An tOileán Tiar / The Western Island - The history and culture of the Blasket Islands.

A film for the Blasket Island Centre in Kerry, South West Ireland, exploring the the history and culture of the Blasket Islands.
The Blaskets are a group of seven, small islands off the South West corner of Ireland. Exposed to the full force of the Atlantic Ocean, the islands have a remarkable history, having supported a population of around 150 people since the 16th century. The islanders emerged from relative obscurity in the middle of the twentieth century when linguists, ethnographers, writers and photographers began to visit, seeing the islands as a last outpost of Ireland’s language and culture, untainted by English rule or the Catholic Church; the islands had no priest, doctor or shop. The islanders responded by putting pen to paper; building on centuries of oral story telling they produced over 40 new books, a mixture of autobiography and island tales, just as their culture and community was starting to implode. In 1953 the islands were abandoned.
We were commissioned by Ireland’s Office of Public Works to make a documentary film telling this extraordinary story. Shot over four seasons, using specialist 4k equipment and a drone, the film captures the full glory of a year on the edge of the Atlantic. It is shown in a purpose-built cinema at the Blasket Island Visitors Centre, which is situated on the mainland, overlooking the islands.

[@Ozbomber1]

Wonderfully produced, and very moving.

[@elauadeinsf]

As someone who lived on the island I thought it was good the way you mentioned the history of Christian hermits on these islands, which so many omit, and as a bit of a filmmaker, I also liked a lot of the landscape shots here, especially the opening one.

[@shannonmarchat]

Just visited these islands and loved watching this! Beautifully done

[@Karl_with_a_K]

I stayed for two nights in house #4 last summer, early July. The weather was beautiful. Climbed the highest point Croaghmor, where you overlook all the other islands and deep into the Atlantic ocean. A great experience, of a very special place. Tá sé go halainn ansin. Posted some footage on my channel, I like to go back there from time to time to remember the peace, solitude and beauty. Go n-éirí leat.

[@Kevin-lo1le]

Brilliant, thank you 🙏

[@paddyo3841]

God save Ireland 🇮🇪

[@CallumCharman-po2uj]

what the singing at the beginning please?

[@JoanHoward-x9u]

Enriching all of it

[@padraigohainifein2284]

@YohoMediaBristol is the Irish language version of this available?

[@YohoMediaBristol]

vimeo.com/778896132?share=copy

[@patchy642]

Isle of Tenerife, Spain, Africa. It's fine if they want everything in English, no problem, but then don't choose to put the first half of the title in Gaelic, and then even get that wrong. If you don't put a dot over that T (probably how you read it somewhere), then you need the letter h after it: "An tOileán Thiar". If the whole video is in English, please don't use any Gaelic at all in the title, as it's misleading and condescending, leading to the people in this comment section getting annoyed, having expected Gaelic content as the title indicated. 'Just a thought. Best wishes, Patchy.

[@dugongpoo]

Wow. The way that abandoned roofless house began to resemble a coffin only to finally to submerged under the sea. Incredibly poignant imagery.

[@Anthony-oq9qc]

Where the story teller now had she children this island is there

[@anniedavis4569]

An deas ar fad. Isn’t this the island where Peg was born

[@johnpurcell7525]

Where Gaelic Ireland Died abandoned by a Native Govt

[@si4621]

Really poor how little Irish was used in this if it's actually for the Blasket Island Centre and worse that what was used was wrong. From calling the boats naomhogs when it's naomhóga to names like Tomas O'Crohan when it's Tomás Ó Criomhthain, to mispronouncing Inis na Bró to name but a few. Also, what's the story with the terribly dark aerial footage? No color grading? No Exposure balance? I've never hand in footage like this to a client and be proud of it...

[@YohoMediaBristol]

Thanks - kind words indeed! There is also an Irish version if you'd like the link.

[@si4621]

@@YohoMediaBristol sure, that'd be great.

[@fintan4484]

@@YohoMediaBristol do you have the Irish version? I’d love to see that

[@si4621]

@@YohoMediaBristol Are you able to provide the link to the Irish version