Aran Island

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Aran Island

 Europe By Daddio
July 7th 2007
Geoffrey Burgess Visiting Inish Mor (the largest of the three Aran Islands) is my favorite part of the trip, last time and now. It's remote and rustic surrounded by dramatic scenery. Of course, tourism along with fishing are the primary industries, and there were many tourists present while we were there. However, despite accomodations for the island visitors, much of the life there reminds me of Smith Island in the Chesapeake where the traditional life goes on and the past is remembered. One indication of this is that Gaelic is the primary language of the islanders. There are just over 800 permanent residents, down from a peak of 3000, and while they are all bi-lingual, Gaelic is the language used for teaching subjects in school.

One highlight of Inish Mor is Dun Aengus, a Celtic fort that sits on a 300 foot cliff. I must admit I was nervous as our students peered over the edge, but we all survived. At the end of the day I walked around the island some more and ended up getting rather wind/sun burned. Funny to get this sort of color after days of rain.

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Comments

[K]

I love the coastal wave shots! Stunning! No sunblock in Ireland?? K

[B' rg' D]

Alainn. Quite stunning. Blog on. We're ready for the watercolors now. And the pubs. Paint me a pint?