
Micheál O'Guiheen was the son of Peig Sayers, "the Queen of the Gaelic storytellers." The last of the Blasket's celebrated poets and storytellers, he describes how the isolation of his youth was slowly eroded by the creeping of civilization across the three miles separating the islands from County Kerry, and the sadness of leaving the Great Blasket for the last time.
This memoir investigates the cultural erosion of the Great Blasket Island community through the personal lens of its final generation of storytellers. Micheál O'Guiheen, son of the renowned Peig Sayers, utilizes his unique position as a cultural bridge to document the transition from a traditional, isolated Gaelic lifestyle to the encroaching influence of modern civilization. His narrative serves as both a historical record of a vanishing way of life and a poignant reflection on the displacement of a distinct linguistic and social community.
What You Will Find
Scope Limits
Scholars and readers value this work as a primary source for understanding the social fabric of the Blasket Islands before their final abandonment. Experts frequently highlight the text for its authentic voice and its significance in preserving the oral traditions of the region.
Page Count:
160
Publication Date:
1982-04-01
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
019281320X
ISBN-13:
9780192813206
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