61-716: The Inishmore or Dún Árann Lighthouse , is a decommissioned lighthouse located on the highest point of Inishmore , the largest of the Aran Islands in County Galway , Ireland. It was the first of a series of lighthouses that were built in the 19th century on the Aran Islands, but it was poorly positioned and was eventually replaced by the Inisheer Lighthouse and the Eeragh Lighthouse . Its deactivation also resulted in
122-542: A Royal commission on Tidal Harbours, included that from Captain White of the Royal Navy, who complained that "The light at Arran is perched too high; it is 413 feet above the level of the sea. Captains of vessels often see the rocks before the light." Another Captain, James Price stated "that running in, in a gale of wind, the present light on Arran is no good, but ought to be placed on Brannagh Island". There were also concerns about
183-518: A connecting bus from Galway city. The airline announced that it would cease all flights in December 2018, but an agreement was reached to continue the service until 30 September 2019. Ferries are also available to the Aran Islands from Doolin in County Clare (seasonal 1 April – 31 October). A road network exists on each of the islands, and a speed limit of 50 km/h (31 mph) applies. Cars on
244-568: A location for his film The Banshees of Inisherin . Inis Mór was used as a recording location for the 1997 film The Matchmaker and the 2010 film Leap Year . The first story in These Precious Hours by Michael Corrigan has a scene set on Inis Mór. The island appeared on the premiere episode of The Amazing Race 12 with teams needing to find Teampall Bheanáin after they arrived. The music video for Dermot Kennedy 's "For Island Fires and Family" (video released 10 January 2019)
305-476: A more personal nature, being concerned with understanding the author's self as much as the culture around him. This third mode of being in Aran died out in the late 1970s due in part to the increased tourist traffic and in part to technological improvements made to the island, that relegated the above aspects to history. A literary product of this third kind of visitor is An Aran Keening , by Andrew McNeillie, who spent
366-503: A new lighthouse were denied, that one was finally commissioned on nearby Straw Island. It had a rotating optic that gave it a flashing characteristic in order to differentiate it from Loop Head and Clare Island , which were both static lights. In his 1831 book, The British Pharos, Alan Stevenson noted that "This light revolves and is seen at the distance of five or six leagues, or at lesser distances in hazy weather, The light appears once in every three minutes in its brightest state, like
427-406: A star of the first magnitude, and, gradually becoming less luminous, is eclipsed." This was achieved by having an "optic [that] had three faces each with seven oil lamps and catoptric reflectors which when revolved gave a 30 second flash every three minutes.". Although no longer an aid to navigation, the tower is still clearly visible to mariners and mentioned in a description of sailing directions for
488-407: A technique used to grow potatoes and other vegetables. The same seaweed method also provided grazing grass within stone-wall enclosures for cattle and sheep, which in turn provided leather, wool, and yarn to make hide shoes, handwoven trousers, skirts and jackets, hand-knitted sweaters , shawls , and caps. The islanders also constructed unique boats for fishing, building their thatched cottages from
549-471: A wealth of ancient and medieval sites including Dún Aonghasa , described as "the most magnificent barbaric monument in Europe" by George Petrie . Before the 20th century, the island was usually called Árainn or Árainn Mhór , which is thought to mean 'kidney-shaped' or 'ridge'. It was anglicized as Aran, Aran More, or Great Aran. This has caused some confusion with Arranmore , County Donegal, which has
610-497: A year on Aran in 1968. Another, Pádraig Ó Síocháin , a Dublin author and lawyer, learning to speak Gaelic to the fluency of an islander, became inextricably linked to the Aran handknitters and their Aran sweaters , extensively promoting their popularity and sale around the world for nearly forty years. A fourth kind of visitor to the islands, still evident today, comes for spiritual reasons often connected to an appreciation for Celtic Christianity or more modern New Age beliefs,
671-454: Is a celebration of the sitcom Father Ted . Festival-goers dress as their favourite characters, watch their favourite episodes and take part in various Ted related events and competitions. Some of the limestone sea cliffs have attracted interest from rock-climbers . Diving is possible with a particularly popular location at Poll na bPéist ('hole of worms/sea monsters'), a large rectangular pool communicating via underground channels with
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#1732858077160732-433: Is designed to withstand the very rough seas that are typical of islands that face the open Atlantic . Indeed, the Aran fishermen are said to not learn to swim, since they would certainly not survive any sea that swamped a currach , so it would be better to drown quickly. Despite the undoubted strength of these boats, they are very vulnerable to puncture. The islanders were always totally self-sufficient. In calmer weather,
793-434: Is now a director for Brown Bag Films. The islands have historically attracted a number of artists. For example, starting in 1908, Harry Clarke spent a number of weeks each summer for six years on Inisheer, accompanied by friends and his future wife, Margaret Clarke (artist) . Sketches by and of Clarke exist from these trips, regarded as formative in his upbringing, as they marked the first occasions in which convalescing off
854-581: Is the largest of the Aran Islands in Galway Bay , off the west coast of Ireland. With an area of 31 km (12 sq mi) and a population of 820 (as of 2016), it is the second-largest island off the Irish coast (after Achill ) and most populous of the Aran Islands. The island is in the Irish-speaking Gaeltacht and has a strong Irish culture . Much of the island is karst landscape and it has
915-758: The New Model Army as a prison camp for Roman Catholic priests who were arrested while continuing their priestly ministry in nonviolent resistance to the Commonwealth of England 's 1653 decree of banishment. The last priests held in both islands were finally released following the Stuart Restoration in 1662. The island is an extension of the Burren . The terrain of the island is composed of limestone pavements with crisscrossing cracks known as "grikes", leaving isolated rocks called "clints". The limestones date from
976-599: The Visean stage of the Carboniferous period, formed as sediments in a shallow tropical sea approximately 330-350 million years ago, and compressed into horizontal strata with fossil corals , crinoids , and sea urchins . The effects of the last glacial period (the Midlandian) are evident, with the island overrun by ice. The result is that Inis Mór and the other islands are among the finer examples of Glacio- Karst landscape in
1037-579: The Viséan age of the Lower Carboniferous , formed as sediments in a tropical sea approximately 350 million years ago, and compressed into horizontal strata with fossil corals , crinoids , sea urchins , and ammonites . Glaciation following the Namurian facilitated greater denudation. The result is that the Aran Islands are one of the finest examples of a Glacio- Karst landscape in the world. The effects of
1098-541: The currachs would go out and spend the night fishing under the Cliffs of Moher , returning after dawn full with fish. Nowadays, they are only used inshore, tending lobster pots. More modern versions are still built for racing at the many local regattas , or cruinnithe up and down the west coast of Ireland during the summer. Conventional shoes cannot be worn, so the fishermen wear soft calf-skin moccasins called pampooties , made of goatskin, calfskin, or cowhide. Some of
1159-444: The last glacial period (the Midlandian) are most in evidence, with the islands overrun by ice during this glaciation. The impact of earlier karstification (solutional erosion) has been eliminated by the last glacial period. Any karstification now seen dates from around 11,000 years ago, so the island karst is recent. Solutional processes have widened and deepened the grykes of the limestone pavement . Pre-existing lines of weakness in
1220-681: The Aran Islands chain, where the North and South Sound approaches were located, and secondly, its location on the highest point of the island also meant it could be obscured in poor weather conditions. Requests from the Revenue Commissioners to the Ballast Board, the predecessor of the Commissioners of Irish Lights to relocate the light went unheeded. Evidence collected for the Port of Galway in 1845 by
1281-432: The Aran Islands were "decoupled" from cultural developments that were at the same time radically changing other parts of Ireland and Western Europe. Though visitors of this third kind understood that the culture they encountered was intimately connected to that of Ireland, they were not particularly inclined to interpret their experiences as those of "Irishness". Instead, they looked directly towards ways in which their time on
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#17328580771601342-482: The Aran Islands, and find a life that has never been expressed in literature." In the second half of the 20th century, until perhaps the early 1970s, a third kind of visitor came to the islands. They came not necessarily because of the uniquely "Irish" nature of the island community, but simply because the accidents of geography and history conspired to produce a society that some found intriguing or even beguiling, and they wished to participate in it directly. At no time
1403-633: The Aran Islands. The islands were first populated in larger numbers probably at the time of the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland in the mid-17th century, when the Catholic population of Ireland had the choice of going "to hell or to Connacht ". Many fled to the numerous islands off the west coast of Ireland, where they adapted themselves to the raw climatic conditions, developing a survival system of total self-sufficiency. Their methods included mixing layers of sand and seaweed on top of rocks to create fertile soil,
1464-834: The Burren, the Aran islands are renowned for their remarkable assemblage of plants and animals. The grikes (crevices) provide moist shelter, thus supporting a wide range of plants including dwarf shrubs. Where the surface of the pavement is shattered into gravel, many of the hardier Arctic or alpine plants can be found, but when the limestone pavement is covered by a thin layer of soil, patches of grass are seen, interspersed with plants such as gentian and orchids. Notable insects present include butterflies— pearl-bordered fritillary Boloria euphrosyne , brown hairstreak Thecla betulae , marsh fritillary Euphydryas aurinia , and wood white Leptidea sinapis ; moths—the burren green Calamia tridens , Irish annulet Odontognophos dumetata , and transparent burnet Zygaena purpuralis ; and
1525-517: The Islands of Ireland (Alex Ritsema, Collins Press, 1999) and the census of Ireland. AI= Annals of Inisfallen . (AF)M= Annals of the Four Masters . Aran Islands The Aran Islands ( / ˈ ær ə n / ARR -ən ; Irish : Oileáin Árann , pronounced [əˈlʲaːnʲ ˈaːɾˠən̪ˠ] ) or The Arans ( na hÁrainneacha [n̪ˠə ˈhaːɾˠən̠ʲəxə] ) are a group of three islands at
1586-530: The Sea , is set on Inishmaan. He published The Aran Islands in 1907, based on his journals. All six of his plays are either set in or heavily influenced by his time in Aran. The islands' geology is mainly karst limestone, related to the Burren in County Clare (to the east), not the granites of Connemara to the north. This is most obvious in the construction of the walls around the fields. The limestones date from
1647-523: The Seven Churches of Aran, is a complex of churches and other buildings dedicated to the 5th-century Saint Brecan , once a popular destination for pilgrims. In the centre of the island, at its highest point is the Inishmore Lighthouse , it was decommissioned in 1857 and replaced by the lights at Eeragh and Inisheer . The island plays host to Ted Fest each year. First celebrated in 2007, it
1708-752: The West coast of Ireland. The lighthouse tower is listed within the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage , where it is noted "Unusually sited inland, this lighthouse dominates views in the middle of Árainn". Positioned at the mid-point of the island, the tower is located next to a Napoleonic era signal tower with the Ring fort of Dún Eochla nearby. Visitors have found the compound and tower open. Inishmore Inishmore ( Irish : Árainn [ˈaːɾˠən̠ʲ] , Árainn Mhór [ˈaːɾˠən̠ʲ woːɾ] or Inis Mór [ˈɪnʲɪʃ mˠoːɾ] )
1769-562: The colour of the tower "The lighthouse is painted white, which, seen against the sky is the least distinct that could be adopted for hazy weather, or any weather, except when the sun shines bright". In 1850 the Galway Harbour Commissioners asked the Board to construct a new lighthouse at the north-west end of the islands. To meet this request, it was determined that the best approach was to construct two lighthouses, one on Inisheer and
1830-404: The construction of another lighthouse on Straw Island . Inishmore was the first lighthouse built on the Aran Islands and was completed in 1818 in the centre of the island near Dun Oghil. Located on a hill 122m above sea level, it was designed to guide shipping past the island chain, but it became apparent that it was poorly positioned. Firstly, because it could not be seen at the hazardous ends of
1891-412: The early-Christian period). Enda of Aran founded the first true Irish monastery near Killeany (Cill Éinne or Church of Enda). In time, a dozen monasteries were on Inishmore alone. Many Irish saints had some connection with Aran: St. Brendan was blessed for his voyage there; Jarlath of Tuam, Finnian of Clonard , and St. Columba called it the "Sun of the West". In total, 38 national monuments are on
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1952-426: The formation of subterranean drainage. The island supports arctic , Mediterranean and alpine plants side by side, due to the unusual environment. Like the Burren, the Aran islands are known for their unusual assemblage of plants and animals. The grikes (crevices) provide moist shelter, thus supporting a wide range of plants including dwarf shrubs. Where the surface of the pavement is shattered into gravel, many of
2013-487: The former of which finds sites and landscapes of importance on the islands. Finally, many thousands of visitors come for broadly touristic reasons , to see the ruins, hear Irish spoken (and Irish music played) in the few pubs on the island, and to experience the geology of cliffs. Some of these visitors create "travelogues" of note. Examples include Tim Robinson's Stones of Aran: Pilgrimage (1986) and Stones of Aran: Labyrinth (1995), and his accompanying detailed map of
2074-415: The hardier Arctic or alpine plants can be found. But when the limestone pavement is covered by a thin layer of soil, patches of grass are seen, interspersed with plants like the gentian and orchids. Insects present include the butterfly the pearl-bordered fritillary ( Boloria euphrosyne ), brown hairstreak ( Thecla betulae ), marsh fritillary ( Euphydryas aurinia ) and wood white ( Leptidea sinapis );
2135-501: The hoverfly Doros profuges . On the cliff tops, ancient forts such as Dún Aonghasa (Dún Aengus) on Inishmore and Dún Chonchúir (Fort of Conchobar ) on Inishmaan are some of the oldest archaeological remains in Ireland. A lacework of ancient stone walls across all three islands (1,600 km or 1,000 mi in all) encloses networks of small fields to contain local livestock. Also found are early clocháns (dry-stone beehive huts from
2196-487: The intellect appealed to Germany's Nazi party, who noticed it during the Berlin Festival in 1935. John Millington Synge 's The Aran Islands is a work that straddles these first two modes, being both a personal account and also an attempt at preserving information about the pre- (or il-) literate Aran culture in literary form. The motivations of these visitors are exemplified by W. B. Yeats ' advice to Synge: "Go to
2257-420: The island (like the neighbouring Burren ) has one of the longest growing seasons in Ireland or Britain, and supports diverse and rich plant growth. Late May is the sunniest time and also likely the best time to view flowers, with the gentians and avens peaking (but orchid species blooming later). The islands support arctic , Mediterranean and alpine plants side-by-side, due to the unusual environment. Like
2318-561: The island in the summer months. There is a small museum illustrating the history of Dún Aonghasa and its possible functions, while the Aran Sweater Market is a focal point for visitors who can trace the culture and history associated with the Aran sweater through the on-site museum. Nearby are a Neolithic tomb and a small heritage park at Dún Eochla, featuring examples of a traditional thatched cottage and poteen distillery. The Tempull Breccain (Church of Brecan), commonly called
2379-601: The islands a part of the Gaeltacht . Most islanders are also fluent or proficient in English . The population has steadily declined from around 3,500 in 1841. The approaches to the bay between the Aran Islands and the mainland are: Little is known about the first inhabitants to cross over to the islands, but they likely came across in search of a safe haven from attack. The islands are made up of Carboniferous limestone and do not have naturally occurring topsoil. Early settlers augmented
2440-460: The islands are exempt from road-worthiness testing. Most visitors to the island hire bikes and an increasing number hire ebikes, as they are the most convenient way to see the islands. Visitors come in large numbers, particularly in the summer. Several Bronze Age and Iron Age forts and attractions are on the islands: One of the major figures of the Irish Renaissance , Liam O'Flaherty ,
2501-407: The islands put them in touch with more general truths about life and human relations, and they often took pains to live "as an islander", eschewing help from friends and family at home. Indeed, because of the difficult conditions they found—dangerous weather, scarce food—they sometimes had little time to investigate the culture in the more detached manner of earlier visitors. Their writings are often of
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2562-402: The islands. The islands are the home of the Aran sweater, which gained worldwide appeal during the 20th century. Many of the sweaters sold in the islands are made elsewhere in Ireland. The (modern) Aran version of the lightweight boat called the currach ( Aran Islands Dialect : kørəx, korəx ) is made from canvas stretched over a sparse skeleton of thin laths, then covered in tar . It
2623-467: The mainland of Ireland was necessary for the artist. The cultural and physical history of the islands has made them the object of visits by a variety of writers. For example, Lady Gregory came to Aran in the late 19th century to learn Irish. At the start of the 20th century and throughout his life, Seán Keating spent time painting on the islands every year. Elizabeth Rivers also moved from London and lived in Aran, where she created two books of art and
2684-470: The mainland when they come of age. Year-round ferry passenger services exist. Aran Island Ferries operate a year-round service from Rossaveal in County Galway, connected by a bus service from Galway city . A heavy-cargo service operates several times a week from Galway Harbour , and is operated by Lasta Mara. Aer Arann Islands operates an air service from Inverin to Inishmore Airport , which has
2745-415: The materials available, or trading with the mainland. The Aran Islands are an official Gaeltacht , which gives full official status to Irish as the medium of all official services, including education. An unusually high rate of Irish-language monolingualism was found among senior natives until the end of the 20th century, in large part because of the isolating nature of the traditional trades practised and
2806-416: The moths, the burren green ( Calamia tridens ), Irish annulet ( Gnophos dumetata ) and transparent burnet ( Zygaena purpuralis ); and the hoverfly Doros profuges . Inis Mór today is a major tourist destination, with bed and breakfast accommodation scattered across the island. Private minibuses, horse-drawn carriages and bicycles are the main methods of getting about for the numerous tourists who visit
2867-494: The mouth of Galway Bay , off the west coast of Ireland , with a total area around 46 km (18 sq mi). They constitute the historic barony of Aran in County Galway . From west to east, the islands are: Inishmore ( Árainn / Inis Mór ), which is the largest; Inishmaan ( Inis Meáin ), the second-largest; and Inisheer ( Inis Oírr ), the smallest. There are also several islets . The population of 1,347 (as of 2022) primarily speak Irish , making
2928-423: The natural isolation of the islands in general from mainland Ireland over the course of the islands' history. Young islanders can take their leaving examination at 18 on the islands, and then most leave for third-level education. Many blame the decline of Irish -speaking among young members of the island community on English-language television, available since the 1960s; furthermore, many younger islanders leave for
2989-598: The other, the Eeragh Lighthouse, on one of the Brannock Islands to the north-west of Inishmore. They were commissioned on 1 December 1857, the Inishmore light being deactivated that date. Prior to its deactivation, there were representations by the islanders about the impact the loss of the light would have on safe passage into Killeany Bay and the harbour at Kilronan . It was not until 1878, after numerous requests for
3050-520: The rock (vertical joints) contribute to the formation of extensive fissures separated by clints (flat, pavement-like slabs). The rock karstification facilitates the formation of subterranean drainage. Huge boulders up to 50 m (160 ft) above the sea at parts of the west-facing cliffs are an extreme form of storm beach , cast there by waves. Previously considered as possible tsunami deposits, these coastal boulder deposits have recently been shown (by Rónadh Cox and collaborators) to be definitively
3111-588: The same Irish name. The name "Inishmore" was "apparently concocted by the Ordnance Survey for its map of 1839" as an Anglicization of Inis Mór ('big island'), as there is no evidence of its use before then. Because the island is in the Gaeltacht , Árainn is the only legal placename in Irish or English as declared in the Official Languages Act 2003 . During the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland , Inishmore was, similarly to Inishbofin , used by
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#17328580771603172-718: The sea, located on the southern coast of the island. Since 2012, Inis Mór has hosted an event as part of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series . The island is serviced by Aran Ferries ferry from Rossaveal and Doolin . These are passenger-only ferries; cars and heavy goods are transported on unscheduled services. Aer Arann Islands runs daily scheduled flights from Inis Mór Aerodrome to Connemara Airport using Britten Norman Islander aircraft. The island features heavily in Martin McDonagh 's play The Lieutenant of Inishmore . McDonagh also used Inishmore as
3233-469: The site of a castle built by the O'Briens around the 14th century. Cromwell's soldiers destroyed the castle and all but two of the seven churches established by Brecan. The islands were briefly captured and held by Jacobite privateer Thomas Vaughan in 1693, whose crew plundered Protestant settlements there. The typical settlement was a clachan , a scattered cluster of small, single-storey cottages with thatched roofs. Typical clothing for an Aran man
3294-513: The soil with seaweed and sand from the shore. Drystone walls were built to protect the soil. Seven prehistoric stone forts are on the islands. Dún Aonghasa , on Inishmore, dates back to 1100 BC. Enda of Aran founded the Killeany monastery in Inishmore, AD 490. It became a centre of learning, piety, and asceticism. Also on Inishmore is Tempull Breccain , the fifth-century Church of Saint Brecan . A ringfort on Inisheer, called Dún Formna, became
3355-527: The work of storms. The islands have an unusually temperate climate. Average air temperatures range from 15 °C (59 °F) in July to 6 °C (43 °F) in January. The soil temperature does not usually drop below 6 °C (43 °F) (the winter of 2010 recorded a prolonged period of snow, the first in living memory). Since grass will grow once the temperature rises above 6 °C (43 °F), this means that
3416-510: The world. The impact of earlier karstification (solutional erosion) has been eliminated by the last glacial period. So any Karstification now seen dates from approximately 10,000 years ago and the island Karst is thus recent. Solutional processes have widened and deepened the grikes of the limestone pavement. Pre-existing lines of weakness in the rock (vertical joints) contribute to the formation of extensive fissures separated by clints (flat pavement like slabs). The rock karstification facilitates
3477-583: Was born in Gort na gCapall , Inishmore, on 28 August 1896. Máirtín Ó Díreáin , one of the most eminent poets in the Irish language , was also from Inishmore. Since 2000, Áras Éanna Arts Centre, Inisheer, has been welcoming artists in residence, both local and international, to stay and work on the inspirational Aran Islands for periods of one month. Clíodhna Lyons , born on the islands, is an Irish cartoonist, animator, and printmaker, who has created several comics and 'zines and
3538-496: Was filmed entirely on Inis Mór. Inishmore is the name of the tenth album by the New York heavy metal forefathers Riot (now going under Riot V moniker) and loosely based on tales of Irish famine and emigration, employing many Celtic/Irish sounding passages, as well as an instrumental cover of a well known Irish song Danny Boy . Annals of Inisfallen (AI) The table below reports data on Inis Mór's population taken from Discover
3599-487: Was herself visited by artists such as Basil Rakoczi . A further, related, kind of visitor was those who attempted to collect and catalogue the stories and folklore of the island, treating it as a kind of societal " time capsule " of an earlier stage of Irish culture. Visits of this kind include that captured in Robert J. Flaherty 's 1934 classic documentary Man of Aran . The film's depiction of man's courage and repudiation of
3660-442: Was homespun trousers and waistcoats made of grey or light-brown tweed; for women, a calf-length woven skirt along with a knitted sweater. Aran knitters were highly skilled. In the 1820s, harvesting kelp was an important sideline to raise money for the land rents. Salvaging flotsam often produced wood for building and fuel. In 1898, John Millington Synge started spending his summers in the Aran Islands. His 1904 play, Riders to
3721-433: Was there a single "Aran" culture; any description is necessarily incomplete and can be said to apply completely only to "parts" of the island at certain points in time. Visitors who came and stayed, though, were mainly attracted to aspects of Aran culture such as its reliance on local oral tradition for entertainment and news, isolation, reliance on subsistence or near-subsistence, farming and fishing. For these reasons,
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