We are having 4 days on the Aran Islands - on Inis Meain and Inis Mor
Leaving the port at Galway, we took a bus north for 45 mins to Rossaveal.
A 45 minute ferry ride to the medium-sized island of Inis Meain. 8 kms long, 250 residents and all
Gaelic speakers. English only spoken to tourists.
Our B&B run by Angela Flaherty. Three other couples staying tonight.
A little gem on her mantlepiece.
The Islands are off the coast of The Burren and continue the limestone plateau. It is difficult to grow crops with such little soil, there are no free standing trees, and everything is constructed of limestone. To supplement what little soil there is farmers mix sand and seaweed to grow essential Irish crops like potatoes. Fishing and farming, albeit on a small scale are the main occupations. With no natural water supply, the town has big tanks to store water and there are permanent water restrictions - for us showers only between 10am and 6pm.
We did a self-guided walk on a beautifully sunny day, even warmer with the reflected heat of the rock. This church is a typical 8 - 9th century building, which had a wood-framed roof.
This is a large fort and thought to date back to the first century AD.
There are a few cattle, sheep and the odd donkey. Lots of sea views to enjoy.
Wildflowers
Inis Meain has a pub, a shop and a knitwear factory. Aran Islands in Scotland and the islands here in Ireland both produce jumpers with their own distinctive patterns.
There are a few new buildings. This is a boutique hotel, cleverly disguised with local stone, but offers all the facilities of a modern hotel. www.inismeain.com
View to the mainland where you can see, bordering The Burren, the spectacular Cliffs of Mor, which tower 210m above the sea.
M&M
29/6/2014
No comments:
Post a Comment