368 



Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



LX. EePOKT ON" THE FlORA. OF THE BlASKET IsLANDS, Co. KeRET. 



By EiCHABD M. Baeeington, M.A., LL.B. 



[Eead, February 14, 1881.] 



The group of islands known as the Blaskets lie to the west of 

 Dingle promontory, Co. Kerry, and their geology and position show 

 that they are but a prolongation of its ridge. They are interesting, 

 as being the most westerly land in Europe, if we except the Azores. 

 They lie west of 10° 30' west longitude, and immediately north 

 of the 52nd parallel of latitude. Counting rocks which rise little 

 above high- water mark, they number 109 islands, but six only are 

 worthy of the name, the rest being devoid of vegetation, with one or 

 two exceptions. The six largest islands are : — 





Acreage. 



Highest 



point in 



feet. 



Population. 



Great Blasket, 



1020 



961 



130 



Innishtooskert, 



186 



573 



Uninliabited. 



Innislivicillane, - - - 



171 



453 



One family. 



Innisliaabro, . . - 



102 



583 



Uninhabited. 



Tearagbt, - . - - 

 Beginisli, . - - - 



47 

 32 



602 

 57 



The light-house 



keepers. 

 Uninhabited. 



A circle having a diameter of eight miles would include all the 

 Blaskets, except a few rocks. 



IS'o botanist having ever examined this remote group with care, I 

 made an effort to explore them in June, 1879. Having reached the 

 town of Dingle, which is nine miles from the extreme west of the 

 promontory, the police informed me that an unsuccessful attempt had 

 recently been made to serve processes on the Blasket Islanders, and 

 that they were hostile to strangers. This proved to be correct, and I 

 found considerable diflS.culty in landing. At Dunquin, a small village 

 on the mainland, opposite the Great Blasket, the boatmen declined to 

 row me across. I heard subsequently they suspected I was a police- 

 man in plain clothes. All sorts of excuses were made. Finally, after 



