Off the coast of Western Ireland, in the heart of Galway Bay, is a place virtually untouched by tourism. This place consists of three islands known for their wool sweaters and ancient landmarks. The people living on these islands live simple lives, farming, fishing and writing, and all those quintessential “Irish” things. They are some of the friendliest people I have ever met, and I have never had a better meal of fish n’ chips in my life. These three islands are called the Aran Islands and are known as Inis Mór, Inis Meáin, and Inis Oírr – the great, the middle, and the back. In English, they are spelled Inishmore, Inishmaan, and Inisheer, but the Gaelic is just so much prettier. Most people visit Inishmore, the big island, because naturally they believe that this island offers the most to do. While this is the best island to explore for culture and shopping, it isn’t actually the island that has the most to see, nor the most authentic “Irish” feel. Surprisingly, the smallest island, Inisheer, is actually the island with the most to see, and although I was fortunate enough to explore both magical places, Inisheer quickly became my favorite.
I’ll begin with Inishmore, because it is the place most of you will decide to go and there are some incredible landmarks and woolen mills to discover on the “big island.” It is called the big island because it is the biggest geographically as well as population based. That isn’t saying much, though with only 840 inhabitants residing on the island year round. On the island, there is one ATM, one grocery store, one shop, one tiny police station, three bike rental places, five hotels, and seven pubs/restaurants. It is still tiny. (Side note: the smallest island population-wise is actually Inishmaan, the middle island of the three, with just 160 people. It is the island with very little to actually do, however it is so rich in Irish culture that Gaelic is the language predominantly spoken and could be an incredible experience for someone looking to immerse themselves in the Irish culture). But don’t worry, there is plenty of Irish culture on the Aran Islands and most everyone speaks both English and Gaelic (which the Irish simply refer to as Irish).
You might recognize some of Inishmore’s rocky coastal landscape and its narrow streets from the 2010 romantic comedy Leap Year with Amy Adams. You know, the one where the stuck up Bostonian travels to Ireland to propose to her boyfriend on February 29th because of an old wives’ tale? Declan’s pub in the movie is actually a real pub in the village of Kilmurvy on Inishmore. The scenery on the island is even more breathtaking in person, and of course the best way to explore the island—all 12 square miles of it—is to travel by bicycle. The little bike shops are right in front of the dock when you get off the ferry (which leaves from Rossaveal in County Galway from which you can get a bus and ferry ticket package right from Galway through the Galway Tour Company for a great price). Of course I chose the bubblegum pink bicycle complete with a wicker basket— it was so full of character and each bike was only $10 to rent for the entire day so I wanted to ride in style.
We rode down old country roads through the farmlands. The sun was shining and the cows were mooing and everything was so peaceful. We stopped to pet horses and take in the incredible coastal views and beautiful ancient rock walls. We rode our bikes in the chilly March air (definitely wait until it’s truly spring if you want to really enjoy the Irish weather and not get stranded because of weather conditions). Finally, we came to the island’s claim to fame, the ancient Dún Aonghasa, spelled and pronounced in English as Dun Aengus. This ancient fort is the most famous of several prehistoric sites throughout the islands, and is believed to have been constructed in 1100 BC, having been added to throughout the centuries. Lying at the edge of an Irish cliff, the ancient site offers jaw-dropping views of Galway Bay and the Atlantic. So of course this became the perfect backdrop for the final proposal scene in Leap Year; which guy does Amy Adams choose, the love she came to find, or the Irish bartender she met along the way? And make sure you take a peak in the beautiful Aran Woolen mill near the ferry before you head back to the mainland, and gaze longingly at the incredible handwoven sweaters you won’t be able to afford if you’re travelling on a study abroad budget; but hey, sometimes those kinds of novelties become necessities—like the beautiful Aran sweater currently hanging in my closet at home.
Inisheer is the smallest land-wise of all the islands, but the quaintness of it makes it very easy to explore and see all the interesting attractions you might not expect to find out on the middle of an island. I had thought that Inishmore had been small, but boy was I in for a surprise. The small island had just one pub open, one little bike shop, one tiny market… and that was all I saw in terms of shops. It was even more traditionally Irish than the big island had been and much less touristy. The same ferry that leaves from Rossaveal takes you to Inisheer, just one stop further on the boat.
On Inisheer there is an old stone fort, an older stone castle, and an even OLDER church in an ancient Celtic cemetery (pictured above). There is also a beautiful lighthouse, and incredible stone wall-lined roads crisscrossing the entirety of the island. If you find the island’s only school, you can even slip in to the incredibly creative and fun playground that we spent a half-hour in flying through the salty air on a zip line of all things. Out of everything on either island, the shipwreck was by far the most incredible spectacle. The Plassey had seen the world in its hay-day, but in 1960 the ship crashed against the rocks off the shore of the island in a bad storm. All of the crew survived thanks to the people of Inisheer and the boat eventually washed up on shore of the island and has sat there ever since. Despite all the rust, you can still see the beauty that the vessel once held.
I can’t leave out our little friend who followed us around the island, either. We named this boy Brownie and he just followed us along to the shipwreck as we rode our bikes. He led us for most of the way, and it was clear that he has travelled these roads many times in his life. He even jumped right up onto this rock he’s sitting on as if he had done it hundreds of times before. He is an old soul and he was a great companion to have as we explored the island.
We ended our day in the one open pub on the island, playing pool with the local fisherman as we ate the most incredible Guinness-battered fish n’ chips that they had brought in fresh that morning. Sitting there in the simple pub with the Irish sporting memorabilia and listening to thick Irish accents and even some of the local language, I felt as though I had stepped back in time. That’s how Ireland makes you feel; it removes you from the stress of everyday life in the modern world and brings you back to a time when life was simpler. Ireland really makes one appreciate both life and the land, and there is no better place to do it than on the remote, quintessential Irish island of Inisheer.
