Emma Melay from Co Wexford and Darren McFadden from Co Kildare have begun their coveted roles as this year's caretakers on An Blascaod Mór (The Great Blasket Island) off the coast of Co Kerry.
Melay, 26, and McFadden, 34, shared a peek into their first week living as caretakers on the remote Irish island on social media on Monday, April 8:
First week as Island caretakers! Looking forward to meeting you all ?☀️ pic.twitter.com/6W2RqWt33b
— Great Blasket Island (@gbisland) April 8, 2024
The adventurous couple, who met while teaching at the same school in Co Kildare, was selected by Alice Hayes and her partner Billy O'Connor to be caretakers on the island for the 2024 season, which runs from April 1 through October 1.
McFadden told RTÉ News last month that he and Melay decided to take a career break two years ago, buy a campervan, and travel around Ireland. The couple, who had never been to An Blascaod Mór but had worked on Inis Oírr off the coast of Co Galway, applied for the caretaker roles while walking the Camino in Spain and Portugal last October.
"We both love teaching and we do miss it, but we gave up our jobs just to see where we'd end up, and we’re loving it so far," McFadden said.
"We didn’t think we’d end up here now and taking on this particular new adventure."
The couple was among 300 applications received by Hayes and O'Connor, who own the holiday cottages and coffee shop on the Great Blasket Island.
"Emma and Darren came across really down to earth, easy to chat to, and enthusiastic about the role," Hayes told RTÉ News.
"When we FaceTimed in January, they were sitting in Darren’s grandmother's house, located in a remote part of Donegal, and explained how they enjoyed going without basic amenities, no Wi-Fi, etc., a similar setup to the Island, which stuck in our heads."
Great Blasket Island. (Ireland's Content Pool)
In recent years, the application process to become caretakers on The Great Blasket Island has gone viral with people from all around the world vying to be selected for the 'dream job.'
The job involves managing the coffee shop and the four holiday cottages on the island, though Hayes and O'Connor have cautioned that it is not a "holiday job" and that the season can get "very busy."
While all food and board is included with the position, the living is simple - there is no electricity or hot running water on the island.
Great Blasket Island. (Ireland's Content Pool)
Speaking with the Irish Independent last month, Hayes explained: “The caretakers scheme was unintentional, we never planned anything like it.
“We had a friend helping us with it back in 2014 and when he moved away, we wanted a caretaker for the holidays.
"We didn’t expect anyone to want to willingly go off to an island with no hot water or electricity for all these months.
"But we found out that a lot of people are actually interested in it, especially during Covid.”
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