Aran Islands Top 10Posted on October 24, 2012 by John Lawless2Share on printShare on facebookShare on twitterShare on emailMore Sharing ServicesThe top 10 things to see and do on the Aran Islands.

This is a list of the 10 most popular sights on the Aran Islands. There are of course many more wonderful sights that didn’t make this list. Use the comments to suggest new additions.

1: Top of the list is the famous Dún Aonghasa. Inis Mór

Dún Aonghasa on Inis Mór

2: Kilmurvey Blue flag beach. Inis Mór

Kilmurvey Beack. Photo by: Aer Arann Islands

3: The Wormhole. Pól ná bPeist, Inis Mór

Pól ná bPéist, The Wormhole or The Serpents Lair.

4:

The Plassey. Inis Oírr.

The Plassey. Featured in the opening credits for Father Ted.

5: The craft village at Kilmurvey. Inis Mór

Kilmurvey craft village

6: The Black fort. Dún Ducathair. Inis Mór

Dún Ducathair. The Black Fort

7: Dún Conor .Dún Conchubhar Inis Meáin.

Dún Conchubhar. Dún Conor

8: Dún Eochla. Inis Mór.

Dún Eochla

9: Joe Watty’s, Kilronan Inis Mór

Joe Watty’s. Kilronan.

10: The seven Churches. Inis Mór

The Seven churches. Inis Mór

We intend updating this list for 2013 and your suggestions are welcome in the comments or by email to info@aranisland.info

10Posted in news | Tagged Aran Islands Top 10 | 2 Replies

Deireadh Fómhair (month of October)Posted on October 17, 2012 by elisabeth koopmansShare on printShare on facebookShare on twitterShare on emailMore Sharing ServicesEvery year again it comes… nearly as a thief in the night. All of a sudden there is something what feels like a burglary. It just befalls you even when you think you are prepared for it. It usually takes  a period of time before you realise what is happening again… Once you become aware it is easier to handle though.

At Dawn

If we look back on summer season in general we usually go through this interlude in a more or less sleepy mood; we enjoy the sun and its warming strength. We easily doze off and can forget about  reality of daily life completely. This mood of simplicity is typically one belonging to the months of summer. A period of unwinding and relaxation.

Waning light

With the coming of Lúnasa (August) Autumn starts. The power of the sun is already waning…The grass is ready to be cut and made into hay. While the strength of the sun is still present, the farmers take advantage of it by drying the grass on the stone walls. The harvest of the onions, carrots and potatoes follows. The preparation for the winter is an ongoing stream of activity. This is in discrepancy with the sleepiness of this month being part of the holidays.

Meáin Fómhair

That mankind struggles with this phenomenon anyhow is nicely met by the Irish language. In Irish  two words are used for defining the biggest part of autumn. There is MeánFómhair (September) or the middle of Autumn and  Deireadh Fómhair (October) or the end of Autumn. It must have a reason, I suppose, that only and precisely these months are named after the season.

Puffing Hole

Cliffs

Slán go fóill,

Elisabeth from Inis Meáin

 

Anamchara retreat. Click the image

9Posted in Inis Meáin-Inishmaan | Tagged meái fómhair, meáin fómhair, october

Kilronan harbour shortlisted for engineering award.Posted on October 8, 2012 by John LawlessShare on printShare on facebookShare on twitterShare on emailMore Sharing ServicesThe Kilronan harbour project on Inis Mór has been shortlisted in the Engineers Ireland Project of the year competition.

The fabulous harbour completed earlier this year is surely a front runner for the prize.

The harbour is a huge improvement for transport to and from the Island for passengers and goods. The construction phase was a great boom for Inis Mór with construction personnel staying on the Island and a constant movement of building materials from Rossaveal. Surely one of the finest Island harbours ever constructed in Ireland.

See all the projects on this LINKVote for Kilronan Harbour HERE.

Equilibrium-Inis MeáinPosted on October 7, 2012 by elisabeth koopmansShare on facebookShare on twitterShare on emailShare on printMore Sharing ServicesJust at this very moment the Celtic Sea is rough: the horizon alternating appears and disappears in front of me. A bogha báisti ( rainbow) is touching the waves as to try to calm them down… for a short moment the sky is heavily clouded. Then sun returns and the sky  is coloured with a tender blue. The movement of the waves is large, as is the movement of the big ferry while crossing. Sometimes a loud noise is heard as if the ship bumps a balise…

Rough Sea

Arriving at Inis Meáin

It is not hard to figure out the people belonging to the criú (crew), just fit for the job, I would say. It seems as if they are born with sea legs. It does not seem to worry them at all going back and forth while the tourists are having great difficulty finding their way in a more or less steady go anyway. Let alone people, like me, trying to model on incoming thoughts. This modelling as such is being distorted by the actual movement. It seems as if this process is teasing the thoughts from coming into mind waiting to be put into words. Like a nightmare:

seeing  the ideas in front of you but not able to grasp them properly as they vanish  from sight again.Coming up to Inis Meáin by ferry one can look upon a similar process as above: once decided one has to go, a possible awkward crossing included. Leaving behind what might be a burden to you, facing the future, that what lies in front of you… Going down by ferry after you visited the island reveals a similar experience; once you have made up your mind to leave, there is no way back at that very moment. You can try and take with you whatever you like, but there is a border. And as go brách leat (off you go), facing that what is ahead of you, hopefully mixed with fruitful thoughts you developed during your visit.

What will the sky predict.

Inis Meáin stands for establishing equilibrium in ourselves.

Equilibrium we find on Inis Meáin

Slán go fóill,

Elisabeth from Inis Meáin.

Anamchara retreat. Click the image

6Posted in Inis Meáin-Inishmaan | Tagged equilibrium

Eastern Kingbird spotted on Inis Mór, Aran Islands.Posted on October 6, 2012 by John LawlessShare on facebookShare on twitterShare on emailShare on printMore Sharing ServicesAn Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) has been spotted and photographed on Inis Mór.This is believed to be the first time that this bird, native to North America has been seen in Europe. This rare bird was spotted by Hugh Delaney.

The photo below is from the Joe Watty’s Facebook page.

Birdwatchers from Ireland and further afield are flocking to Inis Mór this morning hoping to catch a glimpse of this beautiful creature.

Eastern Kingbird on Inis Mór. Photo Joe Watty’s Bar, Kilronan.

This is believed to be the first photo ever taken of an Eastern Kingbird in Europe. Taken with mobile phone through Hugh Delaney’s telescope by Pete Prown. Copyright Pete Prown.

Eastern Kingbird on Wikipedia Click HEREMore Photos and report from Irish Birding.

http://www.aranisland.info/wordpress/lunch-on-inis-mor-aran-islands-joe-wattys/

Save money on Inis Mór. The best food, music and craic on the Aran Islands.

 

Transport to Inis Mór 

5Posted in Inishmore ((Inis-Mor), news | Tagged eastern kingbird, inis-mor

BePosted on September 23, 2012 by elisabeth koopmansShare on facebookShare on twitterShare on emailShare on printMore Sharing ServicesBeing busy is a hot topic since  quite a long time already. “Busy, busy, busy” is the slogan nowadays. Walking on the streets of Dublin or even in a town like Galway I am surprised seeing people, in their office clothing clear enough, running from A to B, their home work under one arm, a mug out of carton taking hold of in the free hand. Is there anything in it atall I ask myself. The funny thing is that I never see someone taking a tug while on the way. . May be it is just an act  I wonder, people perform, as an expression out of fashion or perhaps there is just no time  for taking a quick zip at all because people are so busy  on the run …Síochan agus Suaimhneas (peace and tranquillity),  the first words I usually get back from people visiting Inis Meáin. Here there is just silence. And if  there is any sound at all it is the blowing of the wind or the breaking of the waves against the rocks….Sometimes, coming for the first time, people feel lost as well…may be due to the unexpectedness of the local situation (very few people on the road) and because of the peacefulness in general, one is not aware of beforehand. Always lovely to hear when visitors stay overnight. Then there is ample of time to unwind and get in the rhythm of life on Inis Meáin…

Love and peace

Peace

Mother and child

Such as experiencing the breaking of the day into the night is a very special one.

Breaking of the day

The birds trying to find their specific place on the wire. The cat patiently sitting on a stone wall waiting for a lovely bite to catch for the night. The cows satisfyingly  lying down  in the little field reflecting on a lovely day with juicy grass.

Patient but on the alert

And so is, but differently of course, the sun dawn….just before the  sun actually rises spreading its’ bleak pink colour in the sky  the rooster is crowing , awakening the people for another lovely day to live….

Instead of rushing from it is living in the moment what makes life on Inis Meáin so worthwhile!Slán go fóill,

Elisabeth from Inis Meáin.

Anamchara retreat. Click the image

 

5Posted in Inis Meáin-Inishmaan | Tagged peace, relaxation