EVERY baby that is born on Bere Island gets a special gift of a crochet blanket from Catherine Sullivan, who is the full-time community nurse on the island.
Anyone who has ever been the lucky recipient of this beautiful handcrafted item, either for themselves, or for their baby, will know what a treasured gift it is.
Crochet blankets often become family heirlooms, getting handed down through the years to keep each new baby who comes along warm and cosy.
A proud Bere Island woman through and through, Catherine is very much aware of continuity, heritage, and a sense of place. Her husband Gerard is also from Bere, and it is where they raised their three children, Brian, Mark and Lena who are now adults. Lena is currently in New Zealand, following in the footsteps of her mother by working as a nurse.
Catherine Sullivan , district nurse at the health centre on Bere Island in West Cork. Picture: Eddie O’Hare
As the island nurse for the past 30 years, Catherine is the first port of call when there is any situation that requires medical attention.
“I trained in Cork and any time I had a few days off, I would come home to the island,” she said. “There was a certain turn in the road when I was on the approach, and every time I got to that point I’d let out a sigh – nearly home, I was always happy to be back on Bere. I think there’s a lot to be said for love of place, the grass is not always greener.”
Catherine’s is the friendly face that many of the older island residents greet as she makes her regular morning rounds to their homes to attend to their medical needs, such as having their dressings changed, but above and beyond, and most vital to them, is the bit of chat and cheer.
Catherine Sullivan has lived on Bere Island all her life, except when she was doing her training.
If people are approaching end of life then having Catherine there, as well as care assistant Ann Marie Harrington, ensures the islanders have the comfort of being able to stay in their own homes right up to the end.
“We have around 200 full time residents and of course our population increases during the summer months,” explained Catherine.
“When I put my scrubs on in the morning, I am in work mode. My official working hours are nine to five from Monday to Friday, but of course I am on call if there is any emergency to deal with.
“I have my work phone on me, and if I am in an area where I don’t have good phone coverage, then I have the Tetra, which is a global land mobile radio.
Near the ferry port.
“We have a very god relationship with the local GPs and the lifeboat, and we are lucky that our ferries are island-based. The guys who work on the ferries are just fantastic, they are always quick to respond to any need.
“We are very much a community here on Bere island, we all pull together, working in tandem with each other, and we are always concerned for the welfare of one another, so it makes the island a very secure place to live.”
Since 2003, there is a health centre in the old Presbytery, before that Catherine was working out of her own house, as was her predecessor.
“ I’m lucky as the centre is literally a kilometre from my front door. I have a clinic there between two and three if anybody needs to have any medical issue checked out, such as a rash looked at, or a pain to report, or to take a look at a child if there is any concern. I then decide if the issue needs further medical attention, and if so, then at that point I would refer the patient to see the doctor on the mainland.
“Our expectant and new mothers on the island need a bit of ‘mammying’ themselves, and we are always happy to welcome new babies to the island. As well as a new baby on the island being a very joyful occurrence, it is also vital to keep our population up and our school open. We currently have around 20 children in the little primary school.
At the health centre.
“I am not a midwife, and the island women, myself included when I was having my own babies, know the value of advance planning so that mother can get to the hospital in Cork in time to ensure the safe delivery of her baby.”
Catherine said planning everything in advance is the way of life on Bere Island.
“We all keep chest freezers and I do my shopping once a week, no such thing as hopping out for something you forget. When I go on a trip out to Cork, I have a list as long as my arm.”
She is worried for the future however.
“One thing that really concerns me is that there is nobody being trained up to replace my role as nurse on the island when I retire. Even for my own part, I would love to know that there is a nurse on the island to attend to my own needs when I get older, so that is something that I really wish could be addressed.
“Even considering the cold reality of economics, it makes way more financial sense to have people stay in their own island homes rather than in hospital on the mainland when their time comes.”
Catherine says she fears for the future of her role, as nobody is currently being trained up to take over.
Catherine said the other big issue on the island is the lack of housing.
“The situation is really dire for people such as newlyweds who want to live on the island. It’s really difficult to get planning permission and this situation really affects the future sustainability of island life. Even if people are approved for a mortgage, they then will face the challenge of obtaining planning permission to build a home. Young people are being priced out and it is such a shame.
“At the same time, the island is awash with holiday homes which are only being used for a couple of weeks in the year. I recently counted the number of occupied houses in one townland, and out of 50 houses, only four were occupied all year round.
“It’s such a shame as it’s a beautiful and safe place to bring up children.”
Catherine recalls her own youth.
“I had a very happy childhood here on Bere Island and have wonderful memories of picking periwinkles and sea urchins on the beach.
“These days, I bring my own two grandsons, who are eight and nine, to the beach to enjoy picking them just as I used to as a child.
“When we were young, depending on your age, you had to fill your bucket, playing for hours amongst the rock pools searching for your bounty.
“I had a fabulous childhood. I grew up on a small farm here with my late parents Leo and Brenda, and we spent a lot of time with our parents because they were working from home.
“We had a small farm with chickens and turkeys and we had six cows, and my parents always grew their own vegetables, which I also still do myself.
“Nobody ever had to lock their doors, there was no need, and it’s still a place where people watch out for one another, and especially for the children.
Catherine works 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday, but of course can be called upon at any time if there is an emergency.
“When we were kids, if you were doing something naughty then you could be sure to be scolded by a neighbour if you were caught.
“The expression ‘It takes a village to raise a child’ really applies to Bere Island, because that is exactly what happens here, it’s like having lots of extra grandparents around the place.
“Children can enjoy being children here with all the freedom the island affords, and being surrounded by the beauty of the natural world, it’s a really lovely place to raise them.”
Catherine said the women of the island are supportive of each other too.
“There’s great solidarity amongst the women of the island too. We all help each other, but at the same time we are not living in one another’s pockets either.
“There’s a very active women’s group on the island too where we share skills. I teach crochet and spinning. I have three spinning wheels and really enjoy it. When it’s going well, it can be very meditative. My brother-in-law has sheep, so I wash, spin and card the wool.
“My mother would have done a lot of knitting and it’s great to share these skills with one another and to keep them going. I remember one of my grandmothers spinning long ago, but I taught myself.
“Some of the other women on the island also share their talents with ceramics and printing and other skills too. There’s no shortage of things to do here.
“We also have a park run every Saturday at 9.30am, there is a special ferry laid on for it. You go at your own pace and it’s really sociable, you can walk or run, whatever suits you, and afterwards we have a cup of tea or coffee together. We welcome anyone who wants to join us.
“Being an islander means being very resourceful, but also having a strong sense of community as we depend on one another. We all make our own happiness and I’m proud to come from such a great place with such fantastic people.”
