Kildare woman pens book about life on Blasket Island

A new memoir by a Kildare-based author is set to be published this April, telling the story of life as a caretaker on one of Ireland’s most remote islands.

Blasket Bound: Memoirs of an Island Caretaker, written by Lesley Bond, will be released on April 23, 2026, in paperback format. The book chronicles Bond’s experience living on the Great Blasket Island off the coast of Kerry.

Bond, who lives in Kildare with her husband and son, moved to the island after her husband was offered a six-month caretaker residency. With no electricity, hot water, or modern conveniences, daily life was vastly different from the mainland.

The memoir explores not only the challenges of island living, but also the rich history of the Blaskets and the legacy of the island’s former inhabitants, many of whom were forced to leave in the 1950s.

According to the publisher, the book blends personal reflection with historical context, showing how the past continues to shape life on the island today.

The 272-page book will be published by Gill Books and will retail at €18.99.

Blasket Bound is Bond’s first book, and it draws on her background in creative writing, with a focus on Ireland’s island heritage and cultural history.

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