Proof positive that COASTAL LIVING enhances wellbeing and STIMULATES CREATIVITY, twelve women at work along the Wild Atlantic Way share their local secrets with Penny McCormick. This week we speak to Marie-Thérèse de Blacam …
Marie-Thérèse and Ruairí de Blacam’s restaurant and rooms on Inis Méain has gained almost mythical status. A multi award-winning enterprise, the suites book out nearly a year ahead with return guests. “Living on Inis Meáin we are more than in touch with nature, we are connected to it and dependent on it to get ourselves, our guests and our supplies on and off the island, 13 miles out to sea.” Indeed the location informs everything from the elemental decor to the exquisitely simple food. De Blacam loves the “no distractions” factor of island living. With a population of just 160 people with no children’s playground or assorted clubs, it translates as quality time with her two girls, aged seven and five. “We do lots of lego, art and baking at home.” In the winter, de Blacam started a “seisiun spraoi” in the community hall on Sunday afternoons and for guests she initiated a Potato Club, sending them small crates of island potatoes for Christmas. “The secret to the taste is in the soil with seaweed and sand,” says de Blacam. Their splendid isolation would not appeal to everyone. “The kids and business keep us more than busy, so I don’t miss anything. For me, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.”
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