Even if I had heard about the island and been briefed on the particulars of it's existence, another person's words cannot encapsulate the sheer power and presence that resides on the island. One has to experience it for him or her self, and as I look back on yesterday's journey, I am fortunate I was able to do so.
Yet, these remarks are all said in hindsight. Surely before I stepped onto the island, I did not fully appreciate its simplicity and beauty. First of all, it is only reachable by the way of Ferry, and a 45+/-minute one at that. The rocking experience in the boat, battling both fierce waves and winds, made it a struggle just to get proper footing and balance. The sea-sickening experience alone may have been enough of a reason for many to opt out of a visit to the island, but as a group, we all kept our reflexes in check and enjoyed the scenery.
Once we stepped foot onto the island, I have to admit, I wasn't all too impressed with what I saw. I guess I did have some expectations; I mean, the island has a king, so that in and of itself makes it safe to expect a certain sense of grandeur. What I saw, however, resembled a sparsely settled town, with one main street, and little organization and purpose to its design. It is entirely self-sufficient in most ways, and when it cannot be, materials and supplies are shipped there.
If you think about William Hazlitt famous quote, that "first impressions are often the truest..," fortunately, after spending time on this island and experiencing all it has to offer, you see that Hazlitt's quote certainly does not apply to Tory Island. After a short hike of the island, I came to see that what the island lacks in industrialized habitation, it more than makes up for in stunning natural, untainted beauty. Just a short 20 minute hike up a roughly paved path and you come to the island's mountainous cliffs, the edges of which end so abruptly that with one wrong step a person could easily plunge hundreds of feet into the rocky ocean, albeit crystal-blue and breathtakingly beautiful. The scene was so powerful; it could nearly take one's breath away.
Yet all that is good must come to an end, and our day on Tory Island closed with another rocky boat trip back to the mainland of Ireland. Some critics I have researched on the island are not wrong when they say there is not much of anything to do on Tory Island; there isn't in terms of busy games or activities. But I do not think those people give it the credit it deserves. One has to be able to appreciate raw, natural beauty it possesses. A few hours on Tory Island is sure to change a person and give him or her some perspective. It is a place rich in long-standing culture and tradition, and for that, along with the natural beauty of the place, it is a place that I would encourage any person fortunate to have the means and resources to visit and support.
JANINE
