Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
small, divided by several thousand miles of “drystone” wall (made without mortar). Most
of these are built in the Aran “gap” style, in which spaces between angled upright stones
are filled with smaller stones. This allows a farmer who wants to move livestock to dis-
mantle a short section of wall as a temporary opening, and then rebuild that section after-
ward. It also allows the harsh winter winds to blow through without knocking down the
wall. Nowadays, tourism boosts the islands' economy.
The islands are a Gaeltacht area. While the islanders speak Irish amongst themselves,
they happily speak English for their visitors. Many islanders have direct, personal connec-
tions with close relatives in America. I once met an Aran minivan driver who served in
the US Navy aboard a destroyer before coming back home to Inishmore. Five of his six
children now have American passports.
Today, the 800 people of Inishmore (literally “the big island”) greet as many as 2,000
visitors a day. The vast majority of these are day-trippers. They'll hop on a minivan at the
dockfora2.5-hourvisittoDúnAenghus(themust-seeIronAgefort),grabasimplelunch,
and then spend an hour or two browsing through the few shops or sitting at a picnic table
outside a pub with a pint of Guinness.
