Life on Tory Island

When I first came to Ireland, I thought that the town I lived in was the most boring place in the world. There were no shopping malls, though there were a few retails parks but they were nothing like the sensory overload that the big city was. I was thinking how I would last in a place like that. When I visited Tory Island, I found a whole new meaning to the word “remote”. Tory Island is an island 45 minute ferry to the north of county Donegal. The rough waters of the Atlantic would discourage all but the most hardy people to cross this stretch of water. This is mostly an agricultural village. There are also fisherfolk here but you can see that most people would be living off the land. There are people who cater to the tourism industry but with very temperamental weather it would be difficult to rely on that as the primary source of income.

One could look at Tory Island as a trip back in time. This is probably how Ireland was before it developed. It is nice to be able to visit a place that still clings on to the traditional way of living. Sure there is internet now but you would be hard pressed to find modern structures.The pace of life is much slower here. I don’t know if that makes Tory Island a good vacation destination but the environment seems to be provide inspiration to the local community of artists. The practice a form of art call primitive art. As the name implies, the style is quite primitive or basic. I can’t say I’m a fan after seeing it. The current king of Tory is a primitive artist and is one of its leading proponents.

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