Inis Oirr Lighthouse
A Quick Tour of Inis Oirr's Heritage Sites
This section is organized as if you are walking around the island. Start at the ferry dock and walk east (left) follow the lane toward the playing fields. I have not included descriptions of the grocery store, hotels, B&Bs, guest houses, restaurants, pubs, tea rooms, coffee shops, clothing/knit/souvenir shops, bike rentals, horse-drawn tours, and other commercial enterprises on the island.
Inis Óirr (pronounced Inish-ear, translates to Eastern Island) is the most eastern of the three Aran Islands in Galway Bay on Ireland’s west coast. The English renamed most things in Ireland by how they are pronounceed, so Inis Óirr is also referred to as Inisheer. The island is 7 miles west of the Cliffs of Moher and is a continuation of the rocky surfaces of the 100-square-mile Burren. The Burren was an alluvuial plane where rivers deposited soils over eons. Pressure and heat solidified the soil into rock and eventually the Labrador and European tectonic plates raised it out of the sea.
Inis Oirr has five small villages on the northeast shore with around 300 full-time residents on the 3 square mile island. During the summer, 3,000 tourists arrive daily to spend a few hours on the island. Until 1969, there was no electricity or piped water on the island. Many houses had cisterns attached to catch rain water and drinking water was drawn from a natural well, (See the yellow pump near St. Ghobnait’s church ruin). At that time, there were also no cars, so transportation was by foot, bike, horse or donkey. Now, a tour van and taxi, suppliment the horse-drawn wagons, bike rental or walking allow tourists to see the island at their own pace.
In 1997, continuous 24-hour electricity was available after an underwater cable was run to the island and wires connected to every house. There is also running water to every home, but during the tourist season, fresh water must be shipped from the mainland, so “the tourists can flush.” The islanders and governmental bodies are researching a more permanent solution to the drinking water problems.
Inis Óirr (pronounced Inish-ear, translates to Eastern Island) is the most eastern of the three Aran Islands in Galway Bay on Ireland’s west coast. The English renamed most things in Ireland by how they are pronounceed, so Inis Óirr is also referred to as Inisheer. The island is 7 miles west of the Cliffs of Moher and is a continuation of the rocky surfaces of the 100-square-mile Burren. The Burren was an alluvuial plane where rivers deposited soils over eons. Pressure and heat solidified the soil into rock and eventually the Labrador and European tectonic plates raised it out of the sea.
Inis Oirr has five small villages on the northeast shore with around 300 full-time residents on the 3 square mile island. During the summer, 3,000 tourists arrive daily to spend a few hours on the island. Until 1969, there was no electricity or piped water on the island. Many houses had cisterns attached to catch rain water and drinking water was drawn from a natural well, (See the yellow pump near St. Ghobnait’s church ruin). At that time, there were also no cars, so transportation was by foot, bike, horse or donkey. Now, a tour van and taxi, suppliment the horse-drawn wagons, bike rental or walking allow tourists to see the island at their own pace.
In 1997, continuous 24-hour electricity was available after an underwater cable was run to the island and wires connected to every house. There is also running water to every home, but during the tourist season, fresh water must be shipped from the mainland, so “the tourists can flush.” The islanders and governmental bodies are researching a more permanent solution to the drinking water problems.
An Chéibh – Inis Óirr's Pier Access to the island is by ferry or airplane. Aer Arann planes fly from Connemara Regional Airport five times a day, depending on the weather. Catch the van near the Victoria Hotel. A ferry runs twice a day year-round from Galway/Rossaveel (1-hour bus ride to Rossaveel and 1-hour ferry ride to Inis Oirr). Catch the bus near the Victoria Hotel. The schedule can be affected by weather, and there are no ferries around Christmas. From May to October, ferries are also available from Doolin over 20 times a day (20-minute ride). Cars for islanders and other heavy equipment are transferred to the island on this twice-a-week supply ferry.
An Trá - Inis Óirr’s Beach Inis Óirr’s beach is one of five Blue Flag beaches in Ireland and also has a Green Coast designation. They are international ratings for good environmental standards and water quality. It is a popular beach for tourists. The hearty on Inis Oirr swim in the bay the year round, (In the photo of me, I am fresh out of the a quick dunk in the 45 degree F water. It was much too cold from me. It you zoom in, there are two women swimming along the shore.) They swim a kilometer most days depending on the direction and intensity of the waves and no seals for company.
Cnoc Raithní (pronounced Coc-crainy) is a funerary cist dating from 1500 BCE and is at the intersection of three main lanes. Perched on a sand dune between the playing fields and the back of the Inis Óirr Óstán (hotel). The 21-meter (70-foot) raised circular stone wall is filled with dirt, covered in grass, and has two standing stones. The cist was buried by drifting sand many millennia ago but was exposed after a storm in 1885. D. Murphy excavated in 1886 and found two upside-down funerary urns with the cremated remains of two humans and some food offerings. A bronze age broach was found nearby. The finds are in the museum in Dublin.
The slit between the standing stones is oriented to the east and aligns with the sunrise on the spring and fall equinoxes.
In addition, there is another rectangular level on top of the main circular cist. This is said to be the grave of 22 bodies. It is speculated that these bodies might have been of invaders who lost their lives in battle and were buried on the unconsecrated ground sometime during the Middle Ages.
The slit between the standing stones is oriented to the east and aligns with the sunrise on the spring and fall equinoxes.
In addition, there is another rectangular level on top of the main circular cist. This is said to be the grave of 22 bodies. It is speculated that these bodies might have been of invaders who lost their lives in battle and were buried on the unconsecrated ground sometime during the Middle Ages.
Coláiste Ghobnait is the Secondary School on the island is located behind the playing fields. It opened in 1985; before that time, all secondary students on Inis Óirr went to the mainland to finish their education. It has a website and an Instagram presence that outlines events on the island.
There are many Gaeltacht programs connected with the school. Gaeltacht is a country-wide effort to restore the native language of Ireland. Because most of the islanders speak Gaelic, there are multiple programs for students of the language, no matter their age, to live on the island to improve their language skills.
In front of the Coláiste Ghobnait, there are Sports Facilities and a Playground. Inis Óirr features many athletic activities, such as Gaelic football, football (soccer), and even hurling demonstrations. There are also Currach races and opportunities for swimming (all seasons), snorkeling, and other water activities like kayaks and paddle boards.
Inis Óirr Primary School is near the beach and has a growing population of young children.
Airport Weather permitting, Aer Arann offers multiple flights a day from County Connemara. Catch a van to the airport near the Victoria Hotel from Galway City.
There are many Gaeltacht programs connected with the school. Gaeltacht is a country-wide effort to restore the native language of Ireland. Because most of the islanders speak Gaelic, there are multiple programs for students of the language, no matter their age, to live on the island to improve their language skills.
In front of the Coláiste Ghobnait, there are Sports Facilities and a Playground. Inis Óirr features many athletic activities, such as Gaelic football, football (soccer), and even hurling demonstrations. There are also Currach races and opportunities for swimming (all seasons), snorkeling, and other water activities like kayaks and paddle boards.
Inis Óirr Primary School is near the beach and has a growing population of young children.
Airport Weather permitting, Aer Arann offers multiple flights a day from County Connemara. Catch a van to the airport near the Victoria Hotel from Galway City.
Teampall Chaomháin (pronounced Que-von) (Cill St. Chaomháin, Church of St. Chaomháin, St. Cavan, or the Sunken Church). St. Chaomháin is the patron saint of Inis Óirr and fishermen. He is buried in the crypt northeast of the church's ruin. St. Chaomháin is the patron saint of Inis Óirr and fishermen. He is buried in the crypt northeast of the church's ruin. His feast day is June 14th. On the eve of his feast day, the islanders and others from around the world hold an all-day and night vigil, as a way of remembering their loved ones who have passed. They walk seven turas (clockwise circles) around the church and another seven turas around St. Chaomháin’s grave.
The church was built sometime between 1100 to 1300s. Although different websites speculate about the reasons for the ‘sunken’ nature of the church. I don’t believe that it was built into the hill. Instead, I think that over centuries, the site has been overtaken by drifting sand. This concept is reinforced by a website that says the islanders must clean the sand from the church after storms.
St. Chaomháin Graveyard is the active graveyard on Inis Óirr.
The church was built sometime between 1100 to 1300s. Although different websites speculate about the reasons for the ‘sunken’ nature of the church. I don’t believe that it was built into the hill. Instead, I think that over centuries, the site has been overtaken by drifting sand. This concept is reinforced by a website that says the islanders must clean the sand from the church after storms.
St. Chaomháin Graveyard is the active graveyard on Inis Óirr.
The Co-op/Library Most of the goods and services for the island are distributed from the Co-op. For example, it is where the islanders buy gasoline for their automobiles. It also has a library, meeting rooms and the Island Manager’s Office in this building.
Handball Courts Inis Óirr has many teams that compete in all Ireland competitions. Recently, their handball teams have done very well in national competitions.
Medical Clinic there is a medical clinic on the island. Should there be an emergency it takes an air abmublance 7 minetes to evacuate the injuried.
Trá na Caoraigh is a smaller beach at the east end of the airport runway.
Loc Mór or the Big Lake is a freshwater lake. Engineers researching the lake accidentally drilled through the rock to the sea, and salt water is slowly seeping into the lake.
Handball Courts Inis Óirr has many teams that compete in all Ireland competitions. Recently, their handball teams have done very well in national competitions.
Medical Clinic there is a medical clinic on the island. Should there be an emergency it takes an air abmublance 7 minetes to evacuate the injuried.
Trá na Caoraigh is a smaller beach at the east end of the airport runway.
Loc Mór or the Big Lake is a freshwater lake. Engineers researching the lake accidentally drilled through the rock to the sea, and salt water is slowly seeping into the lake.
An Plassey Shipwreck on the eastern side of the island is the most famous landmark on Inis Óirr. The Plassey’s notoriety springs from its use in the opening credits of the British/Irish television show Father Ted.
In October 1960, the freighter was traveling from Foynes to Galway City and was pushed by high seas into Finnish Rock, a reef to the southeast of Inis Óirr. The locals, at great risk to themselves, rescued the 11 sailors. There is some controversy, about whether or not the cargo was unloaded. It included yarn, stained glass, and whisky. A short time later, another Atlantic storm threw the freighter high and dry onto the rocky shore.
With the approval of the powers that be, shards of the rusted hulk have been salvaged and made into art pieces.
In October 1960, the freighter was traveling from Foynes to Galway City and was pushed by high seas into Finnish Rock, a reef to the southeast of Inis Óirr. The locals, at great risk to themselves, rescued the 11 sailors. There is some controversy, about whether or not the cargo was unloaded. It included yarn, stained glass, and whisky. A short time later, another Atlantic storm threw the freighter high and dry onto the rocky shore.
With the approval of the powers that be, shards of the rusted hulk have been salvaged and made into art pieces.
Dun Formna is a stone-age fort whose remains surround The Caisleán Uí Briain. It is dated 400 BCE.
Caisleán Uí Briain (O’Brien’s Castle) is at the top of 76-meter (250-foot) high ramparts. This three-story castle was built by the O’Brien family around 1400. It was captured by the O’Flaherty family in 1585. In 1652, Cromwell’s army captured the island. Locals tell me the castle was bombarded by British ships in the bay. I can’t find written documentation for that information, but from the south side, the castle certainly looks as if it was blasted away.
An Tur Faire (Napoleonic Watch Tower) The English built a series of watch towers around Ireland as protection from an invasion by the French. This tower was built in 1804/05 and allowed to go to ruin after Napoleon was defeated in 1814. It stands at the top of the island and beside it, you can see the gable ends of the school.
The Old School, an unknown islander, told me that it was built in 1860 by the British in the “most inhospitable spot on the island.” This location was inhospitable because it was at the top of the 250-foot high promontory and children did not have shoes during most of this Primary School's use. The man said, “The children looked at going to school as a form of rebellion against the British oppressors.” The school closed in 1945 when a new one was built near the beach.
Caisleán Uí Briain (O’Brien’s Castle) is at the top of 76-meter (250-foot) high ramparts. This three-story castle was built by the O’Brien family around 1400. It was captured by the O’Flaherty family in 1585. In 1652, Cromwell’s army captured the island. Locals tell me the castle was bombarded by British ships in the bay. I can’t find written documentation for that information, but from the south side, the castle certainly looks as if it was blasted away.
An Tur Faire (Napoleonic Watch Tower) The English built a series of watch towers around Ireland as protection from an invasion by the French. This tower was built in 1804/05 and allowed to go to ruin after Napoleon was defeated in 1814. It stands at the top of the island and beside it, you can see the gable ends of the school.
The Old School, an unknown islander, told me that it was built in 1860 by the British in the “most inhospitable spot on the island.” This location was inhospitable because it was at the top of the 250-foot high promontory and children did not have shoes during most of this Primary School's use. The man said, “The children looked at going to school as a form of rebellion against the British oppressors.” The school closed in 1945 when a new one was built near the beach.
Cill na Seacht nIníon (Church of the Seven Daughters. Also translated as Church of Many Daughters). The Coláiste Ghobnait website says, it is “the oldest monastic site on the island and is associated with Naomh Moninne, the first saint to inhabit the island.” The church is gone, but inside a separate low stone wall, there are four or five human-sized horizontal gravestones lying on the ground.
Half of an ancient circular fort or monastery surrounds the structure. The wall has a few human-sized cave-like indentions in the walls that are thought to be where people (monks) may have taken refuge from the weather or during vigils.
Teach Solais (Lighthouse) was built by the British in 1857 on the southeast corner of the island. This location was strategic as the entrance to Galway Bay and replaced a lighthouse on another Aran Island. The lighthouse was electrified and automated in 1978. It is 34 meters high (112 feet) and built on Fardurris Point with a range of 18 nautical miles. It has had three different light sources but recently was converted to LED lights. It has two houses beside it. The site is not accessible to the public.
Half of an ancient circular fort or monastery surrounds the structure. The wall has a few human-sized cave-like indentions in the walls that are thought to be where people (monks) may have taken refuge from the weather or during vigils.
Teach Solais (Lighthouse) was built by the British in 1857 on the southeast corner of the island. This location was strategic as the entrance to Galway Bay and replaced a lighthouse on another Aran Island. The lighthouse was electrified and automated in 1978. It is 34 meters high (112 feet) and built on Fardurris Point with a range of 18 nautical miles. It has had three different light sources but recently was converted to LED lights. It has two houses beside it. The site is not accessible to the public.
Traveling from the ferry docks to the western (right) side of the island.
Teampall Ghobnait or Cill St. Ghobnait (Church of St. Ghobnait) is a church ruin built in 700 to 900s in honor of St. Ghobnait, who resided on the island after escaping from her home on the Burren because of conflict. It is believed that she had a vision at this location that led to her establishing the monastery in Ballyvourney. The vision told her to go back to the mainland. When she found nine white deer, she was to establish a monastery in that location.
This site also has the ruins of a double beehive house, an “elder tree of sacred importance,” and two raised graves, probably of Bishops of the church. Pilgrimages are made to this church ruin on her feast day February 11th. St. Ghobnait is the patron saint of bees and beekeepers. Outside the gate, there is a sculpture by Eileen Mac Donagh made of Inis Óirr limestone.
Below is a half-sized beehive house recently constructed by Inis Oirr students, beside the playground.
Teampall Ghobnait or Cill St. Ghobnait (Church of St. Ghobnait) is a church ruin built in 700 to 900s in honor of St. Ghobnait, who resided on the island after escaping from her home on the Burren because of conflict. It is believed that she had a vision at this location that led to her establishing the monastery in Ballyvourney. The vision told her to go back to the mainland. When she found nine white deer, she was to establish a monastery in that location.
This site also has the ruins of a double beehive house, an “elder tree of sacred importance,” and two raised graves, probably of Bishops of the church. Pilgrimages are made to this church ruin on her feast day February 11th. St. Ghobnait is the patron saint of bees and beekeepers. Outside the gate, there is a sculpture by Eileen Mac Donagh made of Inis Óirr limestone.
Below is a half-sized beehive house recently constructed by Inis Oirr students, beside the playground.
Áras Éanna Art Center is the most westerly arts center in Europe. It has many cultural events all year and has an Artists in Residence program. It has, a theater seating 75, multiple galleries, work rooms, a yoga studio, and a craft shop with the itmes made by islanders. In addition, the Art Center host saround ten creative people for month-long Artists in Reidence stays on the island. Check their Facebook page: Áras Éanna Ionad Ealaíne Inis Óirr
There is a Colony of Seals on the shore. You might find some basking in the sun.
There is a Colony of Seals on the shore. You might find some basking in the sun.
An Chloch Cuimhniúcháin, or An Chloch, this monument, to fishermen and islanders who lost their lives at Sea, was carved of local stone by Alexander Morosco with lettering by Karin Sprague. It features an empty currach being sucked into a whirlpool.
Tobar Éinne (Also Tobar Éanne ), (the holy well of St. Enda who resided on the Aran Islands around 485 CE), the spring-fed well is a site for pilgrimages. Seven turas (circling the well) are appropriate at this site. A visitor may be extra blessed if one sees the eel who lives in the well.
Monastery on Inis Óirr
I have been trying to understand if there was a monastery on the island. It is referred to in a couple of websites. One history book said that Queen Elizabeth I requisitioned the Aran Islands with the excuse that they were monasteries. She gave the land and its residents to one of her noblemen.
There are no large ruins on the island that would tell me there was a monastery. But, the islanders built three or four churches within a couple of hundred years of each other, which I find curious that such a small island should have the need for four churches
When I visited Glendalough in County Wicklow, there were seven churches close together in a small valley. They were built around the same time, and it was a monastery without cloisters but had a defensive tower.
When I have time, I must look at the form of Irish monasteries before the 1100s. I had a hint on Time Team that Irish-style monasteries had a different form than the cloistered ones we expect from the time of Henry VIII. He outlawed Catholicism, dissolved the monasteries from 1536 to 1541 and absconded with their wealth. Oops, that may be too political.
I have been trying to understand if there was a monastery on the island. It is referred to in a couple of websites. One history book said that Queen Elizabeth I requisitioned the Aran Islands with the excuse that they were monasteries. She gave the land and its residents to one of her noblemen.
There are no large ruins on the island that would tell me there was a monastery. But, the islanders built three or four churches within a couple of hundred years of each other, which I find curious that such a small island should have the need for four churches
When I visited Glendalough in County Wicklow, there were seven churches close together in a small valley. They were built around the same time, and it was a monastery without cloisters but had a defensive tower.
When I have time, I must look at the form of Irish monasteries before the 1100s. I had a hint on Time Team that Irish-style monasteries had a different form than the cloistered ones we expect from the time of Henry VIII. He outlawed Catholicism, dissolved the monasteries from 1536 to 1541 and absconded with their wealth. Oops, that may be too political.
Nature is amazing on Inis Oirr
And the Animals, Too.
The Beautiful Island of Inis Oírr - Descriptions from An Unintended Haven
Excerpt from my book An Unintended Haven:
“Oh, that is Inis Oírr. One of the Aran Islands. Its name is Eastern Island in Irish, and it is the smallest of the three, being a little under eight hundred hectares.” I get out my phone to search for the conversion table… Ah, three square miles. I had forgotten that Ireland was on the metric system… Paul had been doing the conversions for us this whole tour.
Susan continues, “My wife’s family comes from there. It is a lovely place to visit. It has four old ruins, a modern shipwreck, and even a Neolithic archaeological site, but I particularly like to walk its lanes. They are so peaceful. I really feel at one with mother nature there.” Her mention of lanes reminds me of a dream I had a month ago.
“Oh, that is Inis Oírr. One of the Aran Islands. Its name is Eastern Island in Irish, and it is the smallest of the three, being a little under eight hundred hectares.” I get out my phone to search for the conversion table… Ah, three square miles. I had forgotten that Ireland was on the metric system… Paul had been doing the conversions for us this whole tour.
Susan continues, “My wife’s family comes from there. It is a lovely place to visit. It has four old ruins, a modern shipwreck, and even a Neolithic archaeological site, but I particularly like to walk its lanes. They are so peaceful. I really feel at one with mother nature there.” Her mention of lanes reminds me of a dream I had a month ago.
Information gleaned from InisOirr.com website and photographs from Cormac Coyne's postings.
Bridgette O'Brien's First View of Inis Oírr from
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Excerpt from my book An Unintended Haven:
As I step onto the ferry, I feel immense relief. I do not regret taking the tour, but I was so weary of being cooped up with strangers. As the ferry crosses Galway Bay, I stand on the deck. Feeling the brisk air on my skin is bolstering. It clears my head of the cobwebs of my tour. I stand for a few minutes, breathing as deep as I can without activating my cough. Soon, the cold air makes me relocate to a more sheltered place. As we near the island, I see brilliant green areas bordered by dark stone ramparts. The ruin of a stone structure squats on the top of the hill. Sprinkled in the gray and green are dots of white houses. The contrast of natural and constructed is jarring as if humankind is just camping on this spot for a short time with the reluctant permission of mother earth. As we come closer to the settlement, I notice it fans out from the pier. More significant buildings are near the ferry dock, with smaller houses scattered up the slow rise. There are working boats both dotting the water and resting at the shoreline on a white sand beach. I expected some colorful structures and thatched roofs like in Doolin, but these buildings are all made of white stucco with slate roofs, foursquare to the wind, and solidly planted in the earth. Behind the houses are a series of rock faces which form a backdrop to the village. I overhear a tour guide in lecture mode, “The whole island only has an elevation of two-hundred and fifty feet. See how the stepped hill is gradual in comparison to the Cliffs of Moher that we saw yesterday?” I move away from her lecture to experience the island for myself. As we come closer to the shore, the landscape rises; I realize that much of the stone I see is stone walls. While I had seen stonewalls in Ireland proper… These seem to define endless small fields and line every road and lane leading up hills to disappear over each prominence, only to re-emerge at the next rise of the landscape. My first impression of the island is for being so green; it is surprisingly treeless, this must be a continuation of the stony surface of the Burren. Low bushes accent the stone walls in some places. As we move toward the pier, the walls almost blot out Ireland’s famous green landscape. |
More Information from the Inis Oírr (Inisheer) Website
Image by Cormac Coyne.
This is Bridgette O'Brien speaking. She is the heroine of An Unintended Haven...
Those chores complete, I walk to the bookshelf, remove a couple of tour books, and retire to the sofa to read about the island. The English renamed it Inisheer, but I like the Irish name Inis Oírr (pronounced Inish Ear). I find it surprising when I read that the Irish people call their language Irish. For some reason, I want to use Gaeilge, or the Anglicized Gaelic, but those words are less accurate in usage. I laugh and think, well, I’ll use their terminology. Irish language it is.
Propping up some throw pillows on the arm of the sofa, I lay down with a soft wool throw over my legs. I begin with information about the Aran Islands. There are three and are a continuation of the Burren. I smile, remembering Paul talking about the hundred square mile rock formation.”
There are five villages on Inis Oírr, but I’ll refer to the settlement as one village because I cannot differentiate their boundaries. The ‘village’ has around two-hundred and sixty residents and occupies the northeast side of the island, which I assume protects the residents from the storms of the Atlantic Ocean. Protection from winds is essential because, from the Aran Islands, the next landfall to the west is Labrador on Canada’s eastern shore.
The book states that one can hike, bike, or take a pony trap to tour the island. The sites include a small airport, a new lighthouse, a bronze age circle of stones with two standing stones in its center. There are a couple of church ruins, a graveyard and a castle and tower ruin. The ruin at the top of the hill is called O’Brien’s Castle. Hmm… I wonder if this is the same O’Brien Family as the first King of Ireland? Of course, it is, Bridgette.
Back to the book, the natural features include the sand beach, numerous flat stone shelves melding into the sea, and some small cliffs overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. I guess the modern-day shipwreck on the eastern shore also is made by nature.
But there is one feature not mentioned in the books that I saw in profusion, the ever-present stone walls. They are almost a force of nature. There are unique patterns in the laying of the stone, but generally, the horizontal stones are dry-laid to a height of about four feet and are eighteen to twenty-four inches deep. But occasionally, rocks jut upright. Each upright stone is the height of about four rocks. I am sure the placement is for some structural reason, but their surprising abruptness seems to be a stalwart of resistance to gravity. The walls near my house have capstones, which angle up at about sixty degrees rather than laying flat. Side-by-side, they line the top of the walls. It is this capping stone that gives my wall a scraggly-tooth look.
This is Bridgette O'Brien speaking. She is the heroine of An Unintended Haven...
Those chores complete, I walk to the bookshelf, remove a couple of tour books, and retire to the sofa to read about the island. The English renamed it Inisheer, but I like the Irish name Inis Oírr (pronounced Inish Ear). I find it surprising when I read that the Irish people call their language Irish. For some reason, I want to use Gaeilge, or the Anglicized Gaelic, but those words are less accurate in usage. I laugh and think, well, I’ll use their terminology. Irish language it is.
Propping up some throw pillows on the arm of the sofa, I lay down with a soft wool throw over my legs. I begin with information about the Aran Islands. There are three and are a continuation of the Burren. I smile, remembering Paul talking about the hundred square mile rock formation.”
There are five villages on Inis Oírr, but I’ll refer to the settlement as one village because I cannot differentiate their boundaries. The ‘village’ has around two-hundred and sixty residents and occupies the northeast side of the island, which I assume protects the residents from the storms of the Atlantic Ocean. Protection from winds is essential because, from the Aran Islands, the next landfall to the west is Labrador on Canada’s eastern shore.
The book states that one can hike, bike, or take a pony trap to tour the island. The sites include a small airport, a new lighthouse, a bronze age circle of stones with two standing stones in its center. There are a couple of church ruins, a graveyard and a castle and tower ruin. The ruin at the top of the hill is called O’Brien’s Castle. Hmm… I wonder if this is the same O’Brien Family as the first King of Ireland? Of course, it is, Bridgette.
Back to the book, the natural features include the sand beach, numerous flat stone shelves melding into the sea, and some small cliffs overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. I guess the modern-day shipwreck on the eastern shore also is made by nature.
But there is one feature not mentioned in the books that I saw in profusion, the ever-present stone walls. They are almost a force of nature. There are unique patterns in the laying of the stone, but generally, the horizontal stones are dry-laid to a height of about four feet and are eighteen to twenty-four inches deep. But occasionally, rocks jut upright. Each upright stone is the height of about four rocks. I am sure the placement is for some structural reason, but their surprising abruptness seems to be a stalwart of resistance to gravity. The walls near my house have capstones, which angle up at about sixty degrees rather than laying flat. Side-by-side, they line the top of the walls. It is this capping stone that gives my wall a scraggly-tooth look.
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Photographs by Cormac Coyne
Excerpt from my book An Unintended Haven about Cormac Coyne's photographs of stone walls.
"This room is lined with photographs of stone walls from around Inis Oírr. Oh, someone else loves the stone walls as much as I do. I recognize many of the crazy patterns. At the end of the room, there is a video made by Coyne called Féile na gCloch Inis Oírr, or Guardian of the Stones. It is a lovely record of a stonemason building a wall. I watch it twice and promise myself to find that stretch of wall. I love that the mason pays attention to how the stones are discovered in nature, and he installs them with that orientation in mind."
"This room is lined with photographs of stone walls from around Inis Oírr. Oh, someone else loves the stone walls as much as I do. I recognize many of the crazy patterns. At the end of the room, there is a video made by Coyne called Féile na gCloch Inis Oírr, or Guardian of the Stones. It is a lovely record of a stonemason building a wall. I watch it twice and promise myself to find that stretch of wall. I love that the mason pays attention to how the stones are discovered in nature, and he installs them with that orientation in mind."