Book Synopsis

The Blow-Ins of Inbhear Scéine is a collection of conversations, memories, and reflections from people who have found themselves drawn to one small corner of Ireland and chose to stay.

Set against the landscapes of the Kenmare Bay region, this intimate collection of interviews explores what it means to belong, to arrive somewhere new, and to build a life within a rural Irish community. Through honest, thoughtful, and often unexpected conversations, the book captures stories of migration, creativity, identity, tradition, and connection.

From artists and entrepreneurs to returning emigrants, newcomers, and long-time locals, each voice offers a different perspective on life at the edge of the Atlantic, and on the quiet transformations happening within rural Ireland today.

Blending oral history, documentary storytelling, and a deep sense of place, The Blow-Ins of Inbhear Scéine is both a portrait of a community and a reflection on modern Irish life.

Ideal for readers who:

• Enjoy Irish storytelling rooted in place, memory, and community.

• Are interested in rural Ireland, identity, migration, and belonging.

• Love interview collections, oral histories, and documentary-style writing.

• Feel connected to the changing cultural landscape of Ireland.

• Appreciate reflective, human-centred stories told with warmth and honesty.

• Have ever arrived somewhere new and slowly made it home.

The ‘Inbhear Scéine’ (a synonym for Kenmare Bay) is described in the 12th-century Irish manuscript Lebor Gabála Érenn as the landing place of the Milesians- a mythological group said to be of Iberian and Egyptian heritage. 

The Milesians, Kerry’s first blow-ins, are said to have arrived in the Inbhear Scéine around 3000 years ago. 

During an incantation of the ancient Irish poem ‘Song of Amergin’ by the druid Amergin, who is said to have named Ireland/Éire during a deal with the indigenous Goddess Ériu. 

The Milesians are said to be the ancestors of the Gaels, and many clans (for example, O’Sullivan) are said to be their direct descendants. The Inbhear Scéine has seen many subsequent waves of blow-ins who have rooted themselves in our local community

‘Blow-ins of the Inbhear Scéine’, which is proudly based in Sneem, is a project that aims to promote shared pride of place and culture amongst ‘blow-in’ and local communities living on the Inbhear Scéine.

This project is supported by The Integration Fund.

ISBN: 978-1-917871-44-0

Format: Hardback

Publisher: Lettertec 

Launch date: 23 October 2026

Number of Pages: 250

Language: English

Dimensions: 234 x 150 mm

Cover Art by: Selkies

Illustrations within: Sadhbh McCarthy