Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Strewn like limestone chips hammered off the jagged west coast, the three Aran Is-
lands—Inishmore, Inishmaan, and Inisheer—confront the wild Atlantic with stubborn
grit. The largest, Inishmore (9 miles by 2 miles), is by far the most populated, interesting,
and visited (try to spend a night here). Inisheer, the smallest (1.5 miles square), and best
reached from Doolin, is worth considering for travelers with less time.
The landscape of all three islands is harsh. Steep, rugged cliffs fortify the southern
flanks of each island. Windswept rocky fields, stitched together by stone walls, blanket
the interiors. And the island's precious few sandy beaches hide in coves that dimple the
northern shores. During the winter, severe gales sweep through; because of this, most of
the settlements on the islands are found on the more sheltered northeastern side.
There's a stark beauty about the Aran Islands and the simple lives their inhabitants eke
out of a mean sea and less than six inches of topsoil. Precious little of the land is pro-
ductive. In the past, people made a precarious living here from fishing and farming. The
scoured bedrock offered little in the way of soil, so it was created by the islanders—the
result of centuries of layering seaweed with limestone sand and animal dung. Fields are
