Travel

The new Blasket Island caretakers applied three times for the ‘unique opportunity’

Ice hockey player Brock Montgomery and yoga teacher Claire de Haas have arrived for summer

Brock Montgomery and Claire de Haas (pictured not in the Blaskets) succeeded tens of thousands to be selected as the caretakers of the island this summer

Sarah Slater
Mon Apr 11 2022 - 12:28

The new caretakers of the Great Blasket Island have arrived after beating 100,000 applicants to the plumb jobs.

A well-known former Canadian ice hockey player and his Dutch partner have taken on the new challenge as caretakers from April until September.

Brock Montgomery (29) from Moose Jaw, Canada and Claire de Haas (27) from Alkmaar, the Netherlands refused to give-up on their hopes of landing the jobs as they applied three times.

Despite the Co Kerry island having no running water and electricity, Montgomery, a previous player in the American Hockey League, East Coast Hockey League and most recently with the Tilburg Trappers; and de Haas, a yoga teacher, they knew the opportunity was for them.

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Speaking from the island the couple said: “We have been busy the last week preparing the cottages for the arrival of our first guests. We can’t wait to welcome you to the island and look forward to seeing many of you over here soon.”

The Great Blasket Island. Photograph: Laura Hutton

Ahead of their arrival de Haas, who played field hockey for 12 years, said: “It’s a unique opportunity where we will be learning lots from a new culture and surroundings. We know it’s going to be hard work, but we like the challenge.”

The couple met four years ago and went to Bali for nine months where they became certified yoga teachers.

Montgomery, who now owns the clothing brand Mountain Life Apparel, is currently studying meditation and mindfulness to start working with athletes and first responders, also aspires to travel making small documentaries around the world interviewing interesting people with unique stories to tell.

The couple, de Haas believes, will bring, “fun energy, flexibility, a positive vibe to the island along with enjoying hosting people and our own life experiences.

In the first year of advertising the positions more than 40,000 applications were received

“[We are sure we will get] a lifetime memory, an experience we will never forget. Also, the experience of a different culture is going to be an asset.” Neither of them has been to Ireland before.

Billy O’Connor, who runs the accommodation on the island along with his partner Alice Hayes, said they did not advertise the positions due to tens of thousands of previous applications.

There are no permanent residents on the island, which was deserted in the 1950s because emergency services were unable to reach it in storms.

de Haas joked she was worried about the rain but they “don’t have many concerns. We have been speaking with Billy and Alice about the job and we feel pretty comfortable. Obviously the busy time of the year might be an extreme period for us, but we’re ready for this.”

Claire de Haas and Brock Montgomery

O’Connor and Hayes own three cottages that are rented out to holidaymakers and a coffee shop on the island. The couple have been inundated with enquiries by phone, email, social media messages and paper applications from around the world and from such countries as Mexico, Finland and Argentina since first advertising the two positions three years ago. In the first year of advertising the positions more than 40,000 applications were received.

Located about three miles off the coast of Dingle, Co Kerry, the Great Blasket Island was home to the late author and storyteller Peig Sayers, whose writings formed part of the Leaving Cert Irish curriculum.

Over the past several months the couple have been carrying out some essential tasks including adding another bedroom to one of the cottages and upgrading other amenities.

The previous caretakers on the island were Co Limerick native Niamh Kelleher and her partner Jack Cakehead from France; Annie Birney and Eoin Boyle, from Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin; and Co Kildare couple Leslie Kehoe and Gordon Bond.

The couple's adventure can be followed on @clairedehaas_, @brockmontgomeryy and @mountainlifeapparel