Inis-meain The islanders of Inis Meáin are Irish speaking. Whilst some of the older islanders can speak little or no English most of the others are quite fluent. However, it is important to respect that this little island is one of the most authentic outposts of an ancient civilisation and that over reliance on English can damage the cultural heritage of the island. Visitors can easily pick up a few words (cúpla focal) and should make an effort to speak this ancient and noble tongue during their visit. Many of the women still wear traditional dress. This is also true in winter when there are no tourists about. The clothing is practical for the island's climate. One of the most striking things about the local community is that they radiate a great sense of peace. The 200 inhabitants move quietly about the island tending to their cattle or walking the roads in the evening with friends. Life expectancy is considerably higher here than it is on the mainland and a large number of octogenerians are to be found. Employment has always been a problem for the island. Apart from the factory, the schools and a few other single jobs such as the post office and the co-op there are few jobs for women outside the hospitality industry (and that is seasonal). As a result a number of the women work on the mainland often as nurses or teachers but this leaves the island with a problem with maintaining its population. In its heyday there were over 450 islanders in living memory but that number is continually declining as death and migration clears the island. It is likely that the population will stabalise at about 150 but in the absence of new industry there is unlikely to be any growth in the foreseeable future. In the 1960s there were over 100 children in the primary school, this is now down to 11 and with only 6 pre-school children on the island the future doesn't look to be very different. Emigration has by far been the largest factor contributing to the population drop. Some islanders will tell you that there are almost 400 islanders in Boston! The island has strong links with the US and in the summer months children born in the US return to stay with their grandparents in a world very different to the cities of the New World. In a nutshell - these people are superb!
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