A helicopter had to be brought in to rescue 34 people from a storm-battered Tory Island off the Donegal coast yesterday morning.
There had been no ferry service to or from the island since last Friday due to the severe weather.
All 34 were from the island. However, they were mainly students and people now living on the mainland who had returned home for the festive season. The helicopter had to make several flights to bring out provisions and get those stranded to the mainland.
Parish priest Fr John Boyce said that islanders had gone without milk and bread for a number of days and that other basic provisions were in short supply.
"There has been no ferry since last Friday and, as a result, 34 people were left stranded on the island," he said.
"We have had the worst weather on the island for the past 20 years. Before Christmas we had five continuous weeks of storms to cap it off and then we started to become low on provisions. We are just trying to keep morale high here at the moment."
Fr Boyce said there had been no cattle kept on the island for the past four years because it was becoming too difficult to find provisions for them during winter.
The emergency air lift was organised by Minister of State for Transport Pat The Cope Gallagher, a Co Donegal TD, after he was contacted by an islander on Wednesday.
The Health Service Executive (HSE) operates a helicopter service to the island every second Thursday. However, Mr Gallagher said he felt he had to act immediately once he got the call.
"I established on Wednesday that 34 people were stranded on the island since after the new year break and that provisions were low," Mr Gallagher said.
"The air-sea rescue helicopter service comes under my department and I thought it was the sensible thing to do. I was delighted to be in the position to be able to do that for the islanders."
Tory has a permanent population of about 150 people and this increases during the summer.
The island has a primary school and a secondary school called Coláiste Phobail Colmcille.