The Aran Islands
Inis Mor | Inis Oirr | Inis Meain
The Aran Islands are a group of three islands located at the mouth of Galway Bay, on the west coast of Ireland. The largest island is inis mor, the middle and second-largest is Inis meain, and the smallest and most eastern is Inis oirr. Irish is a spoken language on all three islands, and is the language used naming the islands and their villages and townlands.
The islands are one of the few remaining "Gaeltachts" where Irish remains the primary language. The people of the Aran Islands keep up with their many longstanding traditions and continue to have a very strong connection to the land and sea that surrounds them.
They are fiercely proud of their ancient heritage and work hard to ensure the future of their Irish-speaking community. All aspects of Irish culture is cherished by the islanders, especially since the establishment of Radio na Gaeltachta (the designated Irish language radio channel).
Tourism has become a vital source of revenue, but fishing and agriculture still provide an income for many families.
Things to see
Inis Mor:
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Dun Aengus is a fort situated on the edge of a cliff at a height of 100 meters overlooking the Atlantic Ocean on Inishmore. It consists of a series of concentric circular walls, the innermost; the citadel encloses an area approximately 50 meters in diameter with 4m thick walls of stone.
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Teampall Bheanain is considered the smallest church in the world and is notable for it's orientation - north / south facing instead of east / west facing.
Inis Meain:
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Teampall an Cheathrair Álainn has a holy well which inspired JM Synge's play "The Well of the Saint".
Inis Oirr:
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O'Brien's Castle on Inis Oírr in the Aran Islands was built in the 14th century. The castle was taken from the O'Briens by the O'Flaherty clan of Connemara in 1582.
Information/images Source: Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aran_Islands)
