The Aran Islands are situated off the west coast of Ireland and are part of County Galway. There is no other part of Ireland that resembles these three small islands.
History of the Islands
Their location is probably all they share with the rest of Ireland as far as geology is concerned. The largest island is Inishmore (7635 acres), the middle one is Inishmann (2252 acres) and the smallest is Inisheer (1400 acres).
There are historic buildings on the islands, for example there’s a 4th century stone fort and a 16th century castle that was occupied by Oliver Cromwell. However, they were sparsely populated until the 17th century when people settled here in larger numbers because of the Cromwellian persecution of the Catholic population. Many of these people were forced to flee to the numerous islands off the west coast.
Getting Around
Aran houses are built low and have small windows to protect them from the gales of winter. There is little in the way of transport apart from the occasional minibus as well as horse and carts, which sometimes await passengers from the ferries. Bicycles are also available for hire and, of course, there’s always ‘Shank’s Pony’ - your feet! But you rarely have to travel far to reach facilities for visitors..
The islands are created from limestone which is great for wild flowers - beautiful displays in summer - but not good for growing food. There is almost nothing in the way of green fields and pastures. All that can be seen in every direction are rocks. It’s a harsh, unforgiving landscape, yet it has its own dramatic, spare beauty.
Early Settlers
These early settlers were resourceful - they had to be in order to survive. They created their own soil by mixing seaweed, sand and dung. They must have got something right as their potatoes are said to be the best in Ireland. Scores of stone walls, built from broken rocks, square off the land into patches of tiny fields. But it is not ideal farming country, to say the least, and life can be hard on these small windswept islands.
Famous Writers are Drawn to the Aran Islands
Many famous writers have been drawn to the Aran Islands because of their wild beauty. The Irish poet W.B. Yeats convinced playright J.M. Synge to spend time on the Islands, to "find a life that has never been expressed in literature." Synge spent several summers on the islands and it was here that he was told stories that led to him writing his famous play “Playboy of the Western World.”
James Joyce wrote: “Aran, it is said, is the strangest place in the world." In his story "The Dead" it is where Miss Ivors goes to rediscover the real Ireland. It seems that people are doing the same thing today.
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