Falklands proudly proclaims its West Cork links

A SKIBBEREEN-based woman who is currently working in the Falklands has discovered a number of links with her native West Cork.

Julie Connolly was surprised to find out that, despite the distance, both historic and contemporary connections exist between the beautiful islands of the Falklands and home.

Julie is teaching in the Falklands and by chance she came upon an exhibit in the historic Dockyard Museum in Stanley all about the ‘Ilen’ auxiliary ketch, built at the Baltimore Fishery School.

‘Sailor Conor O’Brien, having stopped in Stanley during his circumnavigation in the Saoirse yacht in 1924, took responsibility for sailing the Ilen to the Falklands,’ said Julie.

‘He was supported by a crew from Cape Clear Island, cousins Denis and Con Cadogan. The Ilen served as a working boat in the Falklands for 60 years before its return to Ireland in 1998 and subsequent restoration.’

It is also said locally that several daughters of Falklanders were named Eileen, in recognition of the boat, Julie added.

‘It’s really interesting to discover how West Cork projects, such as the Ilen boat, made a positive difference to people’s lives here,’ she said.

The museum also features exhibits which detail the expeditions of the Antarctic adventurers, including Sir Ernest Shackleton – known as ‘The Boss’ – and Kerryman Tom Crean.

‘Like West Cork, the Falkland Islands is home to a gin distillery – Falkland Islands Distillers, founded in 2016. The range includes small batch gins that incorporate traditional botanical ingredients and local distinctive flora, including teaberries, diddle-dee berries and scurvy grass. These ingredients have an important historical context because, in 1833, Charles Darwin arrived in the Falkland Islands and collected them as samples,’ said Julie.

St Mary’s Catholic Church, in central Stanley, also includes a painting of St Patrick, and many Irish chaplains have served the Falkland Islands Catholic community throughout the 1800s and 1900s.

Originally from the UK, Julie is a science teacher who moved to Skibbereen a few years ago, having seen the area on the Graham Norton show on television.