During our honeymoon trip to Ireland in August of 2000, my wife Sheri and I spent two days on Árainn, or Inis Mór, the largest of the Aran Islands. Although we saw many beautiful and memorable places throughout Ireland, it was the Aran Islands that made the greatest impression on me. Thus, I have put together a page devoted entirely to this unique and unforgettable corner of the world.
The Aran Islands engage my interest on several levels. First and most simply, they are a scenic and peaceful vacation destination. Located just a few miles off the west coast of Ireland, they are easily reached by ferry or plane from County Clare or County Galway. The islands feature a wealth of natural scenery, from the harbors and beaches of the northern shore to the spectacular cliffs on the southern side. There are many places of historical and cultural interest as well, from the millennia-old stone forts, to the chapels and shrines of the medieval Irish Christians, to the museums and heritage parks that contain exhibits detailing the history of the islands and their people. Since no car ferries run from the mainland to the Arans, travelers coming ashore have a choice of four basic modes of transportation: hired vans, hired horse carts, rented bicycles, or the ever-reliable human foot. The small size of the islands means that almost every part of them is accessible by foot or bicycle, if one is willing to put some time and energy into it. In terms of recreation for the visitor, the islands contain a small but good selection of pubs, restaurants, and shops -- tourism is one of the main sources of income in the Arans today.
For people who are familiar with the northeastern United States, a good analogue of Inis Mór would be Block Island in the state of Rhode Island. Both are small islands reachable by ferry from the mainland, with long-established farming and fishing communities and a more recent tourist trade. On the other hand, these two places have as many differences as similarities, and it would be a gross oversimplification to refer to Inis Mór, as I once did, as "the Block Island of Ireland".
You can't drive from the mainland of Ireland to the Arans.
This sign was probably put up by natives of Doolin who got tired of fishing tourists' cars out of their harbor.
One of the unique aspects of the Arans is its natural environment, and the story of how Humanity and Nature have interacted and influenced each other on these islands since people first came to inhabit them. The story of human habitation on the Arans is a long and complex one of inadvertent ecological damage and the gradual restoration of fertility to a barren land. From the history of the Arans, we can learn some valuable lessons on the fragility of ecosystems, the possibility of restoring them through hard work and persistence, and the importance of understanding how all the parts of one's environment relate to and influence one another. They are lessons that we may, in this lifetime, find occasion to apply again on this world or others.
Finally, the Arans are notable as a Gaeltacht: a region of Ireland where Irish is spoken by many of the inhabitants as a first language. I picked up quite an interest for Gaelic language and culture when I was in Ireland, even though none of my own ancestry is Irish. I think part of what drew me to the Gaelic culture is both the similarities and differences between this culture and my own ancestry. Most of my background is Eastern and Southern European, and the Polish, Lithuanian, and Italian languages and cultures are well-represented and thriving today, both in their native lands and in the United States. The Irish Gaelic culture, on the other hand, has been fighting a battle against English domination for several centuries, and often seems to be losing that battle. But a national identity is a difficult, perhaps even impossible, thing to subjugate. My own ancestral homelands of Poland and Lithuania spent large portions of their history under the dominion of foreign empires (mainly German and Russian), who at times sought to wipe out the native language and culture and replace it with that of the conquering empire. But the true national identity always re-emerged, and I suspect that in the long run the Irish, too, will reclaim their country for its own heritage.
A Very Brief History of the Arans
Towns, Farms, People, and Animals
Aran Links
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