Aran Islands/Inis Mor

Inis Mor is the largest of the three Aran Island and is approximately five miles long and two miles wide.  With just over 800 residents, it has somehow maintained its quaintness in spite of becoming a popular destination of visitors to Ireland.   This two day excursion was anticipated to be a highlight of our holiday.  We were not disappointed!

We took the 1:00p ferry from Ros a Mil (County Galway) and arrived approximately 45 minutes later.  The weather on Tuesday was overcast and very windy; the Galway Bay was rough.  When we arrived at the Kilronan we were greeted by our guide & driver Gerald of Failte Bus Tours.  Having made the arrangements months ago, it worked out very well to have him meet us at the ferry and takes us to the Aran Islands Hotel, our home away from home while visiting Inis Mor on this overnight side trip.

With about 30 minutes to get freshened up and ready for our tour, Gerald returned to take us around the island.  The weather never did clear up, with clouds and showers throughout our three hour tour which encompassed the entire island with the exception of Dun Aonghasa (more about that later) and Seal Colony (due to the high tide).

As we rode with Gerald, he explained about life on the island.  He also shared the history dating back to 2000 BC when Celtic Tribesmen lived here.  Around 500 AD religion came to Inis Mor, as it became the location for several monasteries.  On a previous tour, a guide referred to Inis Mor as the location where they “turned out monks and priests” when Christianity was brought to Ireland.

Of particular note were the Seven Churches where the ruins of two small churches remain, alongside several 15^th century monastic houses; the lighthouse and land fort located at the highest point on the island; and the far eastern end of the island where dozens of small brown rabbits could be seen grazing.

We also visited the 5^th century church of St. Enda, one of the earliest monasteries on Inis Mor and the fishing pier near the far west end of the island.  For a small island, I was surprised at how diverse the geology of the land was.  Much of the island was the same craggy limestone as what we saw in The Burren on Monday . . . but there were also small areas of grasslands where cows could graze.  We were told there were few to no sheep on Inis Mor because they are wanderers and the island was not conducive to raising them here.  A side not, without sheep there is little need for dogs so there are very few dogs on Inis Mor.  We did see this pretty boxer the next day . . . I thought he’d make a nice addition to my sister’s Brindle Pack . . . bucket mouth and all!

 

The next day (Wednesday) after breakfast, we were picked up by pony & trap by John (driver) and Laura (horse).  We spent three and a half hours touring other parts of the island we could not fit in with Gerald the day before.  Because we were coming out of low tide, we still had enough time to visit the Seal Colony, which was our first stop.  It was especially nice to be out and about sightseeing before the first ferries arrived with hundreds of day-tripper visitors.

The seals could be seen about 100 yards off the shoreline, sunning themselves in the morning sun on rocks that seemed to be just below the water’s surface as the tide continued to inch it way towards the rocky beach.  As the tide was coming in, the seals could be seen moving further inland in an attempt to gain more time on the rocks.  John told us that within the hour, we would be at high tide, with the water lapping up to the rock wall barrier of the road.

After the Seal Colony, we head over to Dun Aonghasa, the stone fort built along the island’s 300 foot Atlantic coast cliffs by Celtic Tribesman around 2000 BC.  The three concentric circular rows of stone walls were built as defense from attackers from the ocean.  Historians are not sure who they were fearful of, as it is thought that the sheer cliffs of 300 feet would be enough protection from intruders.

The view from atop this point on the island was spectacular.   The walk to reach the fort was approximately one kilometer, uphill mostly over a decent gravel pathway.  Until, that is, the final 100 yards or so which increased in steepness over very rough and rocky terrain.  Ellie and I opted to stop rather than risk a fall in attempting to scale the last segment of the hike.  David continued and later provided video with commentary of the sights from above within the fort’s walls.

After our return back down the footpath, we met up with John and Laura.  There were several pony & carts awaiting other passengers who had arrived by ferry during the 90 minutes it took us to climb and return from Dun Aonghasa.  In this area, we saw the blacksmith who comes to Inis Mor monthly from Galway to shoe the horses.  John told us that it costs €70 for a set of four.  Ironically, he returned to the mainland on our ferry later than afternoon.

Ellie had her heart set on buying a genuine handmade Aran sweater while on Inis Mor.  Thankfully I had received good advice from folks on TripAdvisor on the best place to shop, which was confirmed by both Gerald and John.  Ellie bought two lovely sweaters from the little shop in the village adjacent to the entrance road up to Dun Aonghasa.  With a 20% sale, she paid just €40 each for them.

After our shopping visit, we headed back towards our hotel on the “high” road.  Laura did well pulling us up the gradually inclining hill, although I must admit I really felt for her as she worked her way back to where we were picked up.

As you may have noted in the photos, John’s trap (aka “buggy”) is covered with roll-up side panels.  Gerald had helped to make our arrangements with John and suggested we might like this arrangement given how poor the weather was while out with him in the van.  As luck would have it, we woke up to crystal clear skies and little wind.  That said, it was still nice to have the ability to have the enclosure just in case showers or high winds moved in.

John was clearly proud of his recently acquired new cart.  He told us he bought it about two weeks ago, having it custom made to meet his specifications.  It was very comfortable and spacious.  While the weather was good enough that we could have rode in the more traditional open cart, we were happy to have opted for this one while out with John.

Back at the Aran Islands Hotel, we enjoyed a couple of hours of downtime with a beverage and some internet time.  Niall (pronounced like “Nile”) was kind enough to drive us down to the pier in time for our 5:00pm departure. 

A little bit about the Aran Islands Hotel . . . Niall is one of the relatively new owners and has made great strides on improving the here-to-fore less than great reputation of the only hotel on Inis Mor.  While visitors have the option of many B&B’s as well as a few hostels, this hotel is really the only location that has the ability to host a wedding of any size.   For us, I selected the Aran Islands Hotel for their location; close enough to the pier and village of Kilronan and yet far enough away for lovely seaside views.  Additionally, they feature a full-service pub and restaurant, making it nice to be able to come home and enjoy a pint (or three) and the just make our way upstairs (by lift) to bed.

Our stay was delightful.  We had the comfort of a spacious family suite, which are very popular throughout Ireland.  The room accommodations included a queen size bed along with two twins.  A bathroom with a great shower along with a sitting area that included a couch and desk, plus television added all of the comforts necessary to enjoy a relaxing stay.

As for the pub & restaurant, we thoroughly enjoyed our dinners as well as the full Irish breakfast that is included in the room rate.  I was surprised at how reasonably priced the dinners were, ranging from €12 to €17.  David and his mom enjoyed the nightly special of roast beef while I chose the cod and chips.  We did partake in desserts, which were exceptional too!  Our total bill including soft drinks, a couple of pints and a shot of Jameson came to €75.

About the pints of Guinness, for those reading this in anticipation of an upcoming trip to Ireland, I recall there being some posts on TripAdvisor regarding the price of a pint here.  So far, we’ve paid been €3.40 at Gally’s in Tralee and €4.40 at Ballyseede Castle Hotel also in Tralee.  The most common price paid, however has been €4.00, including here on Inis Mor at the Aran Island Hotel.  So far we have yet to see the reported €5 - €7 pint!

The one beverage I have been surprised at, has been soft drinks.  I’ve paid anywhere from €2.00 for a 200ml bottle to €4 for a twin-pack of two liter bottles at Centra.  Most pubs and restaurants have fountain type soft drinks which have been poor in quality.  I much prefer those who serve in the can or bottle, even if they are a bit more expensive.

At this point in our holiday, we just have three days left.  It’s hard to believe we’re winding down and will soon be back home in the USA.  Today (writing on Thursday) we are planning to go to Connemara.  Tomorrow, we head back to Dublin where we’ll be staying two nights in Malahide at the Pebble Mill B&B.  With a 10:00am flight home on Sunday, we’ll be happy to be less than 30 minutes away from the airport.

Until next time . . .