Máirtín Chóilín Choilmín Seoighe is the last living inhabitant of Inish Barra, Connemara

Connemara

Connemara is a district in the west of Ireland consisting of a broad peninsula between Killary Harbour and Kilkieran Bay in the west of County Galway.-Overview:...

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Seoighe is the great-grandson of Patrick Joyce

Patrick Joyce

Patrick Joyce is a British social historian, who has also worked on political history. He is also known for his theoretical work on the nature of history, especially on the relationship between history and the social sciences...

 of Mhám Toirc (see Maumturks

Maumturks

Na Sléibhte Mhám Toirc are a picturesque mountain range in Connemara in the west of Ireland. They are less well known than their more famous neighbours, the Twelve Bens on the other side of the Inagh Valley...

), who was the first of the family to live on the island. At that time, there were forty-two families on Inish Barra. By 1966, there were only three.

Seoighe was one of eleven children, and emigrated to England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 at the age of 18. He spent the next fourteen years between there and Inish Barra. He eventually returned, and took over the family farm, for a time building curragh

Curragh

The Curragh is a flat open plain of almost 5,000 acres of common land in County Kildare, Ireland, between Newbridge and Kildare. This area is well-known for Irish horse breeding and training. The Irish National Stud is located on the edge of Kildare town, beside the famous Japanese Gardens. Also...

s. As of 2001, he was the last inhabitant of the island.