French man Jean Pierre Trocmé, New Yorker Marie Benedict and their two sons Finn (15) and Taidhg (14) Trocmé moved to the island permanently two weeks ago.

Due to Jean Pierre’s job with the French embassy the family has lived in a string of countries, from Manhattan to Chicago, Cuba, Strasbourg and Dublin. But during their globe-trotting the couple always kept one eye on Ireland and held tight to their dream of one day settling here.

Speaking amid the chaos that comes with moving house teacher and editor Marie told the Donegal News, “We have friends here in Ireland and I think they were getting a bit fed up with us going to islands and looking at property. We’ve been on every island in Ireland apart from Tory.

“So last summer when they rolled their eyes we said no, we are moving to Arranmore.”

The decision to move to the island was shaped largely by the #ComingHome campaign which has been encouraging people to take the leap.

The drive was launched in response to a decline in population and has enjoyed considerable success. According to latest figures there has been a 13 per-cent increase in the number of people living on the island since the 2016 census.

In the case of the Benedict family, it was the local secondary school that clinched the deal.

“We went into the school last summer to meet the principal. Our boys have been to schools in Manhattan, Cuba, Strasbourg but here it was a case of ‘we’re so happy to see you’. They were made to feel so welcome and that has been a big part of our decision, the school.”

Having travelled and lived all over the world, it would be fair to assume settling on a remote island will take some getting used to. According to Marie, living in Cuba has prepared themfor their new life.

The logistics of making Arranmore their home has been far from straightforward. Things like car insurance – which Marie and Jean Pierre have decided against for now in favour of electric bikes – proved to be tricky. But the support of the Arranmore Island Community Council has been huge and was key in helping the family find a home.

Accommodation has become scarce to the point where a survey of the island’s empty buildings is being carried out to see what can be utilised.

“When we got here last summer the only thing we could find for sale was a tiny little field. It wasn’t appealing but it was all there was,” said Marie.

“Then I spoke to Seamus (Bonner) and he found a house with a for sale sign in front of it. I rung the number and began corresponding. I remember walking down the drive and Taidhg and Finn saying ‘no this isn’t for us, it’s too nice’. Bear in mind this was us coming from our tiny apartment in Strasbourg which was the opposite of here. We had several months of negotiations and finally, here we are.”

In a moment of inspiration last year Marie took the opportunity to lay seeds for vegetables including potatoes, leeks and peas. Unexpectedly the vegetables grew and they have helped sustain the family during their first few weeks.

Following years of moving between continents, countries and cities, the Trocmé/Benedict family are finally home.

“We are never moving again,” said Marie.

“The feeling of this move is very different compared to before. Because of Covid and partly because of Brexit, this was one of the most difficult moves to organise and everything that could have went wrong, did go wrong.

“But this is it now for us. Our shed is full and we are bringing things in little by little and everywhere we look things need done. But we are looking forward to doing all those little things bit by bit.”

Arranmore will undoubtedly deliver a slower pace of life, a gear shift Jean Pierre and Marie intend to use to learn Irish. And with winter never too far away, island life is also going to throw up a few weather-related challenges.

“We have spent winters in Ireland before and to be honest, the climate here is much more manageable than some of the places we have lived.

“It’s going to be great because there is a wonderful community here. People have plenty of ideas and they are open to change. I’m hoping that we can make some sort of contribution to all that.”