A remote Irish island is looking for 2 people to run its guesthouses this summer — but the managers say it isn't an easy holiday job

17.01.2024 - 09:01 / insider.com

The managers of guesthouses on a remote island in Ireland are looking for two people to take over for the summer.

Billy O'Connor and Alice Hayes told Business Insider that their company, The Great Blasket Island Experience, is hiring two caretakers to run their operations on Great Blasket Island from April 1 to October 1. It's the only time of the year when the weather is mild enough for people to travel there. They will stop accepting applications on Thursday.

The couple's company offers tours and accommodation on the Great Blasket Island. The Blasket Islands are part of an archipelago of seven islands off Ireland's southwestern coast. The Great Blasket Island is the largest.

The four-mile-long, two-mile-wide island is famed for being home to a large colony of grey seals and towering coves where visitors can gain a panoramic view of the Atlantic Ocean. The couple estimated that some 10,000 people visit the island every year. BI could not independently verify the number of tourists that visit.

The Great Blasket Island was home to a small fishing community until residents were evacuated to mainland Ireland in 1953, according to The Irish Times. Extreme weather conditions made it difficult for the community to continue living on the island, and no permanent residents now live on the island.

O'Connor's grandfather and granduncle purchased five cottages on the island and renovated them in the 1970s, the couple told BI. Since 2014, the couple has been running tours and guesthouses on the island.

The four refurbished cottages the caretakers operate are painted white and have black tiled roofs. The nightly rates start from 130 euros, or $141, per person.

The caretakers' jobs will include checking guests in, serving tea and coffee to visitors, cleaning the cottages, and getting them ready for the next guests, The Great Blasket Island Experience shared in a job post and followed up in a post on X on January 10.

"We are looking for hardworking, responsible and trustworthy duo that have great people skills and initiative. Please be aware this is not a holiday job. The season can get VERY busy and you will be on your feet for most of the day," the company wrote.

As for accommodation, caretakers are provided the main bedroom above the coffee shop, and all meals will be provided, per the job post. But things like alcohol, toiletries, and travel expenses are to be covered by the caretakers.

The couple declined to share with BI how much the caretakers would be paid for working on the island.

Competition for the role is fierce, the couple told BI.

"The first year we advertised the caretakers' role we received Approx 40,000 application emails," the couple said, adding that they first advertised the role in 2019. BI