Aran Islands, Ireland

4 more images

Fort Aengus is a part of the irish heritage, that is still almost totally unexplored by science. It is eighter a pre-historic castle or maybe a ring-fort built by several circles of stonewalls, BUT the ring is not complete, as the ring is "open" towards the sea and the high cliffs at the backside.Be careful, when walking around inside of Fort Aengus, these cliffs do not have a fence and the rocks will fall down about 100 meters. There seems to be a small entrance-fee today, during my visits a lot of years ago it was free of charge.
You need to be able to climb a bit and walk on a ground of loose rocks and stones, not really a good place to walk with elderly people or small children !!
---------------------------
Some links for Innismore and the other Aran islands:
---
www.visitaranislands.com
---
www.aranislandsdirect.com

1 more image

This amazing fort stands on cliffs high above the sea on the island of Inishmore. The site can be reached by bike, taxi, bus, or a very long walk from the island's main harbor. The walk to the fort from the gate is a bit of a climb itself and can be quite crowded during the tourist season.

Unlike many sites in the US and other safety-paranoid nations there are few impediments from anyone walking off the edge of the cliff inside the fort. The fort itself conists of two enclosures composed of rough rocks harvested from the surrounding area. This site is a must see for anyone visiting the Aran Islands.

A day out in the Aran Islands was the high point of a week long trip we took to Ireland this summer. We spent the day cycling across the island and taking in the historic sites and incredible sea cliff views the island of Inis Mor had to offer. This is a destination not to be missed if you are traveling to Ireland for more than a few days. Cycle rental was 10 euros for the day but be sure to inspect your cycle before jetting off (one in our group picked a really naff one!).

4 more images

Situated in the far east of the Irish coast, these islands have everything you need for a one day trip. The best thing is to hire a bicicle and spend the day seeing Celtic remainings. Do not miss the cliffts!!!! Impressive!

Aran Islands are one of the most beautiful places I have seen in Ireland .Surely, its clifts are a must-see attraction and the remainings of the celtic civilization can be seen and felt in every single corner of the Islands.

1 more image

The highlight of our trip to Inis Mor was going to Dun Aonghas - a stone fort which dates back over 2000 years. The fort is spectacularly perched on the edge of the cliffside almost 100 metres above the sea level. In the past it offered excellent defence to the ancient tribes, being protected by 6-metre high walls from the side of land and 100-metre cliffs forming the natural barrier to the invaders coming by sea. Today the fort lets tourists into its heart and offers stunning views.

Without doubt, the best souvenir from Inis Mor is an Aran sweater. These traditional sweaters were once worn by the island's fishermen. Today they are still hand-knit and each one is a bit different, which makes them really unique. The stitches have their meaning and each family used to have their individual pattern passed from generation to generation. Those patterns were often used to identify the bodies of fishermen who died at sea.
Even if you don't buy a sweater (an average price is 40 - 50 Euro), you may find it interesting to visit Aran Sweater Museum (free admission).

2 more images

The three Aran Islands of Inis Mor, Inis Meain and Inis Oirr, called by Seamus Heaney "three stepping stones out of Europe", are located at the mouth of Galway Bay, on the most westerly edge of the continent.
The islands were first populated in large numbers in the 17th century, at the times of Cromwell's conquest of Ireland. Many catholics sought here the refuge from Protestants' rule.
Today all three islands are Gaeltacht - the region where Irish is the first language. Of course, it doesn't mean that English is not spoken here; everybody knows it and it's widely used to communicate with tourists. But if you feel like learning Irish, the Aran islands are the best place - there are plenty of courses to choose from.
The biggest of the islands - Inis Mor - is 12 km by 3 km in size. Its population is 800 people, which is quite modest in comparison with 1000 - 2000 tourists coming here daily in high season. The land is barren and rocky. It's hard to imagine all the sweat and effort it cost to clear the soil of stones. In result we can see long ribbons of dry-stone walls stretching for kilometres and the patchwork of fields.
The best way to visit Inis Mor is by bike. There are a few places close to a ferry port where you can hire a bicycle. The price is about 10 Euro a day. If you are pressed for time, as we were, you can decide on a tour of the island by mini-bus. A driver, acting also as a guide, will take you to the most interesting places and tell you many stories of the island's past and present. The tour, which lasts about 3 hours, costs 10 Euro.

The best way to reach Inis Mor is from the Rossaveal Harbour, Connemara. I advise you not to buy ferry tickets in the first ticket office close to the car park. The price offered there was 25 Euro for a return ticket (August 2006), whereas in the harbour itself there are other offices where we bought tickets for 13 Euro.

This is a don't miss. The Aran islands are traditional Ireland. The largest island, Inis Mor, has over 7,000 miles of stone walls. The cliffs at the fort rival the Cliffs of Mohrer. Take a ferry from either Doolin in Clare or Rossaveal near Connemara. There will be horse drawn carriages and buses waiting to take you around the small island. Horse carriages will cost you a lot more than the bus, but they are more quaint. Do not take a bicycle unless you are an avid bike rider. We saw a lot of people pushing bicycles up hills.