical month on the island, meeting the inhabitants, whose lifestyle had changed little in 200 years. But on 13 August she and 17-year-old Donal O Criomhthain both drowned. ""A wonderful piece of drama-documentary... entertaining and captivating. It's an evocative story, a portrait of a young woman and her times, and an engrossing description of a beautiful place at a turning point in its history.""-- Ireland Magazine. ""Fascinating.""--Sunday Tribune

Paperback

First published December 1, 2003

Reviews

[J D Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like this book a lot. I bought it while in Ballyferriter and perhaps this acquaintedness with the local area endeared it a little more to me.

The book itself is well written and brings to life the period and location as well as allowing the reader to draw their own conclusions about the irony of the treatment of the Blasket residents. A note of warning: those who have no understanding of the Irish language and pronunciations might find the flow of the book constantly interrupted as the author does not translate local names (apart from Ventry) into English.

[Shana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked the way the struggle to maintain Irish culture was told thru this tragedy. I enjoyed learning more about Ireland, the local Dingle community, and of course the bravery of Eibhlin and Donal. I can’t help but smile that the two would be so proud that someone a world away in 2025 would be moved by their story.

[Ivan Monckton · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent piece of local history about a disaster in one of the most beautiful parts of Ireland

[David Ingerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have any interest in the Irish language, this book, although tragic, is highly inspiring. A good read!

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting book ... and an insight to the local community there in the early part of the 20th century,

[Caitriona · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well researched book but a little repititive in places.