In Robert Flaherty’s brilliant 1934 documentary film, Man of Aran, we see an Irish man smashing limestone rocks to bits, while his wife gathers seaweed from the shore below the island’s steep windswept cliffs. Meanwhile, their young son scavenges for precious particles of dirt that have collected between the rocks blown from the mainland. These three ingredients will be used to create the soil in order to grow potatoes – the family’s main source of subsistence. This is the Aran Islands; a landscape made almost entirely of solid limestone rock. It is a landscape that is so inhospitable that this poor Irish family must manufacture their very own soil in order to survive. When Flaherty first heard of these stoic Irish people, he knew that their lives fit his theme of cultures fighting for their existence against extreme conditions, and that someday he would make a film about them. When I first viewed his masterful documentary, I knew that I too would someday set foot on the islands. Twenty-years later I finally did.
THE ARAN ISLANDS TODAY
Nestled on the western coast of Ireland, the Aran Islands consist of three separate islands: Inishmore, Inishmann and Inishere. Located approximately seven miles from the mainland, about 30 miles from Galway City, the islands are easily accessible by ferry from Rossaveal and the musical town of Doolin in County Clare. Today, locals no longer create their own soil and reliable electricity has finally come to the Aran, but the islanders — the most rugged-looking people that I have ever encountered — are a hospitable group who are proud to share their history and culture with you. Tourism is now their largest form of income, and visitors come from all over the globe to experience this unique world of primitive forts, medieval churches and dramatic scenery.
INISHMORE (Inis Mór)
With a population of 831, Inishmore is the largest island. If you have just a day, this is the island you must see. Its principal village is Kilronan where you’ll find tour guides, horsedrawn carriages and bicycle rentals waiting as soon as you get off your ferry. Before you depart on your tours, stop by Ionad Arainn, an excellent visitor’s center, which provides a good introduction and guided tour taking you back more than two thousand years in the life and times of the Aran Islands. The center demonstrates the art of currach making — a traditional island boat made by stretching a fabric over a sparse skeleton of thin laths, then covered in tar. The currach has been used on the islands for thousands of years and is designed to battle the rough seas that face the open Atlantic Ocean. Flaherty was fascinated to find that the Aran fishermen would not learn to swim, since they knew they could never survive any sea that swamped a currach, and would sink without a struggle like a stone. His filming of the dramatic shark-hunt – whose liver the islanders would boil to make lantern oil — was a centerpiece of his staged documentary.
Dun Aonghus Fort (Dun Aonghasa)
For me, the great stone fortress of Dun Aonghus is the most impressive site on all of the islands. Nestled on the edge of a cliff that falls 300 ft straight down into the ocean, it is enclosed by three massive stonewalls, with tall blocks of dagger-like limestone set vertically outside the walls to deter attackers. To this day, no one is quite sure of the origins of this mysterious stone fort.
INISHMANN (Inis Meáin)
With a population of 187 persons, the medium island of Inishmann is the least tourist-oriented of the Aran Island. Highlights include the ancient Kilcanonagh Church and the oval stone fort of Dun Chonchubhair.
INISHERE (Inis Óirr)
Despite being the smallest of the three islands with a population of 300 people, there is still plenty to do on Inishere. Ancient monuments worth seeing include the ruins of Saint Kevin’s Church and O’Brien’s Castle, a 15th century tower house that stands within a stone fort. Inishere is the most rock-like of all the islands.
WHAT TO BUY
Known around the world as a ‘fisherman sweater,’ the islands are the home of the Aran Island Sweater. The sweater is usually made with undyed cream-colored “bainnin” sheep’s wool, and is even occasionally made with unwashed wool that still contains natural sheep lanolin, making it water-repellent. There is debate about when island residents first started making the sweaters, but the popular story is that each family had a sweater with a unique design, so that if a fisherman in the family drowned and was found later on the beach, the body could be identified. A local told me that this was a romanticized myth, but as John Ford once said, when the legend becomes fact, always print the legend. The same textured knitting patterns are often used to make socks, hats, vests and even skirts and make wonderful gifts. Make sure that you ask the seller if the sweater was made on the island, for factory-made ones from Galway are starting to be sold at some of the shops.
WHERE TO STAY
Both Inishmore and Inishere offer a wide range of accommodations from guesthouses and AirBnBs to hostels and campgrounds.
HOW TO GET THERE
Aer Lingus has direct flights from LAX to Dublin and Shannon airports. Rent a car, but remember that not only do you drive on the left side of the road, but almost all cars are manuals – so make sure you request an automatic if not you’re not comfortable shifting with your left hand. AerLingus.com or (800) 474 7424.
For further information on travel to the Aran Islands, contact www.aranislands.ie
