Stunning uninhabited island wants two to run coffee shop – there’s a catch | World | News
A stunning uninhabited island needs two brave job seekers to run a coffee shop over the spring and summer, but there’s a major catch. The idyllic Great Blasket Island, located off the coast of Dunquin, near Dingle, in the Republic of Ireland, is on the hunt for a duo to take charge of the shop and the island’s overnight accommodation.
The caretakers’ duties will involve overseeing three holiday cottages, “cleaning and painting”, looking after overnight guests, and, of course, serving tea and coffee, as well as staying on top of the “day-to-day runnings”. In a feature that’s sure to tickle the fancy of anyone seeking off-grid living, wildlife haven Great Blasket Island has no permanent residents, but that doesn’t mean the caretakers won’t be kept busy. On the job application website, it reads: “The caretakers’ role is to manage the coffee shop and 3 holiday cottages on the Great Blasket Island.”
It continues: “This involves meeting and greeting overnight guests, cleaning and painting three holiday cottages, serving tea and coffee and snacks to day visitors from the coffee shop and ensuring the every day to day runnings are being met.
“We are looking for hardworking, responsible and trustworthy duo that have great people skills and initiative. Please be aware this is not a holiday job. The season can get VERY busy and you will be on your feet for most of the day.”
It reiterates the catch of the position in its intense nature further down the page, noting that the island can get “VERY busy”, dubbing it an “intense” position, with caretakers required to acknowledge that the location has “very little” in the way of resources.
Successful applicants will ideally travel to the island around the last week of March, with the season running from April 1 to mid-October, depending on the weather.
In another note about the weather, the listing states that days off are “determined” by it. For example, a bout of bad weather lasting days could mean no sailings, whereas four solid weeks of sunshine could again mean an “intense” time for the caretakers.
The job is not without its perks, however, as caretakers will enjoy, in addition to their wages, food and board, although it points out that alcohol and toiletries are not part of the daily shops.
Like last year, the lucky applicants will sleep in a bedroom above the coffee shop and use the site’s kitchen. In a separate note about their duties, the application also acknowledges that “general DIY or maintenance” is encouraged in the event of an extended period of poor weather or days off.
A ‘Special Area of Conservation’, the island encompasses four miles and features more than 1,100 acres. Uninhabited since 1953, Great Blasket Island was reportedly one of the most remote Irish-speaking parts of Corca Dhuibhne.
One of the island’s draws is its wildlife; visitors could be in for a chance at spotting such species as Risso’s, common and bottlenose dolphins, as well as basking sharks, grey seals and whales.
It’s also home to a wide variety of birdlife, including gannets, puffins, Arctic terns, guillemots and cormorants.
To apply for the job, visit the website here.
