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Although we had agreed a total of fifteen new properties, further considerations suggested that it might be somewhat too ambitious to tackle this all in one attempt. We therefore decided that this additional intake should be split into two groups. At first a total of eight new families with children, which included two single men, were selected to come in what we termed the second phase. A third phase was to be invited later. All of them were prepared to build their houses under the wing of our islands building company. Their agreement being that they would also lend their hand to work at times for the building and construction programme for the island. Having either purchased land or entered into a renting agreement with me, most decided to bring temporary accommodation in the form of static caravans to be erected on the sites for accommodation during their building process.

This influx increased our population by 25 individuals to over 80 almost overnight. Additional strain was placed upon some of our existing resources, at the school and the canteen, but the extra numbers were absorbed without much of a problem, offset of course by additional hands to do the extra work. Without exception, everyone integrated very well.

Additional interests boosted our popular social activities, the new intake providing innovative ideas that were passed on to the council for consideration. The addition of more children boosted the sporting group events and the supplement of another teacher was invaluable in coping with the increased number of pupils.

Before long we were able to see the foundations being laid for the new properties at the recently designated second village of Kerry. It had been agreed that it would be more efficient to combine the building of all the new properties together, with all the labour shared. Giles, with a suitable cash input had convinced us to give the building of his own new house some priority.

When spring had given way to summer we considered whether the time was right to introduce a further seven families to the island, thus completing the third phase of inhabiting Enniskerry.

Although this third contingent would be invited ostensibly to construct their own houses as the previous intake group had done, Giles saw it as an opportunity to convince the committee that, as with the previous group, part of their time should be allocated to the islands building group. Now that his own house was nearing completion, priority should be given to the building of a hotel. He was convinced that a hotel was essential to supplement our croft type housing for visitors, thereby offering a wider range of first class accommodation for the future.

Much discussion followed in council raising issues such as the desirable number of rooms, the degree of sophistication, who should manage and take responsibility for the project and whether we could staff the hotel from our existing and future residents.

It was generally thought that it would be possible and desirable to staff the hotel from our own resources, but Denise came up with the suggestion that we should seek a full time chef as a separate advertisement, it being most unlikely that anyone would come with this skill as a result of our general enquiries. I confirmed that no such skill was available from our applicants so it was agreed that a more specific advert should be sent out to the appropriate catering publications. But we were running ahead of ourselves, first we must build the hotel!

Kevin, one of our second phase entrants, was an architect so we asked him to draw up plans for a fifteen-bedroom hotel, and within a short time he had some preliminary plans drawn up for our perusal. Everything seemed just as we would wish — until he gave his estimate for the costs. It was not that it was too surprising for Giles had volunteered the price he had paid for his house for our guidance. It was then that alarm bells began to ring regarding the several large expenditures we had recently incurred and the fact that our income was still relatively small. Giles, now our treasurer had all the books and figures. I decided that we should have another session devoted purely to our financial status.

A detailed résumé revealed without any doubt, that there was a shortfall in the capital available. The stark choices narrowed down to just three choices. They were that we should abandon or curtail some of our plans for expansion, take out a bank loan to cover the costs or wait until our income improved.

Expansion and the rate of our development were already ahead of what I imagined would be possible for the time we had been here and I was very reluctant to take out a loan. My view was that we should wait.

Giles thought for a while and said that he could offer two other alternatives. He could put up half the cost of building for a half interest in the profits with the possibility of relinquishing his half share when the islands finances were able to buy this back from him or he could support the whole venture himself for complete ownership. It was for us, or me, to decide.

I recognised that this, in many ways, could be a turning point. Giles had always been totally honest and fair with me in all our dealings. I could see that his presence had already been of great value to the island. I could also see that he was the most influential of us all in terms of his presence and his activities on the island. Was there a danger that he would swamp our more modest progress through the years or would he, by virtue of his purchasing power, take us to an earlier stable success?

At first, I was torn between his two offers but eventually I made up my mind and confronted the other members of the council with my thoughts.

“So, we have to decide on whether to go ahead with the building of a substantial hotel for the island. You have heard the estimated cost for doing this. We have made considerable progress here on this island in various ways and I consider that it will continue. Today we have to consider this one issue of the hotel. The starting point is that I cannot see myself clear at the moment to fund its construction. Further I am not prepared to take out any loan for the purpose. This leaves us with only the following options. We can cancel or delay the project, or we can take up one of two options offered by Giles. These as you have heard, are that he would put up half the cost and will take half the profit or we hand over the whole idea to him for him to finance and benefit accordingly. I am doubtful about the half share option, so I have therefore come to the opinion that we should hand the project over to him. This is my view but I want to maintain a democratic approach to this and would now welcome your judgments.”

“The first thing I would like to say — said Denise — is that I hope you Giles, can continue to wear two hats on this issue and give us your advice as our treasurer even though you could be the prime mover in any alternative solution of this matter.”

“I can do that — replied Giles — but I would like you all to express your views first.”

“As far as I’m concerned — continued Denise — I think we would benefit greatly from having a hotel. It would give employment and income. Jim has given us a guide in this, the money is not directly available so I would have no objection to Giles running it.”

John added: “I think a hotel will be good for us and we should go ahead with the recommendation.”

Gerry commented: “I trust Giles to look at the issue from his knowledge of the islands accounts and give his independent view of what we should do.”

“I probably wouldn’t go for a hotel so quickly — said Kate — because I am rather careful and conservative by nature, but if Giles is prepared to finance it then there shouldn’t be a problem for the island.”

Miranda added: “I would prefer that the ownership should not be split between Giles and the island. It would be best under one wing, therefore Giles should have the option to proceed.”

“Jim has stated that he does not want to borrow money to finance this scheme” — Giles began. “It has an element of basic common sense. My reading of the islands financial situation is that it would be inadvisable to incur even half the purchase price of this venture at this time. This leaves me with my view of the viability of funding this myself. I have a great love for this island and Jim’s attitude towards it. I would do nothing that I believed would have an adverse effect upon him or his island. My time here, you may or may not know, has been almost literally a life saving period for me and so, although I hope to revive my interests away from this island, my heart is here. I now regard Enniskerry as my home. Jim’s far seeing objective of sustaining life here by increasing the places for people to live and consequently the population as a whole is unrivalled anywhere in the Hebrides and possibly beyond. He deserves our full commendation. In financing the hotel I will utilise the plans drawn up by Kevin and I hope you will give me your support. I recommend that we pursue the building work as soon as possible and when we can see we are nearer completion I shall take up your idea to advertise for a chef to oversee a first class restaurant within a first class hotel.”

The council agreed unanimously to proceed and wished Giles success into the future.

Hearing a few odd comments about the deteriorating state of the track between Ennis and the new village at Kerry I could see that our continued progress and need for transport between the two places would soon lead to a request for road improvements. I set about getting agreement to some ground rules that I felt were necessary for the future.

I suggested that the time had come for us to upgrade the road between the jetty, Ennis, Kerry and the proposed site of the new hotel. However I was adamant that other than the need for the current construction and farm work, I did not want to allow any petrol or diesel engine vehicles on the island. I was aware of one other island where motorised transport was banned. That was the policy of the Seigneur of the small island of Sark, one of the Channel Islands. Their only form of transport on a short road was by a tractor pulling a trailer with the possible alternative of a horse and cart. The idea appealed to me, but I did see that we might have to approach the matter in a different way. I proposed that we should not allow any cars on the island but that we would have to provide transport for our visitors in the form of a bus service or something similar. I had in mind an electrically powered vehicle of the unpleasantly named ‘people carrier’ type. This would enable, a group of six or more people to be taken to their rooms at the hotel and would also provide a regular or irregular service to and from the jetty, the two townships and the hotel.