The Aran Islands in photos

I took a ferry out to Inishmore, the main Aran Island just off the coast of Galway for a day. There are three islands: Inishmore (the biggest), Inishman, and Inisheer. Most of the ferries run between the coast and Inishmore, although you can find ferries that will take you to the smaller islands. Since it was only a day trip, I only made it around the main island. Inish is the main language spoken on the islands and I was able to see one of the summer schools where intensive Irish language summer schools are held each year.

Most tourists visit Inishmore in order to see a fort called Dun Aengus. Built on the edge of a cliff at a height of 100 meters overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, the hike up to the top wasn't as easy as it initially looked especially with very, very gusty winds and heavy torrential rain. Although, it miraculously cleared once I hit the summit.

The Aran islands have a very rich literary history. In addition to local poet Máirtín Ó Díreáin of Inishmore who upholds the tradition of written Irish poetry, Lady Gregory sought solace in the rugged beauty of the Aran Islands. W.B. Yeats also has a connection to the island as he famously told his friend and playwright J.M. Synge: "Go to the Aran Islands, and find a life that has never been expressed in literature." Synge listened to his friend's advice and the Aran Islands had a profound influence on his plays, forever altering the direction of his work. W.B. is everywhere in Ireland and it seems that I can never move to a new town or county without locating places he stayed, visited, or referred to in his poems!













Final thoughts: "In this world, there are things you can only do alone, and things you can only do with somebody else. It's important to combine the two in just the right amount." — Haruki Murakami (I'm currently reading "The Wind-up Bird Chronicle")