Stories from the Rathlin Shore
"Everything was made, or it was grown. You had to be self-sufficient"
Marina McMullan
These stories were recorded by the Rathlin Island Oral History Group. Click on images above to hear our stories
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Information & Acknowledgements
Information & Acknowledgements
The oral history material shared here was collected by the Rathlin Island Oral History Group in 2019 and 2024. The Rathlin Island Oral History Group have worked with the Future Island-Island project to share these stories which demonstrate the resilience and self-reliance of the Rathlin community. Future Island-Island is an AHRC funded project that brings together community members, academics, and practitioners to co-create design-led research for a greener, more sustainable Northern Ireland.
To learn more about the Future Island-Island project click here: https://www.futureisland-island.org/ Copyright for the stories and recordings resides with the Rathlin Development and Community Association, and with the Causeway Coast and Glens Museums Service who funded the original oral history work undertaken by the Rathlin Island Oral History Group in 2019.
The photographs of the individuals who are sharing their stories and memories were taken by photographer Tom McDonnell, who lives on Rathlin Island. They have been formatted by the Future Island-Island project as part of the website design. The website design was undertaken by Yellow Design, a project partner in the Future Island-Island project. Guidance on the typefaces and icons that are used on the website was provided by Terry Quigley (Ulster University/Future Island-Island Project). The photograph of Ushet Port was taken by Sarah Dargie (Ulster University/Future Island-Island). The scanned images of Rathlin artefacts were undertaken by Dr Henry Melkie (Ulster University/Future Island-Island Project). Thank you to those that allowed their artefacts to be scanned for this project (Peggy McFaul, Jim McFaul, and the Boathouse Visitor Centre, Rathlin Island). Finally, thank you to the Rathlin Island Oral History Group for being a partner in this work and sharing the stories they have collected and to those who gave interviews with the Group and shared their stories and memories. The way the island community has adapted to their situation shows how people can respond to their surroundings. Their experience could stimulate other communities and individuals to think about how they deal with climate change, protect the environment, and design for a greener future.