Mary Cecil
Mother and grandmother of a large family, living on Rathlin Island, which lies seven miles from the coast of County Antrim , Northern Ireland. (pop.120)
I was born in Glasgow and came to Rathlin Island in my early twenties,to connect with my grandfather's birthplace . This became my home where I married and settled down, and where over my lifetime, came to know island life from the perspective of an outsider, a city woman who experienced at first hand the deprivation of island life but I loved the indomitable will of the islanders to survive, and the ancient enchantment of a culture rich in history and traditions which are unique in the history of Northern Ireland.
Career
Established Rathlin Island's International Dive Centre (1991-1997)along with my husband, the famous islander Tommy Cecil (Author 'Harsh Winds of Rathlin', diver, historian and campaigner) Brought divers to the island from all over the world, to explore the rich and diverse waters around it's shores,with it's amazing clarity of waters, abundant sea life and shipwrecks. Tommy died exploring the shipwreck The Tuscania, in 1997 and sadly I had to leave the island for the support of my younger children until I returned in 2013 .
During those difficult years living away from the island, although we survived and I had a varied career in managing tourist facilities,and even enjoyed the privilege for a few years of a Public Appointment on a Criminal Aid Board, I longed and pined to return. This longing eventually expressed itself when I took up writing poetry, and allowed me to share my love for all things Rathlin ,the results which you see today.
I feel my poetry has developed a great deal since those early days and expanded into spiritual areas. I also have an increasing passion for war protest and the mythical legends of Rathlin to help retain it's ancient culture and promote the vast wealth of it's uniqueness to a wider public.
The Island
Mother and grandmother of a large family, living on Rathlin Island, which lies seven miles from the coast of County Antrim , Northern Ireland. (pop.120)
I was born in Glasgow and came to Rathlin Island in my early twenties,to connect with my grandfather's birthplace . This became my home where I married and settled down, and where over my lifetime, came to know island life from the perspective of an outsider, a city woman who experienced at first hand the deprivation of island life but I loved the indomitable will of the islanders to survive, and the ancient enchantment of a culture rich in history and traditions which are unique in the history of Northern Ireland.
Career
Established Rathlin Island's International Dive Centre (1991-1997)along with my husband, the famous islander Tommy Cecil (Author 'Harsh Winds of Rathlin', diver, historian and campaigner) Brought divers to the island from all over the world, to explore the rich and diverse waters around it's shores,with it's amazing clarity of waters, abundant sea life and shipwrecks. Tommy died exploring the shipwreck The Tuscania, in 1997 and sadly I had to leave the island for the support of my younger children until I returned in 2013 .
During those difficult years living away from the island, although we survived and I had a varied career in managing tourist facilities,and even enjoyed the privilege for a few years of a Public Appointment on a Criminal Aid Board, I longed and pined to return. This longing eventually expressed itself when I took up writing poetry, and allowed me to share my love for all things Rathlin ,the results which you see today.
I feel my poetry has developed a great deal since those early days and expanded into spiritual areas. I also have an increasing passion for war protest and the mythical legends of Rathlin to help retain it's ancient culture and promote the vast wealth of it's uniqueness to a wider public.
The Island
- The first time I went
to the island
it was as if
it had always been
waiting for me.
And every day I lived there
Reminded me of who I was.
How much I miss it.
A bit of my soul died
when I left.
Mary Cecil