Trouble on Tory Island...

PRidley

Graces7 wrote: »

Island-ing is all. Storms in teacups. You learn to sit lightly on it. All really IS well. New fast boat sounds great fun.

Graces7 wrote: »

The compromise is pretty cool!

The compromise doesn’t make the Queen boat any safer which proves safety of the boat was never a real issue.

The compromise, as you call it, is likely to cost the taxpayer between €80,000 and €100,000 per person, yes per person, in transport costs for the island over the next five years. I think that’s pretty poor value and not so cool for the taxpayer! But fair play to the islanders who managed to fool the Department into the deal.

And I don’t think everything is as peaceful on the island as you think.

Graces7

PRidley wrote: »

The compromise doesn’t make the Queen boat any safer which proves safety of the boat was never a real issue.

The compromise, as you call it, is likely to cost the taxpayer between €80,000 and €100,000 per person, yes per person, in transport costs for the island over the next five years. I think that’s pretty poor value and not so cool for the taxpayer! But fair play to the islanders who managed to fool the Department into the deal.

And I don’t think everything is as peaceful on the island as you think.

I did not say it was peaceful as such ; just ..normal for a small island. Put that number of folk on a small island....

The transport is necessary. Period.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Graces7 wrote: »

Island-ing is all. Storms in teacups. You learn to sit lightly on it. All really IS well. New fast boat sounds great fun.

Graces7 wrote: »

Not exactly fake news. Hard to explain but not the same as on the mainland . , Different mentality and also all the islands are on the defensive re depopulation. Blasket, Inishark, Achill Beg.. Inshturk. in great danger so we get very defensive

The compromise is pretty cool!

Graces7 wrote: »

I did not say it was peaceful as such ; just ..normal for a small island. Put that number of folk on a small island....

The transport is necessary. Period.

I asked this already but you ignored it. Can you explain what happened and where you got the information, as there are conflicting reports?
The different mentality line is meaningless if there is a group of islanders unhappy with the vote.
Disagreement is normal anywhere, so again this comment doesn't explain whether the issue is properly resolved or not.
If, as I suspect, you are relying on the same media reports as the rest of us, then you don't have any insight into what has been resolved, any more than the rest of us. Having lived on an island and having recently moved to one doesn't mean one knows what's going on now on Tory. I have lived on remote islands but don't profess to know which media reports are correct.

Of course transport is necessary to the island, just as it's necessary to the elderly in remote rural Ireland. It's the standard that's necessary that was the issue .
"Period" doesn't seal a discussion.

PRidley

Graces7 wrote: »

I did not say it was peaceful as such ; just ..normal for a small island. Put that number of folk on a small island....

I think you are wrong. Guards being called because someone on the boat leaving the island received a threat that he/she would be assaulted on the mainland isn’t, with respect, normal.

Graces7

PRidley wrote: »

I think you are wrong. Guards being called because someone on the boat leaving the island received a threat that he/she would be assaulted on the mainland isn’t, with respect, normal.

Normal for a small island I said, especially for Tory which is hardly a peacable community. There are feuds there. NB I was seeking a long term rental but heard too much.

We used to have police over to the north sea island all to often and not for incomers
None of which has any bearing on the transport issue of course. Which is what is at stake here.

Over and out perforce. Storm out here

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Graces7 wrote: »

Normal for a small island I said, especially for Tory which is hardly a peacable community. There are feuds there. NB I was seeking a long term rental but heard too much.

We used to have police over to the north sea island all to often and not for incomers
None of which has any bearing on the transport issue of course. Which is what is at stake here.

Over and out perforce. Storm out here

Now I'm totally confused.

Widdensushi

Graces7 wrote: »

Normal for a small island I said, especially for Tory which is hardly a peacable community. There are feuds there. NB I was seeking a long term rental but heard too much.

We used to have police over to the north sea island all to often and not for incomers
None of which has any bearing on the transport issue of course. Which is what is at stake here.

Over and out perforce. Storm out here

Are you Irish originally or did you move here from the UK?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Widdensushi wrote: »

Are you Irish originally or did you move here from the UK?

The latter, I believe.

josip

Widdensushi wrote: »

Are you Irish originally or did you move here from the UK?

Graces I think is originally from one of the Scottish islands and moved to Ireland some time ago.
A couple of years ago she lived atop a remote mountain in Cork and her reports were eagerly awaited in the weather forum during the multitude of storms that year.
She disappeared for a while only to resurface recently before the snows. She has relocated to an island off the west coast I think. She was welcomed back on Boards.
Graces has seen more vernal equinoxes than most of us here and as regards what it's like to live in an island/remote community I would believe everything she says.

(Mods please remove if any of this is in breach of any of that chartery stuff)

muffler

Graces7 wrote: »

Normal for a small island I said, especially for Tory which is hardly a peacable community. There are feuds there.

What a nasty thing to say. So, what first hand experience do you have of Tory Island to substantiate such ridiculous comments?

wexandproud

josip wrote: »

Graces I think is originally from one of the Scottish islands and moved to Ireland some time ago.
A couple of years ago she lived atop a remote mountain in Cork and her reports were eagerly awaited in the weather forum during the multitude of storms that year.
She disappeared for a while only to resurface recently before the snows. She has relocated to an island off the west coast I think. She was welcomed back on Boards.
Graces has seen more vernal equinoxes than most of us here and as regards what it's like to live in an island/remote community I would believe everything she says.

(Mods please remove if any of this is in breach of any of that chartery stuff)

it was never about believing anybody or not . It was about getting answers when questions were asked about the unsuitability of a boat . The longer the thread has gone on the more confusing the whole thing has got . Not one question answered , just more questions as to what is really going on up there

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

josip wrote: »

...
I would believe everything she says.

All we're getting is bland statements with no first hand knowledge of Tory whatever or of the recent developments that are getting contradictory media coverage. And one minute all is peaceful and agreed then she says they are unpeaceful and fueding. It's all hearsay.

wexandproud

Axton Thundering Ear wrote: »

All we're getting is bland statements with no first hand knowledge of Tory whatever or of the recent developments that are getting contradictory media coverage. And one minute all is peaceful and agreed then she says they are unpeaceful and fueding. It's all hearsay.

and more recently from someone who compares skippers of ferries to a guy steering a currach , A guy who if he is carrying passenger's is most likely operating illegally as i can't imagine the MSO giving a passenger licence to a currach

josip

Axton Thundering Ear wrote: »

All we're getting is bland statements with no first hand knowledge of Tory whatever or of the recent developments that are getting contradictory media coverage. And one minute all is peaceful and agreed then she says they are unpeaceful and fueding. It's all hearsay.

I'd prefer if you quoted a little more of my original sentence please so that it doesn't lose its context thanks.

...as regards what it's like to live in an island/remote community I would believe everything she says

Your comment about hearsay could equally be levelled at the poster whose entire posting history has been confined to this one thread.
I'm always curious about single thread prolific posters on boards.
Many of the other posters here are asking questions/commenting based on their maritime experience, experience of the islands, of Tory. They've dipped in and out.
But the most consistent poster on the thread seems to mainly ask questions.
I would be interested to know what's their motivation for this one issue.

Graces7

muffler wrote: »

What a nasty thing to say. So, what first hand experience do you have of Tory Island to substantiate such ridiculous comments?

Yes as I almost moved there. My sincere apologies if it sounded nasty as it was meant simply as fact. And not anything derogagatory .

It has all been in news items over the years, and I was strongly advised not to move there.

Graces7

wexandproud wrote: »

and more recently from someone who compares skippers of ferries to a guy steering a currach , A guy who if he is carrying passenger's is most likely operating illegally as i can't imagine the MSO giving a passenger licence to a currach

Not true. We have 2 licensed passenger operators here. All above board . NB the fast ferry to Tory is only a 12 seater.

We have the curragh, used here for ever, as the water is not deep enough at low tide for anything bigger and there are very powerful and hostile rip tide currents that need the nimbleness of this traditional and versatile craft . I was crossing one day and suddenly the rip current came out the ocean and surged under us. Awesome sight. The curragh is manoeuvrable and safe in expert hands

Graces7

josip wrote: »

Graces I think is originally from one of the Scottish islands and moved to Ireland some time ago.
A couple of years ago she lived atop a remote mountain in Cork and her reports were eagerly awaited in the weather forum during the multitude of storms that year.
She disappeared for a while only to resurface recently before the snows. She has relocated to an island off the west coast I think. She was welcomed back on Boards.
Graces has seen more vernal equinoxes than most of us here and as regards what it's like to live in an island/remote community I would believe everything she says.

(Mods please remove if any of this is in breach of any of that chartery stuff)

Thank you and totally correct! Except the mountain was in Kerry , which was where I would be blown off but before that, I was cut off in the
Donegal Blue Stacks for 6 weeks in the 2010 snows

I have a huge interest in and experience of our wonderful and lovely offhsore islands and explored almost all the West Coast ones before settling as I have retired from trading etc

Omey is fun ; but no rentals there. I really want to visit High Island nearby; another beehive hut site.

Island life is like no other.
I Missed it so much and am so thankful to be here.


About feuds? when you get a smallish number of varied people living on an island like that, it intensifies many things. It was one of the local drs who coined the phrase "storm in a teacup"

I lived many years on a small North Sea Island , about the same size and similar population as Tory. There were 2 families who hated each other. They mostly managed to cope, but occasionally there were "fireworks." Same as on Tory

It was a shame as I had good accommodation chosen;a lighthouse no less. But as someone quoted, they are not keen in incomers.

I am totally glad they got the transport issues sorted. It is not an easy life out there and they deserve reliable transport . There will be times in winter and indeed in any season these days when they will be cut off as we are.

Graces7

wexandproud wrote: »

it was never about believing anybody or not . It was about getting answers when questions were asked about the unsuitability of a boat . The longer the thread has gone on the more confusing the whole thing has got . Not one question answered , just more questions as to what is really going on up there

Actually I answered that as well as anyone could. Without the reports etc of the
boat. what I said was and stand by is that on this I would and do totally trust the islanders. They have no ax to grind, and after all they are the ones who will be using the boat. We will never know more than that and need not.It has been settled in time for Easter and the summer season that is so vital for the islanders

many posts were about thinking it is wrong to spend on the islands. I disagree; Tory still has a thriving and viable community and it is vital that that continues.

The news item re that was telling; the govt has made sure that no islander need travel on the 46 year old boat if they do not want to. Why,one asks?

It was enough for me that the islanders were not happy with the Queen of Aran . So am glad they have the fast ferry now, 12 seater. Would love to travel on it.

Graces7

josip wrote: »

I'd prefer if you quoted a little more of my original sentence please so that it doesn't lose its context thanks.



Your comment about hearsay could equally be levelled at the poster whose entire posting history has been confined to this one thread.
I'm always curious about single thread prolific posters on boards.
Many of the other posters here are asking questions/commenting based on their maritime experience, experience of the islands, of Tory. They've dipped in and out.
But the most consistent poster on the thread seems to mainly ask questions.
I would be interested to know what's their motivation for this one issue.

That is interesting.

Graces7

Widdensushi wrote: »

Are you Irish originally or did you move here from the UK?

A hybrid like almost all the world;from the UK but many years on a North Sea island ; will never live but in Ireland. Thankfully

Graces7

wexandproud wrote: »

a boat built to stick the worst weather up there , most people would not want to be aboard it in that weather

Reminds me of the North Sea. If the wind was bad they had to go all around the islands in high seas and it took hours.

Graces7

wexandproud wrote: »

it was never about believing anybody or not . It was about getting answers when questions were asked about the unsuitability of a boat . The longer the thread has gone on the more confusing the whole thing has got . Not one question answered , just more questions as to what is really going on up there

I just read the earlier pages o f this thread and all the issues re the problems re the boat are clearly explained there. Draft too deep as there are sandbanks, propellor design .
As the experienced islanders knew

So what this has all been about?

wexandproud

Graces7 wrote: »

I just read the earlier pages o f this thread and all the issues re the problems re the boat are clearly explained there. Draft too deep as there are sandbanks, propellor design .
As the experienced islanders knew

So what this has all been about?

maybe you should have taken the time to read the earlier pages sooner, then you would have known the questions that some posters on here have been keen to get answered but not one answer was given just ''the islanders know about boats ''. The fact of the matter is and i'm not going over the whole thing again , but as someone with over twenty years in the fishing industry i have never come across or even heard about a marine surveyor from tory .
A MARINE SURVEYOR is the only person qualified to say if the qua is fit for purpose and the fact that she is in service would say the boat is fine . Just because someone lives surrounded by water does not make them experts . I can go away tomorrow and buy what in my mind and experience is a perfect boat for what i want to do , but i will never get a licence until the marine survey office says the boat is fit for purpose and age has never been an issue .
would just add its ''alleged problems '' with the boat

jdeery08

its sad to hear what going on in the island at the minute, i suspect families will be leaving the island but not because of an unsafe boat. very hard to live somewhere where half the people are not talking to each other.
imo post 514 is fairly close to how things started but its gone way beyond that now. will take years to repair the damage .

Graces7

wexandproud wrote: »

Did you say something? Blank screen here. Ah well.

whisky_galore

jdeery08 wrote: »

its sad to hear what going on in the island at the minute, i suspect families will be leaving the island but not because of an unsafe boat. very hard to live somewhere where half the people are not talking to each other.
imo post 514 is fairly close to how things started but its gone way beyond that now. will take years to repair the damage .

I very much doubt it, you know how stubborn people are.

Graces7

jdeery08 wrote: »

its sad to hear what going on in the island at the minute, i suspect families will be leaving the island but not because of an unsafe boat. very hard to live somewhere where half the people are not talking to each other.
imo post 514 is fairly close to how things started but its gone way beyond that now. will take years to repair the damage .

Depends how they handle it and now the main cause has been settled so that no one needs lose face by using the older boat.. That was very wise and sensitive of the mediator. And on the verge of the busier season? Less time to spare.

Sleepy

Maybe if a few more of them leave, we can review the need to spend such an excessive amount of taxpayers money on an even smaller number of people?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Graces7 wrote: »

Depends how they handle it and now the main cause has been settled so that no one needs lose face by using the older boat.. That was very wise and sensitive of the mediator. And on the verge of the busier season? Less time to spare.

You have read that a large percentage of the population are not in the least happy with how the vote on the mediator recommendations was handles, haven't you?
It does not appear to be settled at all.

wexandproud

Sleepy wrote: »

Maybe if a few more of them leave, we can review the need to spend such an excessive amount of taxpayers money on an even smaller number of people?

while i have no problem in theory with people have a subsidized ferry service but i also believe that if the population drops to a really low level then it is perfectly acceptable if the ferry service be stopped and the rest of the people must also come to the mainland . I know there are people who will say plenty of other transport is subsidized and they would be right , but the powers at be cant be providers of all things to everybody

wexandproud

Axton Thundering Ear wrote: »

You have read that a large percentage of the population are not in the least happy with how the vote on the mediator recommendations was handles, haven't you?
It does not appear to be settled at all.

like i said before , there is i believe a lot more going on behind the scenes than we are being told and the 'queen of aran ' is just the scapegoat . After all the discussion on here i thought earlier i might have a ramble up that way this summer but i think as i learn more about the natives , i might review the plans .

wexie

wexandproud wrote: »

. After all the discussion on her i thought earlier i might have a ramble up that way this summer but i think as i learn more about the natives , i might review the plans .

Certainly doesn't sound like the kind of place where tourists are welcomed with open arms and hospitality

josip

wexie wrote: »

Certainly doesn't sound like the kind of place where tourists are welcomed with open arms and hospitality

We visited once on a bank holiday weekend 10-15 years ago.
We stayed in a B&B rather than the hotel. I think we wanted to get a better feel for life on the island.
For night life, Bean an Ti said we could go to the co-op if we wanted.
She said more of the locals go to the co-op and that the hotel has more tourists.
We stayed 2 nights. Absolutely loved the place.
The weather helped and let us walk all around the island.
You really felt in the middle of the Atlantic, different to the likes of Inisboffin or the Aran islands.
Bean an Ti was very friendly and chatted as much as we wanted to.
Going around the island everyone exchanged a Dia Dhuit.
All seemed genuine.
Every year I plan to go back but the distance means only a bank holiday works and it keeps slipping.
Go, you won't regret it.

ED E

josip wrote: »

We visited once on a bank holiday weekend 10-15 years ago.

...

Go, you won't regret it.

Not sure such a dated endorsement is of any value.

Graces7

here you go... bang up to date.

https://www.tripadvisor.ie/Attraction_Review-g186601-d269515-Reviews-Tory_Island-County_Donegal.html

Graces7

josip wrote: »

We visited once on a bank holiday weekend 10-15 years ago.
We stayed in a B&B rather than the hotel. I think we wanted to get a better feel for life on the island.
For night life, Bean an Ti said we could go to the co-op if we wanted.
She said more of the locals go to the co-op and that the hotel has more tourists.
We stayed 2 nights. Absolutely loved the place.
The weather helped and let us walk all around the island.
You really felt in the middle of the Atlantic, different to the likes of Inisboffin or the Aran islands.
Bean an Ti was very friendly and chatted as much as we wanted to.
Going around the island everyone exchanged a Dia Dhuit.
All seemed genuine.
Every year I plan to go back but the distance means only a bank holiday works and it keeps slipping.
Go, you won't regret it.

Please. go this year! From the most recent reviews,stlll as you knew it .

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Graces7 wrote: »

Please. go this year! From the most recent reviews,stlll as you knew it .

But what if one got caught up in the feud?

Graces7

Graces7 wrote: »

Please. go this year! From the most recent reviews,stlll as you knew it .

I might go just for the spin in the new ferry.

wexandproud

Graces7 wrote: »

here you go... bang up to date.

https://www.tripadvisor.ie/Attraction_Review-g186601-d269515-Reviews-Tory_Island-County_Donegal.html

had a quick scroll down through the reviews and to be fair most are very good but also a fair scattering of bad ones and in particular a few scathing ones about the ferry operator

jdeery08

Graces7 wrote: »

Depends how they handle it and now the main cause has been settled so that no one needs lose face by using the older boat.. That was very wise and sensitive of the mediator. And on the verge of the busier season? Less time to spare.

I don't see anything being settled. The ones that lost the vote are licking their wounds waiting for their next move. Two new groups set up to oppose the boat. Pressure being put on the co-op manager to resign.2 members have resigned, check youtube -save tory island, made up mostly of non residents according to a statment issued yesterday by the tory majority.
I can't see any of the people who opposed the QOA using the boat

PRidley

jdeery08 wrote: »

I don't see anything being settled. The ones that lost the vote are licking their wounds waiting for their next move. Two new groups set up to oppose the boat. Pressure being put on the co-op manager to resign.2 members have resigned, check youtube -save tory island, made up mostly of non residents according to a statment issued yesterday by the tory majority.
I can't see any of the people who opposed the QOA using the boat

In fairness to those who still oppose queen of Aran they have stood by their original stance. Those who voted for the compromise were opposing the Queen boat until last week. Nothing in the compromise makes the Queen boat any different. It’s not hard to see why those who lost would feel betrayed by their fellow islanders.

Atlantic Dawn

So did the Queen Of Aran run a service to the island today?

Graces7

http://donegalnews.com/2018/03/queen-of-aran-viewing-days-for-tory-island-community/

HeidiHeidi

Queen of Aran loading up this morning. Fine lump of a thing, although not a huge as i was expecting!

Graces7

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

Queen of Aran loading up this morning. Fine lump of a thing, although not a huge as i was expecting!

Odd as I was looking to see what was happening there last evening, Glad things have calmed down.

HeidiHeidi

No idea where the photo went

HeidiHeidi

Can't post pics as they're too big :mad:

Anyway, fast ferry came in first, it's a catamaran, went out at 8am and returned to Magheraroarty at 9.30am. Will head back out at 6 and return from Tory at 7pm.

Big ferry (Q of A) came in at about 10.30 to load up for departure at 11.30am. All the bulky stuff, food and gas bottles were being loaded onto the big one ( which as i said above wasn't at all a huge as I was expecting!)

I'm hoping to get out for a visit over the summer.

Graces7

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

Can't post pics as they're too big :mad:

Anyway, fast ferry came in first, it's a catamaran, went out at 8am and returned to Magheraroarty at 9.30am. Will head back out at 6 and return from Tory at 7pm.

Big ferry (Q of A) came in at about 10.30 to load up for departure at 11.30am. All the bulky stuff, food and gas bottles were being loaded onto the big one ( which as i said above wasn't at all a huge as I was expecting!)

I'm hoping to get out for a visit over the summer.

Sounds a good way to do this, ;would love to do that sail

ED E

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

Can't post pics as they're too big :mad:

Post images to imgur.com and then link them here.

Atlantic Dawn

I see Tormór is up for sale, ad in this months Marine Times.