from Camille Dressler

Ireland were the hosts of this year’s ESIN AGM and Conference held on Bere Island, Co. Cork. Even Storm Agnes could not stop islanders from traveling from across Europe from Croatia to the Faroes as well as the Irish islands to attend the gathering on the west coast island as it was battered by high wind and tides. The event was hosted by John Walsh from Bere Island and aided by Aisling Moran (Chair, Comhdháil Oileáin na hÉireann/Irish Islands Federation), Ivan Matić (Island Movement, Croatia) and Mairtin O ‘Méalóid from Cape Clear.

Islanders spent a few days catching up and reflecting on the issues particular to all the smaller islands, whilst also discovering Bere’s rich cultural heritage. Local historians Ted O’ Sullivan and Barry Hanley provided interesting guided tours while the Bere Bakehouse and the Bere island Hotel served the delegates tasty local cuisine.

Central to the conference were presentations on challenges across the islands as well as within ESIN itself. Discussions and a workshop on strategic planning were held, creating a shared vision and identifying the 5 top issues for the organisation’s members.

Energy self-reliance and greener ferries were high on the agenda, as were the benefits for the islands in taking part in the “30 islands for 2030” Clean Energy 4 EU islands programme.

How to retain a stable population and ensure young people have a chance to stay or return to island homes was equally high. “We have too many ‘dark islands’ in the winter”, said Anette Larm Johansson from the Swedish delegation, “where there are hardly any year-round residents, due to the growing number of holiday-homes. Housing has now become our number one issue. “

This was why it was so important to hear about the Irish Island Policy by Bríd Ní Chonghaile and Aodán Mac An Mhíle, senior officials at the Department of Rural & Community Development who part-funded the event. The “Our Living Islands Action Plan 2023-33” places a high importance on “Smart, Sustainable, island Futures,” with a suite of actions to enable people to live and thrive on their islands.

The session on the Blue Economy was spot on in addressing the requirement of education tailored to the islanders’ needs. The Cork Education and Training Board presented their innovative island training programme where training is taken to the islands rather than the other way around, including a new modular micro credentials accreditation scheme, allowing apprenticeship to capture the older generations’ knowledge.

The “Strategic Plan for a Maritime Training Centre” presented by consultant Laura Foley was equally inspiring, showing how a fair and just transition can be planned through re-skilling and upskilling existing maritime competency, and adapted for the renewable industry through cluster collaboration rather than competition. Local enterprises, Bere Island Boatyard and Atlantic Towage & Marine provided compelling illustrations of the way islands can be at the heart of the Blue Economy. Island “Entrepreneurship is in our DNA” remarked Gerard Sullivan of Bere Island Boatyards. “But we have lost a lot of our young people to the city and US tech. We need to turn this round: training needs to be spread to all in the community: it has to be worth something to all members of the community! Unlike tourism where the benefits only go to a few”.

Post Covid, the islands are certainly more attractive than ever, but unsustainable tourism is increasingly detrimental to their future. To identify and measure all the actions that can support people to live full-time on islands, the delegates discussed how the Habitability planning methodology developed on the island of Kökar on Åland could be used more widely. The session on this topic identified the Interreg Europe 4-year programme as the best way to introduce Habitability planning to a number of ESIN federations as the most effective way to describe the small islands’ challenges and opportunities across Europe.

The delegates concluded this productive and stimulating conference and AGM with a great social evening at the island’s pub, where local musicians gave them the opportunity to try a bit of Irish ceili dancing with a demonstration of the Siege of Ennis in which everyone joined in.

Sincere thanks were extended to John Walsh for his chairmanship over the years. John has moved on to a new job on Bere Island and is now being replaced at the head of ESIN by Sten-Åke Persson from Sweden. “I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with ESIN,” said John, “We have such a strong board, really cohesive, with everyone one working hard on a voluntary basis to make things happen. I wish ESIN the very best and I was especially happy that for this event, we were able to welcome Olga and Normu all the way from Faroes! Together we can certainly be stronger!” John will continue to be involved with ESIN’s energy working group as well as island energy transition issues. He is currently working on an application for Bere and other Cork islands to be part of the 30 islands for 2030.

The AGM and Conference were supported by Comhdháil Oileáin na hÉireann/Irish Islands Federation) and the Department of Rural and Community Development as well as Údarás na Gaeltachta.