The spirt of Great Blasket is alive. It is cherished and renewed constantly in Oileán, the performance by Kerry-based theatre group Siamsa Tíre, which can be seen at the Pavilion Theatre in Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin, this week, writes Angela Long

The island's special quality, what it means for the nation and its wider message on community and power are celebrated in the performance of dances and songs dealing with Blasket episode, as described in the many autobiographical novels which have emanated from it. But, says Muiris Ó Laoire, responsible for most of the words in the production, a romantic misty-eyed view does not dominate.

"There is a tendency to over-romanticise the island's life, so we have showed the harshness of life there, and what was often a battle for survival," Ó Laoire says. A lecturer in folk theatre in Kerry, he collaborated with Tom Hanafin on the songs for the show.

The show had its genesis, as with all Siamsa Tíre's productions, in a workshop around the 20 or so autobiographical works which, astonishingly, came from this remote and sparsely-populated place. Most famous, or infamous, to generations of Irish school students is Péig Sayers, whose eponymous biography was prescribed for years on the Irish language syllabus. There are others as well, and also significant is Muiris Ó Suílleabháin's Twenty Years a-Growing and The Islandman by Tomás Ó Criomhtháin. "We started by exploring the biographies for scenes of island life, and selected incidents around Sunday Mass, hurling on the beach, dancing, fishing, flotsam from ships being washed up, a letter from America, and, of course, emigration."

Emigration, naturally, is a poignant theme. The last permanent inhabitants of the island left in 1953, an inevitable outcome, but one which had been speeded by the death of a young boy from appendicitis, when the boat which would have taken him for routine medical care on the mainland could not sail because of bad weather.

In light of the State's purchase of Great Blasket, which is proceeding at the moment, and the possible "touristification" of the island, does Ó Laoire feel that it would be a good idea to repopulate it?

"It would be very difficult to recreate what was there, but we are left with a wonderful legacy, of people on the periphery of Europe who lived a life in which they saw themselves as heroes, because of the conditons in which they lived."

This heroic quality comes forth both in t he speech and in the writings, he says.

"Their achievement in living on the edge, as it were, tells us something about society, and how all knowledge does not come from the centre, from the government, or from Brussels."

"Because of the location and difficulty of access that culture came from a life style that had changed very little over the centuries. It was a perfectly preserved society, and with it a way of looking at the world and individuals regarding themselves," he says.

"The use of language was unique and spectacular, very beautiful. A number of visitors to the island early in the 20th century, some from Scandinavian countries, saw how extraordinary it was, and encouraged island people to write their stories. This was quite a change for some,as they tended to be wonderful storytellers, but in the oral tradition. You can see this, for example, when reading Peig."

Ó Laoire's main job is as lecturer at the Institute of Technology in Tralee, in the course on folk theatre which is run in association with Siamsa, known as the National Folk Theatre. The four-year BA degree course teaches music, dance and the pure arts of theatrical production and performance, with Irish language a necessary component. Ó Laoire says they take in between 10 and 15 students a year, some mature people who have already worked in theatre or folk culture. He is aware of the danger of being seen as producers of "Oirish" fare for tourists, and efforts are made to steer students well away from those rocks.

Oileán has been touring the country, and returns to south County Dublin just as the future of a State-owned, protected Great Blasket comes under intense discussion.

Oileán - A Celebration of the Blasket Islands runs till Saturday. Tel (01) 231 2929

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