May 6, 2024 Aran Islands

The first Monday in May is a National holiday here is Ireland. It was cloudy this morning temperature 11°C and very little wind.

Buffet breakfast was at 7:45 a.m., we stay another night so no luggage to put in the corridor this morning. Everyone was on the bus by 8:45 a.m. for the 45 minute drive to Rossaveel where the Aran Islands Ferry leaves for Inis Mór just after 10 a.m. We arrived 20 minutes early. The ferry passengers started to board at 10 and by 10:15 a.m. the ferry was 80% full and was underway. There was a light shower as we cruised across Galway Bay, but Inis Mór was dry when we got there.

We waited for Peter to instruct the group what route to take to Tí Joe Watty bar. It was a one kilometre hike up a small hill. I was wearing my bright orange cycling jacket and one of the group told me that he just followed us since we were in the leading group. Once inside we took seats in the reserved area which was well over half the pub. Sandwiches, vegetable soup and tea or coffee was the group meal. Alcohol could be purchased individually. We listened to a brief history of the area. There are three Aran Islands at the mouth of Galway Bay. Inis Mór is the largest island with a population of over 800 scattered in 14 villages. It has two primary schools, one high school and one grocery store. The rock walls that are everywhere on the island and in Ireland are built without mortar and they are not pressed tight together, rather there are on purpose holes for the wind to blow through the wall.

After lunch two minibuses took the group for a tour of the island. There were several fisherman memorials along the route, to remember fishermen and other who perished in the sea. Our driver, Steven, pointed a lighthouse built in 1818 by the English. He commented It was used for two years and abandoned for several reasons. It was built 300 meters from the shoreline on a hill that often had fog on it. It was too dangerous for ships since lighthouses are usually right at the shore. The first stop was the seven churches ruin. The Seven Churches were originally two, but five smaller building were added when it became a monastery. The location was for centuries one of the biggest monastic foundations and centres of pilgrimage along the west coast of Ireland. St Brecan’s Church was the largest and oldest, built around 1200. The smaller Church of the Hollow was built in the 15th century. There was a gorgeous view of Galway Bay. On the way to the next stop, we passed a thatched roof cottage with a traditional curragh upside down in the yard. The boat has a wooden frame and is covered with canvas, although in earlier times the covering was animal skins or hides.

The final stop was to hike one kilometre up to visit the 3,000 year old Dún Aonghasa. Peter advised us that we had two hours there. It was a late Bronze Age hill fort with three layers of ramparts. It is situated on cliffs 87 meters above Atlantic Ocean. It was used from 1100 to 500 BC then little activity for one thousand years, then used again from 500 to 1000 AD. The last one third kilometre at the top had an incline up to 20%, but the stones were uneven and you picked your way up. It was even slower going down, because you knew how challenging the climb had been. No one in our group reported any mishaps.

Back at the Visitor Center there was a café which sold coffee and ice cream and beside it was a bar with a patio. Also there was a gift shop with beautiful Aran wool sweaters, scarves and mitts. We were picked up at 3:30 p.m. and were taken back to the ferry dock for the 4 o’clock ferry which finally filled up about 4:30 p.m. The voyage back took about an hour. Norman was waiting with the Globus bus to take us back to Galway.

We were back at the hotel by 6:30 p.m., then the group dispersed to find a restaurant. We chose Murty Rabbitts pub where Larry had Thai red curry chicken and Claire had a beet and goat cheese salad.

Total steps for today 11,210