Inisheer Travel Guide

 
by pure1942
 
  •   Inisheer
    by pure1942
  •   Inisheer
    by pure1942
  •   Things to Do
    by pure1942
  •   Things to Do
    by pure1942
  •   Things to Do
    by pure1942
 

Explore Inisheer

Things to Do  

Áras Éanna

Áras Éanna, Inisheer

 pure1942 Says:  Inis Óirr has a dedicated arts and culture centre which displays traditional and contemporary arts. The centre has a conference centre, artist studio and gallery, exhibition centre, coffee shop and has a 70 seater theatre. The Arts centre also serves as a community... 

Villages

Villages, Inisheer

 pure1942 Says:  While it may seem that the settlements on Inis Óirr are all part of one village, the settlements are in fact divided into several villages of communities. The main village is Baile an Lurgáin which is the closest village to the pier and has most of the facities and services... 

Teampall Chaomhán

Teampall Chaomhán, Inisheer

 pure1942 Says:  Teampall Chaomháin or the Church of St. Keevaun is located directly below O’Brien’s Castle and Castle Village but without knowing about the church you could miss the unusual and interesting remains of this ancient church. Situated in a sunken hollow in a mound of earth and... 

Stone Walls

Stone Walls, Inisheer

 pure1942 Says:  It might seem a strange thing to include in a ‘things to do’ tip on Inis Óirr, but the dry-stone walls of Inis Óirr really are one of the most impressive and thought-provoking sights on Inis Óirr. The miles and miles of stone walls which mark out the tiny plots of land on... 

Limestone Formations

Limestone Formations, Inisheer

 pure1942 Says:  Inis Óirr, like all the Aran Islands, is essentially an extension of the Burren in County Clare. The unique rocky landscape and unusual formations are a sight in themselves. The cracked surface of the landscape marks out much of the land in a grid pattern kwon formally as... 

Flora of Inis Óirr

Flora of Inis Óirr, Inisheer

 pure1942 Says:  Many of the unique plant growth witnessed in the Burren can also be found on Inis Óirr and the other Aran Islands. The peculiarity of the plant life around these parts of Ireland is that Mediterranean, Arctic, Alpine and Temperate varieties of plants grow together in the one... 

An Trá - The Beach

An Trá - The Beach, Inisheer

 pure1942 Says:  The small island of Inis Oirr is blessed with a beautiful and clean beach which can be nearly guaranteed to be uncrowded apart from the height of the summer when sunny days sees many ‘mainlanders’ make the trip over the island beach to enjoy its clean sandy beach and clear,... 

Loch Mór

Loch Mór, Inisheer

 pure1942 Says:  On the road to the Plassy Shipwreck, you will pass the peaceful lake, known simply as Loch Mór (Big Lake) This, the only natural freshwater lake on the island has uncovered evidence from its plant and pollen samples that the island was once covered with forest thousands of... 

Tobar Éinne

Tobar Éinne, Inisheer

 pure1942 Says:  Tobar Éinne or the Well of St. Enda is located around a mile south of the pier and village of Baile an Lurgáin. The small well may not look very impressive but is an important part of Island tradition. Locals still regularly visit the holy well, to pray and bless themselves... 

Dún Formna

Dún Formna, Inisheer

 pure1942 Says:  The crowning glory of Inis Oirr is the impressive 15th century O’ Brien’s Castle, but what many visitors fail to realise is that this castle is built inside an even older stone fort known as Dún Formna. The rings of stone which surround the castle are the remains of this... 

Transportation  

Aer Arann

Aer Arann, Inisheer

 pure1942 Says:  You can also reach any of the three Aran Islands by air using the Aer Arann service from Inverin in Galway. (There are no flights from any other airport) Note that the island service uses a different website and booking service than the international and other national... 

Walk!

Walk!, Inisheer

 pure1942 Says:  If you have more time on the island, walking around the maze of narrow roads and tracks on the island is one of the true pleasures of a trip to Inis Óirr. Nearly all the roads are lined with the famous stone walls of Aran and away from the pier and villages you can have the... 

Rent a Bike

Rent a Bike, Inisheer

 pure1942 Says:  Better than any of the above suggestions is renting a bike. Cycling around the narrow roads and tracks of the island is the best way of seeing the beautiful landscape and historic sights and renting them is easy. There is a bike hire place near the pier on Inis Óirr and... 

Getting around the Islands

Getting around the Islands, Inisheer

 pure1942 Says:  Traditionally the Inis Óirr was car free but in recent years, cars have popped up on the island. However, driving is not recommended to visitors due mainly to the unavailability of car rent and to be honest you won’t need one on this small island. Car insurance is also a bit... 

Ferry

Ferry, Inisheer

 pure1942 Says:  Ferry from RossavealRossaveal has been the traditional departure point of ferries to the Aran Islands and people visiting the Connaught province (Galway/Connamara, Mayo, Sligo) will use the services from Rossaveal. Aran Island Ferries and Aran Direct offer ferry services to... 

Ferry

Ferry, Inisheer

 pure1942 Says:  Ferry from Doolin to Inis ÓirrThe ferry service from Doolin in Co. Clare has improved considerably in recent years and is a convenient way to reach the islands for visitors who have been travelling around the south west of Ireland – The Burren and Cliffs of Moher are very... 

Local Customs  

Currachs

Currachs, Inisheer

 pure1942 Says:  On all the Aran Islands you will easily be able to spot the tradional fishing and transport boats of the islands. Known as Currachs, these boats have been the mode of water transport for the local islands for centuries and are still used to this day by local fishermen. The... 

Road and Public Signs

Road and Public Signs, Inisheer

 pure1942 Says:  As an official Gaeltacht area, all road signs and public notices are in Irish. Signposts to sights of interest are often just in Irish so it’s good to know the names of the places in Irish. It is also important to recognise road signs in Ireland especially if you are driving... 

Aran Sweaters

Aran Sweaters, Inisheer

 pure1942 Says:  The world famous woollen sweaters of Aran have their roots in the fishing traditions of the island men. The women traditionally made the wool from the sheep’s fleece while the men knitted the sweaters using goose quills as needles. The traditionally cream coloured sweaters... 

Gaeltacht Island

Gaeltacht Island, Inisheer

 pure1942 Says:  Inis Óirr is a designated ‘Gaeltacht’ areas which means that the first language of the local islanders is the ancient Irish language (Gaeilge). The Irish language is a form of the old Gaelic language spoken by the Celts and is one of the official languages of Ireland. There... 

The Place

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The People

 
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 Shhh....apparently, the animals living on Inis Oirr have all been disguised as cows...!(Do you like this tip? Please rate it, thanks!) 

 

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Top 2 Inisheer Writers

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Inis Óirr - Inisheer

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 Inis Óirr gives a better indication of the peaceful and tranquil traditions of the Aran Islands and their inhabitants than Inis Mór. Generally the island is far less busy than Inis Mor and you really... 

2

Fell in love with Inis Oirr...

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 I meant to stay a night or two on each of the three Aran islands. I started with the smallest, Inis Oirr, but I never got to the other two! I ended up staying the better part of a week in this tiny...... 

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