Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

A house on Inis Méain Alamy

Scheme to house a family on Inis Meáin for a year generating 'huge' interest

The scheme, which includes free rent, has received 560 applications so far.

A SCHEME TO house a family on Inis Meáin for a year with free rent has garnered “huge interest” from applicants in Ireland and abroad.

The scheme is aimed at a family with a functional level of Irish, with children in pre-school or primary school.

Mairéad Ní Fhátharta, the caothairleach of Comhlacht Fobartha Inis Meáin (the Inis Meáin development body) and the principal of the island’s secondary school, told The Journal that the response to the advertised scheme has been overwhelmingly positive.


“These are ordinary families living in Ireland who want to experience this and want to immerse themselves in the language, who want to live in rural areas for a while.”

Inis Meáin, the middle of the three Aran Islands, has a preschool, primary school and secondary school.
pupils-of-colaiste-naomh-eoin-on-inis-meain-aran-islands-await-the-arrival-of-taoiseach-leo-varadkar-for-a-visit-to-mark-its-establishment-as-a-single-entity-school Students from Coláiste Naomh Eoin on Inis Meáin Alamy Alamy
She added that there have been a number of international applicants, including “huge interest from Canada”, and an Australian radio station has reached out to the Comhlacht to promote the scheme.

Ní Fhátharta’s school, Coláiste Naomh Eoin, has students from all over Ireland on boarding grants and funded schemes, but this is the first time that the rent-free aspect for a family has been used.

She noted, however, that the family will have to sustain themselves: “Rent free does not mean bill free.”

The successful family will be able to move to Inis Meáin in September, and applicants with “a command of the [Irish] language” will be prioritised to enable them to integrate into the school and the community.

For remote workers, the island has a newly opened remote working hub as part of the Gteic scheme for Gaeltacht areas.

Ní Fhátharta said: “To live on an offshore ssland is not something that you can just decide to do one day, without some kind of incentive.”

But “the benefits are huge – becoming fluent in the Irish language, to experience something so unique.”

The closing date for applications is 10 August.

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

Close
5 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy here before taking part.
Leave a Comment
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute herman sherman
    Favourite herman sherman
    Report
    Sep 19th 2015, 2:09 PM

    Concorde is as good as commercial aviation has got in the last 40 years.a wonderful piece of engineering

    366
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ronan Stokes
    Favourite Ronan Stokes
    Report
    Sep 19th 2015, 3:20 PM

    The first time in modern history that a we went backwards from a technological advancemen, commercial supersonic flight. Great to see it making a comeback.

    187
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Seán J. Troy
    Favourite Seán J. Troy
    Report
    Sep 19th 2015, 4:43 PM

    A great achievement, but it was useless. It was too expensive to run to allow ordinary people to afford it. And the core business class that DID use it started to prefer cheaper, more comfortable executive seats on normal transatlantic flights. It simply wasn’t worth the money even for the people who shell out a fortune for this kind of thing.

    42
    See 2 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Eoin O'Neill
    Favourite Eoin O'Neill
    Report
    Sep 19th 2015, 7:56 PM

    That and the space shuttle retirement.

    17
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Chris Treacy
    Favourite Chris Treacy
    Report
    Sep 20th 2015, 2:01 AM

    Ronan stokes don’t believe everything you read here……but I’d love to see it happening but will only believe it when I sees it ……..

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Davy Boy
    Favourite Davy Boy
    Report
    Sep 19th 2015, 2:14 PM

    Use to love seeing it fly over when I lived in London always a joy come back soon

    130
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute John Clarke
    Favourite John Clarke
    Report
    Sep 19th 2015, 2:11 PM

    This aircraft is central to aviation history. Good to see there’s a plan to recognise that and to get her flying again.

    123
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Bill Madden
    Favourite Bill Madden
    Report
    Sep 19th 2015, 2:16 PM

    Back in the day when Air France has one at Shannon Airport you just watched the house windows shake to know it was taking off!

    116
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute David McShite
    Favourite David McShite
    Report
    Sep 19th 2015, 2:25 PM

    The most perfect combination of art and engineering ever achieved by man.

    103
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute HRH The Brummie
    Favourite HRH The Brummie
    Report
    Sep 19th 2015, 2:08 PM

    welcome back speedbird 1. (one of its previous BA call signs)

    98
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Stephen M
    Favourite Stephen M
    Report
    Sep 19th 2015, 2:32 PM

    Fantastic. Would have loved to have had to opportunity to fly on Concorde, hopefully they are successful to get it up in the air again.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeEB2Lxbfa4

    Great video of what it was like to fly on it. No music or anything to ruin it.

    73
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Flippermac
    Favourite Flippermac
    Report
    Sep 19th 2015, 2:08 PM

    UK was always years ahead of the rest of the world in technology …its going back wards now

    45
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute HRH The Brummie
    Favourite HRH The Brummie
    Report
    Sep 19th 2015, 3:16 PM

    So Flipoermac, what’s going backwards when it comes to restoring the world’s only supersonic passenger jet that graced the skies for over four decades? .

    38
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Flippermac
    Favourite Flippermac
    Report
    Sep 20th 2015, 7:33 AM

    HRH my point is it was made 40 years ago .You wank@@er

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute don lavery
    Favourite don lavery
    Report
    Sep 19th 2015, 7:54 PM

    I flew with BA on one of the last flights. it took of with the speed of a Formula One race car and climbed at a mile a minute. i watched the mach meter rise until we were supersonic and then twice that. We could see the blackness of space at max atitude. The only thing higher was the international space station. Amazing experience.

    43
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Donal O'Brien
    Favourite Donal O'Brien
    Report
    Sep 19th 2015, 5:19 PM

    I remember the noise it made at quarter to six every evening when it broke the sound barrier, it used drive dogs, foxes and pheasants bananas.

    31
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Neal Ireland Hello
    Favourite Neal Ireland Hello
    Report
    Sep 19th 2015, 2:39 PM

    So the future of aviation is a forty year old plane with very little leg space?

    18
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Tadgh Smith
    Favourite Tadgh Smith
    Report
    Sep 19th 2015, 3:09 PM

    Not a good idea except maybe for airs hows or other demonstration flights. The fact is it’s a 40 year old plane, supersonic flight causes a lot more metal fatigue than subsonic.the thing could break apart in mid air.

    If the were to build a new unit from scratch that’s one thing, but I don’t think that’ll be on the cards.

    10
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Pronnsias McCarthaigh
    Favourite Pronnsias McCarthaigh
    Report
    Sep 19th 2015, 6:33 PM

    Airshows and demonstrations are worse again because of the bad track record of stuff falling out of the sky. .

    These planes belong to static museums.

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Al Ca
    Favourite Al Ca
    Report
    Sep 19th 2015, 6:36 PM

    The B-52 bombers that began active service with the USAF in 1955 are still flying today and are not due to retire until 2044.

    9
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Pronnsias McCarthaigh
    Favourite Pronnsias McCarthaigh
    Report
    Sep 19th 2015, 6:42 PM

    The difference there is that the Yanks spend 800 Billion a year on WAR and can afford to meticulously service these aircraft right down to every last nut and bolt with no expense spared. You cannot compare this to a charity on a limited budget that intends to refurbish the concord.

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Philip Cooper
    Favourite Philip Cooper
    Report
    Sep 19th 2015, 6:58 PM

    Supersonic flight will never take off. Boom boom.

    10
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Justin Gabriel
    Favourite Justin Gabriel
    Report
    Sep 19th 2015, 5:18 PM

    going to a game conference in one Manchester airports hangar next month’ the concorde will be the backdrop’ and streamed live’ cant wait!!!

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Gus Sheridan
    Favourite Gus Sheridan
    Report
    Sep 19th 2015, 4:46 PM

    Lots of 1970s technology

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Chris Treacy
    Favourite Chris Treacy
    Report
    Sep 20th 2015, 2:03 AM

    1960s you mean ….it first flew in 1970

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Chris Treacy
    Favourite Chris Treacy
    Report
    Sep 20th 2015, 2:05 AM

    it’s a disgrace with the advancement of technology that we haven’t invented something designed in the ,60s …same as the space shuttle which is also retired

    3
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.

Leave a commentcancel

 
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds