Vestmannaeyjar (English: The Westmen Isles) is a small archipelago off the south coast of Iceland.
The islands are named after the Irish who were captured into slavery by the Norse Gaels. The Old Norse word Vestmenn, literally "Westmen", was applied to the Irish, and retained in Icelandic even though Ireland is more easterly than Iceland.
Louis MacNeice visited them several times and here is his poem about an unfortunate trawlerman.
I am afraid I cannot find a printed version, but sit back and enjoy this reading by Simon Armitage at the 2007 Louis MacNeice Centenary Celebration.
"SONG OF THE WEST MEN"
