Aran Islands

The Aran Islands ( ARR-n; Irish: Oileáin Árann, pronounced [lan an]) or The Arans (na hÁrainneacha [n hanx]), are a group of three islands at the mouth of Galway Bay, off the west coast of Ireland, with a combined area of about 46 km2 (18 mi2). They form the historic barony of Aran in County Galway. From west to east, the islands are Inishmore (Árainn / Inis Mór), the largest; Inishmaan (Inis Meáin), the second-largest; and Inisheer (Inis Oírr), the smallest. Several smaller islets also lie in the group. The population of 1,347 (as of 2022) primarily speaks Irish, making the islands part of the Gaeltacht. Most residents are also fluent or proficient in English. The population has declined steadily since 1841, when it was approximately 3,500.

The bay between the Aran Islands and the mainland divides as follows:

North Sound / An Súnda ó Thuaidh (more accurately Bealach Locha Lurgan) lies between Inishmore and Lettermullen, County Galway. Gregory's Sound / Súnda Ghríoghóra (formerly known as Bealach na h-Áite) lies between Inishmore and Inishmaan. Foul Sound / An Súnda Salach (formerly known as Bealach na Fearbhaighe) lies between Inishmaan and Inisheer. South Sound / An Súnda ó Dheas (formerly known as Bealach na Fínnise) lies between Inisheer and County Clare. Ferries operate year-round to all three islands from Rossaveal in County Galway, and there is also a seasonal service from Doolin in County Clare. From Connemara Airport near Inverin flights are operated by Aer Arann Islands.

Little is known about the first inhabitants to cross over to the islands, but they likely came across in search of a safe haven from attack. The islands are made up of Carboniferous limestone and have no naturally occurring topsoil. Early settlers augmented the soil with seaweed and sand from the shore. Drystone walls were built to protect the soil. Seven prehistoric stone forts are on the islands. Dún Aonghasa, on Inishmore, dates to 1100 BC. Enda of Aran founded the Killeany monastery in Inishmore, AD 490. It became a centre of learning, piety, and asceticism. Also on Inishmore is Tempull Breccain, the fifth-century Church of Saint Brecan. A ringfort on Inisheer, called Dún Formna, became the site of a castle built by the O'Briens around the 15th century. Cromwell's soldiers destroyed the castle and all but two of the seven churches established by Brecan. In 1693 the islands were briefly captured and held by Jacobite privateer Thomas Vaughan, whose crew plundered Protestant settlements there. The typical settlement was a clachan, a scattered cluster of small, single-storey cottages with thatched roofs. Typical clothing for an Aran man was homespun trousers and waistcoats made of grey or light-brown tweed; for women, a calf-length woven skirt along with a knitted sweater. Aran knitters were highly skilled. In the 1820s, harvesting kelp was an important sideline to raise money for the land rents. Salvaging flotsam often produced wood for building and fuel.. In 1898, John Millington Synge started spending his summers in the Aran Islands. His 1904 play Riders to the Sea is set on Inishmaan. He published The Aran Islands, six plays set in or strongly influenced by his time in Aran.

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