There is something magical about the notion of a king on a small isolated island. Few would look at the ruins on the Great Blasket and imagine a king had lived there. Yet the King was a very forceful presence on this island. The last was Pádraig Ó Catháin, ‘Peats Mhicí,’ who served for about twenty-five years until his death in 1929.

To islanders, he was arguably the most important citizen and was the central figure on the island during its literary flowering. He helped islanders navigate through life and national and world events such as the 1916 Rising and The Great War. He collaborated with the other ‘elders’ in planning the transfer of ownership of the island from the Earl of Cork to the Congested Districts Board in 1907 and, in turn, to the islanders themselves.

They also participated in the reorganisation of the field system between 1907 and 1917. This is the first account of his extraordinary life, written in collaboration with the King’s descendants in the USA and Ireland. It tells of the very special, unique man, his many contributions to the island and his extended legacy.