The remaining residents of the Blasket Islands, off the coast of Kerry, were evacuated on this day in 1953. Today the Blasket Islands are uninhabited but tourists still visit. Because the islands were so isolated and extreme weather made passage to the mainland possible less than half the year, the population began to dwindle. By the time of the evacuation in 1953, there were no more young women on the islands. After a Blasket islander died due to lack of medical attention, the Irish government sought to protect the remaining residents via evacuation.
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