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On a cold, wind-driven Saturday at Rannagh Park, it’s easy to mistake what’s happening on Arranmore for just another football match.

It isn’t.

In this episode of The Tides That Tie, we trace the story of Arranmore United—a club built not just to compete, but to help hold a community together.

From its beginnings in 1987—when three rival island teams set aside differences to form one side for one island—to the present day, where players travel hours and cross open water just to make kickoff, this is a story about commitment, identity, and belonging.

You’ll hear from past and present voices of the club, including:

• Founders who helped bring the team into existence
• Players from the 1989–90 era that set the standard early
• Current players navigating emigration, distance, and modern challenges
• Young voices hoping to carry the club forward

At the center of the episode is a powerful moment from 2019—a cup final that captures everything the club represents: pride, loss, community, and resilience.

This isn’t just about football.

It’s about what happens when a place decides it needs something to rally around—and refuses to let it disappear.

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In this episode of The Tides That Tie, Ron Gregg brings us into a time when life on Beaver Island was shaped entirely by Lake Michigan—its rhythms, its risks, and its rewards.

From the height of the 19th-century fishing era to the quiet work of winter, this story captures what it meant to live in constant relationship with the water. Guided by the distant lights of Whiskey Point and Skillagalee, we follow the early crossings between Beaver Island and the mainland—journeys made by sail, skill, and experience alone.

More than a story of travel, this is a portrait of island life—of resilience, adaptation, and the enduring connection between people and the water that defined their world.

Links:

Skillagalee Lighthouse and Chart: Skillagalee Island

Woods Hole Historical Museum: Tools for Harvesting the Ice

Great Lakes Fisheries Heritage Trail: A Good Boat - The Mackinaw - Great Lakes Fisheries Heritage Tr

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This bonus episode is an interview with Jerry Early and John Gallagher on their song, "I'll Go", which tells the story of the Arranmore RNLI rescue of the Dutch steamer Stolwijk. The interview discusses the songwriting process and the importance of keeping the story alive.