‘Life on Rathlin has been surreal during this lockdown’

Beautiful, barren, and sparsely populated. Social distancing comes easily on Rathlin, the boot-shaped island that lies six miles north of Ballycastle across the Sea of Moyle.

Mile after mile of this windswept craggy island can be strolled without encountering another living soul - when the tourists aren’t around, at least.

For those in need of a little solitude, it’s perfect; for a populace determined to keep a pandemic at bay, it’s even better.

As coronavirus wreaked havoc across the globe, Rathlin’s offshore community acted fast to insulate themselves, halting ferry arrivals for all but the most essential travellers. The strategy has worked: there have been no cases of Covid-19 among its 150 residents.

Now, as restrictions are being eased in Northern Ireland and across the UK, the islanders are taking stock of the last few weeks and wondering what the future will look like for them.

Michael Cecil, 49, who has lived on Rathlin since he was three-years-old, described the last couple of months as ‘surreal’.

‘‘Once we got over the first two or three weeks with no traffic back and forward to the island, we were pretty secure there was no virus here. You could go to the beach and people’s gardens or meet each other on the road, without much of a risk. People enjoyed that and it was March and April when we generally wouldn’t have been that busy with tourism anyway.’’

But Michael, a ferry skipper and current chair of the Rathlin Development Community Association, said it has been a different story in May and June - months when the island would normally have welcomed hundreds of tourists every day.

‘‘It is surreal on the island, because now that we have opened up again to limited traffic, people are enforcing all those social distancing measures, they are staying in their houses, so the island is extremely quiet - quieter than I can ever remember it.

‘‘In weather like this we would expect 400-500 visitors a day and it’s just not here. It’s strange and some people are quite happy with it because they are enjoying nature and enjoying the island as it should be. But then, anyone who is in tourism is finding it hard financially. A lot of people aren’t working, although thankfully there’s been support through the furlough scheme.’’

Rathlin closed to tourists on March 23, and when it re-opens is still under review, but it is believed it will happen sooner, rather than later.

According to Michael, attitudes to re-opening are divided.

‘‘There are polar opposites - people enjoying the quietness and then there are people who don’t enjoy it because of separation and isolation, It’s not been idyllic for everybody.

‘‘There were families that were separated, some people had ended up marooned on the mainland. There were people trying to run businesses and people building houses and finding it extremely difficult.

‘‘The ferry company and ourselves, as a community group, found it was increasingly difficult to try and make a decision on a day-to-day basis on whether an individual should or shouldn’t be able to travel, because everyone had their case to make or had their own reasons. On an island with such a small population, that can get very personal.’’

Michael said it has been particularly difficult for older residents.

‘‘There are quite a few elderly people on the island who live alone. A lot of people would have immediate and extended family on the mainland.’’

Getting supplies has been a challenge at times too.

‘‘Groceries are difficult because most times you would go and get your own provisions or order them online,’’ said Michael.

‘‘Both of those things are nearly impossible at the minute. Asda and Tesco will deliver to the ferry terminal in Ballycastle, but slots for deliveries are about three weeks in advance. This means more people are shopping locally through our little local shop, which has stayed open throughout, so that has been good for them.’’

He added: ‘‘The pub has been closed, which would be a social centre on the island. People are getting a bit fed up with that.’’

Rathlin’s two major events have also been cancelled this year - the week-long festival in mid July and the regatta in late August.

But, on the plus side, residents are enjoying their natural environment.

Rathlin has always been a magnet for nature lovers. The viewpoint at the western lighthouse provides wonderful views of Northern Ireland’s largest colony of seabirds. The cute seals, which drape over rocks, are a big draw for children on the many school trips which visit the island every May and June.

During lockdown, Michael said nature has ‘‘exploded’’.

‘‘Whether that’s the weather, lack of pollution or lack of tourism, we don’t know. Grass verges aren’t being cut so there’s a lot of wildflowers.

‘‘We have quite a big population of Irish hares on the island. In the last few weeks they seem to have taken to exploring the roads, which they would never normally do and they were on the beach last week - nobody has ever seen that.

‘‘The seals have stayed at the harbour, which they never normally do. They usually re-locate in the summer months, but they have just stayed there because they’ve not been disturbed or photographed.’’

And as for the famous puffins, the are ‘‘just getting on with life’’.

‘‘They are probably wondering where everybody is and what they’ve done wrong,’’ laughed Michael.

Noel McCurdy is Rathlin’s postman and also looks after two of the lighthouses.

He described the weeks in lockdown as ‘‘heaven’’, but recognises it has been a challenging time for the island’s businesses.

‘‘A lot of elderly people I would speak to on my rounds are happy that we have escaped the virus and are quite happy that we stay in lockdown.

‘‘We were able to go out for a walk and you didn’t see anybody. It was great. You would see a lot of orchids growing along the roadside. Sometimes the tourists would have picked them, which you aren’t supposed to do.

‘‘But I know the businesses on the island have missed the tourists, because it’s their livelihood, so I can understand them wanting the tourists back.’’

Noel believes there will be a surge in daytrippers to the island when lockdown is lifted.

‘‘I think a lot of people will not necessarily want to travel abroad. The North Coast will do well out of it. I’ve no doubt we will recover.’’