New nurse on inishturk just what the doctor ordered

The 60 or so residents of a Mayo island are celebrating the appointment – after a worrying six-month delay – of a new nurse, writes Tom Shiel.

Maggie Young, formerly from Gweedore, Co. Donegal, but living in Bath, England, as a community nurse for the past 15 years, has arrived on Inishturk with her husband, Stephen.

The island has been without a resident nurse since last September when the diligent Helen Heanue, who held the post for some 30 years, retired.

Despite the exceedingly windy weather in recent days, the Youngs are delighted with their new offshore home.

“We have been given such a welcome,” Maggie explained. “The island is absolutely beautiful, even in the wildest of weather. We are looking forward very much to living here.”

Stephen, an avid kayaker, is looking forward to testing his nautical skills around the island's many bays and headlands.

The couple have two grown up girls, aged 22 and 20, and are looking forward to them coming over for a visit during the summer.

Island development officer Mary Catherine Heanue says the appointment of Maggie Young as island nurse by the HSE is a great comfort to islanders.

The delay in filling the vacant medical post on Inisturk had been criticised by the Comhdháil Oileáin na hÉireann (the Irish Islands Federation).

Throughout the winter, the Federation had been lobbying for the position, as well as other community nurse vacancies on offshore islands, to be filled as a matter of urgency.

Maggie and Stephen's arrival, however, means more to islanders than just the local availability of nursing care.

“It's great to have two extra people living on the island because the population has been declining in recent years,” Mary Catherine declared.