#inis oírr

[stairnaheireann]

Dry Stone Walls of Ireland

Stone walls are one of Ireland’s most distinctive landscape features and it is estimated that the Irish countryside is a patchwork of over 250,000 miles of stone wall. The dry stone walls are mortarless and are made by carefully selecting stones that will balance and ‘sit’ into the wall as they are built. To date the oldest known example of dry stone walls in Ireland are at the ‘The Ceide…

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#Aran Islands #Dry Stone Walls of Ireland #Galway #History #History of Ireland #Inis Oírr #Ireland #Irish History #Mayo #The Ceide Fields

[ancientorigins]

Once covered in sand, Ireland’s Sunken Church on the mystical Aran Islands offers a glimpse into Ireland's fascinating history and spiritual heritage.

#church #Ireland #Christianity #saint

[theperfectpints]

Inis Oírr, Aran Islands

©tourismireland

#ireland #aran islands #irish

[nancypullen]

Doolin & Inisheer

I've decided that I won't bore you with a day by day sightseeing tour, and I'll just mention a few of the spots that were especially fun. I'll start with Doolin. When we left our sweet Air BnB in Killorglin we headed for Doolin, stopping along the way to ooh and ahh at castles, fields of sheep, and quaint villages. Our plan upon arriving in Doolin was to catch a ferry out to Inisheer, part of the Aran Islands. Doolin is also where you can roam the famous Cliffs of Moher. The day started like this...

so we were a tad concerned that we wouldn't really be able to see much of anything. It's a bit over two hours from Killorglin to Doolin, most of it narrow, winding roads like this. As we drove along the fog started to lift, thank goodness.

I had so many questions about this, and I did find the answers. More on that later.

As we got closer to our destination the day became even more clear and it promised perfect weather for our plans.

I knew I'd love Doolin as soon as we turned into the village. Just look at it!

After a quick look around we went right to the ferry departure.

A quick fifteen minute ride delivered us to Inisheer. The Aran Islands are a group of three islands off the west coast of Ireland in Galway Bay. Inisheer ( Inis Oírr - translates to East Island) is the smallest, just 280 inhabitants. Some people recognize it from the opening of Father Ted, a hilarious BBC show from way back. The other islands are Inishmaan (Inis Meáin, Middle Island) and Inishmor (Inis Mór, Big Island). It's hard to choose which to visit, they all offer something different, but we opted for Inisheer.  It was a lovely choice. Thanks to the fog and misty rain of the morning, coupled with a ferry ride, Fiona made an appearance.

But look at those sweet white cottages on Inisheer! Upon arriving we opted to start our tour of he island by hopping into a wagon pulled by a trusty steed named Betty. I never did get the name of our driver. I'm going to call him Jack. His mixture of Irish and English meant that I only got a smattering of information from him, but as we trotted around the island this is what I got - population of 280, the fields separated by stone walls belonged to different families and there's not as much livestock on the island as there used to be. When we paused to look at two cows stretched out and basking in the sunshine he added that American cows don't lie down because they're not as content. I didn't correct him because I truly haven't seen American cows that relaxed, and he was very proud of the fact that their cows are "treated like family". If their butter is proof of contented cows, then Ireland wins that one. Here's a snippet, toward the end he says, "You probably never heard of Father Ted." and Mickey responds that we had. So he took us by the shipwreck that is part of the scenery on the fictional "Craggy Island" where Father Ted lived.

I loved the simplicity of Inisheer.

Of course they have a castle...

O'Brien's Castle.

But my favorite part was after we hopped out of the wagon. Mickey went one direction, following his photographers nose, and I went another, because I'd spotted a graveyard. You know I love a good cemetery. So I climbed a hill and explored, it was fascinating.

A crumbling 10th century church, old graves, newer graves, and views of the island that filled my soul. I could see everything! In one direction O'Brien's Castle stood behind cottages with laundry flapping on the lines while a horse clip-clopped its way toward town the harbor.

And there's a wagon leaving town.

Crisp, sea air and sunshine, incredible views, and the company of ghosts. I didn't want to leave my perfect spot but, onward we went. I met Mickey down the road and we wandered around for a while longer, eventually catching the ferry back to Doolin.

Once we were off the ferry we started off to find the Air BnB for our night in town. This was the road to our lodgings. Be still my heart!

That's Doonagore Castle. This structure dates to the mid 1500's, but there's been a castle on that site as far back as 1300. In 1588, a ship from the Spanish Armada got into difficulty off the coast of Doolin and crashed close to the castle ( you can walk to the Cliffs of Moher from there!). The ship’s crew of 170 men managed to make their way out of the wreck. What a relief, right? NOPE. The High Sheriff of Clare arrived and all of the survivors were hung at the castle or at a site nearby that’s known as ‘Cnocán an Crochaire’, or Hangman's Hill. Yikes! NOt the warm Irish welcome that we received. Anyway, it's beautiful, magical, and it's privately owned by an Irish-American family. Can you imagine the view of the wild Atlantic from that tower? Wow! We found our cottage just past the castle and it was so sweet and cozy.

We cleaned up a bit, I battled with Fiona, and we drove back down to town to enjoy dinner at a pub. We purposely delayed going to dinner so that we could stay a bit longer and enjoy the music in the pub. Most pubs offer live music at night and we were in the mood for some Irish tunes. McDermott's Pub served us an absolutely delicious dinner - Mickey had Guinness Stew and I had Bangers & Mash. Pure comfort food after a full day of sea air and climbing hills. After dinner a bit closer to the music and shared a table with a fun couple. He was Irish, she was American. It was a perfect ending to a wonderful day in Doolin. Good food, good music, and good company. As wonderful as all of this was, it wasn't even my favorite place. I'll cover that in the next post when I tell you all about Dingle. Until then I'll leave you with a tiny clip from McDermott's Pub (below).

Stay safe, stay well, stay tuned for more shenanigans! XOXO, Nancy

#Youtube

[scarletunit6]

Wool, tweed, lace and linen

The strong sense of identity was supported by the use of materials. We have just seen the tweed from Donegal. There, was also the great adventure of Tweed Magee (founded in 1866), which is still made in Donegal today, as Patrick Temple from Magee proudly explains: “We’re manufacturing fabrics still in Ireland, which is quite unique in this day and age”.

We have also seen the linen that was not worn as an outerwear until the 18th Century (and already by the 1750s it was printed). Likewise, as we just saw, the Irish lace industry which was supported in the 19th century by the upper class.

Today, Aoibheann McNamara and Triona Lillis designing collaboratively their brand The Tweed Project say: “We are fully rooted in the traditional, both in production and inspiration”.

For instance, the two women are much inspired by the fishermen of Inis Oírr, from the Aran Islands, and facing the islands on the other shore, the traditional blankets worn by the women of Galway. Likewise, seen on neither very form fitting nor tailored pieces, it was the actual tweed from Donegal (further up on the same western coast) that they seek to use, in grey or black for modern tracksuits.

Like many contemporary designers they also “look beyond the island of Ireland for influences, bringing them back, merging them with our own indigenous fabrics”.

www.nolwennfaligot.fr. (n.d.). IRISH FASHION: THE THREAD OF CELTIC HERITAGE. [online] Available at: https://www.nolwennfaligot.fr/amp/irish-fashion. ‌

[gosamiand-blog]

[hourglassexpeditions]

Cycling at the End of the Rainbow

At Hourglass Expeditions, our mission is to provide the most amazing adventures to the most interesting locations around the world. We specialized in curating luxury and adventure trips made just for you and your traveling group. Contact us at [email protected] to discuss your plans to experience the world.

Onthe far western end of Ireland, brushed up against the North Atlantic at the mouth of Galway Bay, sits a trio of islands known as the Aran Islands. These three — Inishmore (Inis Mór), Inishmaan (Inis Meáin), and Inisheer (Inis Oírr) are known for their wild and rural landscapes that have a long history of Gaelic culture going back to antiquity. Due to its isolation from the mainland, the islands have maintained much of their original traditions over the centuries. Many traces of this history still remain, especially on the largest island of Inis Mór with ancient forts, churches, and miles and miles of stone walls. In fact, it is estimated that just on Inis Mór alone, there is over 3,000 miles of these walls built around the island (or basically the distance from Ireland, across the Atlantic Ocean, to Boston, Massachusetts). This is almost unbelievable considering that the entire island is only about 12 square miles (31 square kilometers). Other estimates reduce that length down to around 700 miles. Whatever the actual number may be, it must have been quite the construction project.

One of the primary activities when visiting the Aran Islands is cycling. While you can bring your own on the ferry from the mainland, it might just be easier to rent one as you disembark from the ferry station in Kilronan, the main village on Inis Mór. From here, the island is yours to explore. At only 8.7 miles (14 km) in length and a maximum width of 2.4 miles (3.8 km), it is easy to cross the entire island in under two hours, without taking stops. But that isn’t the point of cycling here. There is a plethora of places to explore and soak in the both the captivating panorama as well as the ancient monuments.

While little is known about the island’s earliest inhabitants, one of the earliest dwellings, a fort made of limestone called Dún Aonghasa (or Dun Aengus), dates back to the 11th century BC, though most of its standing structure came much later. This semicircular site, with its three terraced walls, sits on the southern side of the island sitting on a 300-foot-high cliff overlooking the ocean. It is thought that these walls formed a full circle. However, the cliffs have eroded into the sea over the centuries and we are now seeing what is left of this fort, covering an area of around 14 acres. It is an easy bike ride to this location and certainly worth your time as one of the spots to hit.

About a mile to the south of Dún Aonghasa is a naturally formed tidal pool that has been cut into the limestone rock. However, once you actually view it, you’ll think that it is manmade. It looks like a rectangular swimming pool. Referred to as either “The Wormhole” or “The Serpents Lair”, its Gaelic name is Poll na bPéist. This tidal pool has underwater channels that connect it to the nearby sea which supplies the water from these caverns. It is difficult to bike all the way to this location as there are a lot of uneven and jagged rocks stretching out for some distance. You can either leave your bikes at the nearest road about half a mile away and walk, or walk your bike across that distance if you don’t want to leave it behind.

Heading west from here, a 12-minute ride will bring you to a far more recent structure, the misappropriately named Seven Churches (Na Seacht Tempaill). This 8th century site was one of the largest centers of pilgrimage in western Ireland. However, despite the numerical specificity of this site, there are actually only two churches located here — St. Breacan’s Church and The Church of the Hollow. One theory as to why it is named the Seven Churches is because the site contains additional structures, such as dwellings where monks would have lived, and this gives an allusion to the number of buildings contained here. Another explanation for the name is that it is in reference to a Roman pilgrimage trail which had seven churches. Either way, it is a well-preserved spot and worthy of a visit. I leaned my rental bike against one of the surrounding stone walls and walked among the ruins and the graves marked with Celtic crosses so familiar to Ireland.

Beyond the three major points described here, the rest of the island is dotted with interesting sites to stop. The quaint cottages that line the narrow roads of the island set against the backdrop of the North Atlantic offer their own charm, and I am told that on a good day, you can spot the Cliffs of Moher. However, it is much easier to them from Inis Oírr, which is much closer to the mainland of Ireland than Inis Mór.

With a permanent population of around 1,100 souls, there is enough to see and do here to consider spending a night in one of the inns or taverns dotted around the island. However, I didn’t plan for a night here as my hotel was almost a 2-hour journey back to Galway. So, with the October wind picking up, I cycled back to the dock in Kilronan, returned the bike, and hopped back onto the second to last ferry of the day with Aran Island Ferries to the small fishing village of Rossaveel, where my rental car was waiting for me.

All in all, this was a great day of getting out into rural Ireland. Feeling the cool autumn breeze of the North Atlantic while cycling on a remote island finding hidden jewels of ages gone by was a very different experience than what I would have expected. I would highly recommend this to anyone with a passion for adventure and history that is off the beaten path.

If you would like to travel to Ireland to cycle the Aran Islands, marvel at the Cliffs of Moher, or absorb the incredible landscapes of the Ring of Kerry, head over to our Ireland page and find your own adventure in the Emerald Isle.

[aranaccessories]

Beautiful blue skies ahead of us for the next week 😃🌞 You can see O'Brien's castle and a Martello tower on the right here - the tower was built on Inis Oírr's highest point (to keep watch in case of an invasion by Napoleon...) #inisoírr #oileáinárann #aranislands #wildatlanticway #wildatlanticwayislands #wildatlanticwaygalway #visitgalway #visitireland #inisheer #irishcastles #martellotower #westofireland #irlandia #irland #irlande #irelandaily #irelandwest #ireland #stonewalls #galwaybay #obrienscastle #summerinireland #sunnydayinireland #instaireland #irishislands (at Inis Oirr, Aran Islands) https://www.instagram.com/p/ChAR8vKIKxq/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#inisoírr #oileáinárann #aranislands #wildatlanticway #wildatlanticwayislands #wildatlanticwaygalway #visitgalway #visitireland #inisheer #irishcastles #martellotower #westofireland #irlandia #irland #irlande #irelandaily #irelandwest #ireland #stonewalls #galwaybay #obrienscastle #summerinireland #sunnydayinireland #instaireland #irishislands

[lost-in-the-fission]

Inis Oírr, Ireland

#inis oírr #ireland #photography #my photos #the aran islands #inisheer

[stairnaheireann]

#OTD in Irish History | 22 June:

#OTD in Irish History | 22 June:

1770 – James Smyth, MP for Dundalk, is killed in a riding accident. 1777 – Birth of Admiral William Brown (also known in Spanish as Guillermo Brown) was born in Foxford, Co Mayo and died in Buenos Aires, Argentina on 3 March 1857. 1798 – United Irishmen Rebellion: Rebel southern column marches through Sculloge Gap, into Co Carlow. Rebel northern column marches to camp at Croghan. 1798 – Execution…

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#irelandinspires #irishhistory #OTD #1798 United Irishmen Rebellion #22 June #Aran Islands #Co. Galway #History #History of Ireland #Inis Oírr #Ireland #Irish Civil War #Irish History #Irish War of Independence #Today in Irish History

[qlqniel]

The only sky I’ve got left is in my rear view mirror

Inis Oírr, April 2016 

#inis oírr #inisheer #aran islands #Ireland #mirror #safety mirror #reflection #sky #grass #green #stone #photography #original photography #original photographers #original photography blog #photographers on tumblr

[tanglepretty]

Sometimes you just need a garment that says, “I’m a real life witch.” 

Fortress // Louhi // Inis Oírr // Winterfolk // Adventurous 

#inis oírr is free! #also: not to call anyone out but joji locatelli is in here TWICE. hmmm. #knitting #knitting pattern #sweater #cardigan #celtic cables #celtic knot

[dailyoverview]

Inis Oírr, or Inisheer, is the smallest and most eastern of the three Aran Islands in Galway Bay, Ireland. Its terrain is composed of limestone pavements formed about 350 million years ago, which residents have used to form an extensive network of stone walls across the island. Inis Oírr has five primary villages and about 260 permanent residents.

See more here: https://bit.ly/3kuTJKo

53.058056°, -9.527500°

Source imagery: Maxar

[amberdepixi]

Saint Gobnait 🐝 is the patroness of bees and beekeepers and February 11 is her feast day. St. Gobnait (pronounced “GUBnit”) is also known by a few other names; Saint Gobnata, Gobnet, Gobeneta, Mo Gobnat, Abigail, and Deborah, to name a few.⁠ ⁠ It is believed that St. Gobnait was born around the 5th or 6th century in Ireland. She fled family feuds at her home and found herself on the island Inis Oírr where she received a divine message in the form of an angel. The angel told her to go forth and seek the place where she was meant to be and do God’s work, and she would know it by seeing nine white deer grazing there.⁠ ⁠ While her focus was on pastoral work such as tending beehives, healing the sick, and founding a religious community for women, Saint Gobnait was not just a placid nun, oh no. Excavations of her home have found that she was also a metal worker, smithing and smelting. There are also legends that tell of Gobnait setting swarms of bees on forces attempting to invade Ballyvourney, causing the swollen and stung invaders to return the cattle they had stolen before they fled.⁠ ⁠ Learn more, see references, a gallery of images, and some #Gaeilge terms related to beekeeping on the full blog post: https://www.pixiespocket.com/2015/02/saint-gobnait.html⁠ ⁠ #saintgobnait #saintdeborah #mykindofnun #beekeepers #beekeeping #folklore #ballyvourney #ireland #holywells #blacksmithing⁠ https://ift.tt/2utfDcK

#IFTTT #Instagram

[johnhooperphotographer]

This lovely Robin is on his way to his new owner today thanks to @artistsupportpledge . Printed on @hahnemuehle_uk Rice Paper, a very finely textured paper which lends itself beautifully to this delicate image. . . . . . #robin @rspb_love_nature #birdonawire #birdsofinstagram #fineartprint #inisoirr #ireland #ricepaper #photooftheday #instaphoto #fineart #wildlife (at Inis Oírr) https://www.instagram.com/p/B_5XsoPF30H/?igshid=mrlgywjv5pth

#robin #birdonawire #birdsofinstagram #fineartprint #inisoirr #ireland #ricepaper #photooftheday #instaphoto #fineart #wildlife

[gosamiand-blog]