Description: With just two days on Inis Mor, the largest of the three Aran Island, we had to make the most of our time without killing ourselves trying. Being a relatively small island (just 12 square miles in total), many visitors hike or cycle the island during their stay. That was not an option for us for a number of reasons. Booking our arrangements in advance of arrival with Gerald of Failte Bus Tour was a perfect start to our time on the island.
Arriving on the 2:00pm ferry from Ros a Mhil, Gerald was there as scheduled to meet us. A windy, cold and rainy afternoon, it was nice to have him there to take us to the Aran Islands Hotel to check in, drop off our bags and freshen up a bit. When he returned, we were off for a three hour orientation and exploration of Inis Mor. I was really happy that we had our van tour scheduled for this afternoon, as the weather was marginal at best. It was even nicer to have scheduled the tour as a private tour, although we did share him for one small segment later in the day.
As we left our hotel, the first and most striking thing to note was the miles and miles of stone walls. Gerald told us that there were more than 7,000 miles of the stone walls on this small island. They were used to segment the land so that everyone had "some good with some bad". The land is generally too sparse in vegetation for sheep, so cows are raised here. They are not kept for dairy purposes, however, but instead to birth calves that are sold on the mainland for human consumption (beef).
Our first stop was the old lighthouse and fort, located atop the highest point of the island. Today the lighthouse is no longer in use as it served little purpose being so far inland. Built in 1818, today it sits more as a ruin to be explored and climbed. From atop, an expansive view of the entire island can be had.
As we drove along the narrow roads of Inis Mor, we passed a number of thatch roof houses, including a couple that had fallen due to lack of upkeep. One of the more famous thatch room houses here is the Man of Aran Cottage, which today is a B&B. The house was built in the early 1930's for the movie "Man of Aran".
We were taken to the area known as Seven Churches, perhaps the most important monastic settlements on the island. The first of two church here dates back to 8th century and while largely in ruin, can still be entered through the remaining standing walls. There were also other buildings constructed on this site, all of which are in ruin; many only documented through archeological research.
We drove along the shoreline hoping to see the seals, but it was high tide so there really wasn't much to see there. At the far western end of the island, we got out at a fishing peer that was lined with lobster pots. In this area of Inis Mor, the landscape looked much more like what we has seen at The Burren. Inis Mor is believed to have broken off the Irish mainland and the limestone rocks found here today are given as scientific testament to that theory.
From this end of the island, we drove to the far other end, the area closest to the other two Aran Islands. In this area there was grass fields. Under the shroud of clouds, the amount of light was more like dusk and brown rabbits could be seen darting between their holes as we approached. Gerald said that the residents did not hunt nor eat the rabbits and with few natural predators, they pretty much have taken over the fields here. That said, we did see one large bird feasting on what appeared to be the remains of a small baby bunny.
Also located in this area is another ancient ruin of a church dating back to approximately the 8th century. It was built in honor of St. Enda who founded a monastic school in this area during the 6th century. It is here that the remains of two high crosses lay in the sandy ground.
We thoroughly enjoyed our time with Gerald. He was very informative and willing to answer any questions that we had. We learned a lot about life on Inis Mor, and the people who have lived here for generations. He provided us with plenty of time to get out of the van to walk around the various sites of interest to us. We did not do Dun Aonghasa or the small nearby shopping area with him since we had another tour scheduled for the following day. Because we booked in advance with him, he provided his guide services to us for €30.
When you arrive on Inis Mor, either by ferry or plane, you will find there are several tour van operators all willing to take passengers around the island. Most will do so on a group basis and charge €10 per person for a set two hour tour. I've read that this fee may be a bit negotiable upon arrival especially if it is a slow day or you are arriving later in the day. The most popular time to arrive is on the first ferry that departs the mainland at 10:30am so our tour time was such that I believe Gerald was willing to work with us, providing a longer and more personal tour for the same €10 per person fee.
We were very happy with our time spent with Gerald and would recommend him and Failte Bus Tour to anyone planning time on Inis Mor.
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