Aran Islands Voyage Tips and guide

Contents

The Aran Islands (Oileáin Árann) are three islands in County Galway in the west of Ireland. They have stark treeless scenery of barren limestone which makes the green of their fields and heathland shine all the brighter. They're dotted with prehistoric forts and early Christian sites, and are within a short ferry ride or a 10 minute flight from the mainland.

Inis Mór is the largest and most visited, with prehistoric and early Christian sites, and dramatic cliffs.

Inis Meáin, the middle island, is the least touristy, so you'll probably have its ancient sites to yourself.

Inis Oírr, the smallest and closest to the mainland, has prehistoric forts but mostly its ruins are medieval.

Around 340 million years ago in the early Carboniferous age, great layers of limestone were deposited in the west of Ireland. Later glaciation wore them down and at the end of the last Ice Age 11,000 years ago, sea levels rose by 100 m. This sundered the Aran Islands from the mainland limestone area of the Burren in County Clare. The smooth limestone table weathered into a fissured pavement of "clints and grikes". There was no topsoil, no trees, and very little fresh water, because rainfall immediately plunged underground. The Burren is riddled with caves and perhaps these will one day be discovered on the Aran Islands.

It was a bleak prospect for farming. There was a collection of dirt in the fissures, the grikes, which supported Alpine-type wild flowers, and which could be eked out to use as soil, with seaweed added for fertiliser. Fishing was essential for food. The islands were places to flee to, not to conquer. The first wave of construction was around 1100 BC, though one tomb on Inis Meáin goes back to at least 2500 BC. The ancient builders were the Builg, who may be the same as the mythical Fir Bolg, losers in the battle to rule Ireland but awarded the region of Connacht as a booby prize. One thing Stone Age Connacht was not short of was stones. Great stone forts were erected, and fields were cleared by heaping stones into the drystone walls that crisscross the islands.

Christian refugees from the mainland settled in the 6th century, were later venerated as saints, and medieval churches were built over their cells. Their ruins survive because there were no later buildings to obliterate them. Along with the forts, they're the main visitor attraction today.

The three islands are Gaeltachtaí, areas where Irish is the main language, spoken by almost everybody as a first language. So you'll seldom see the Fáinne, the badge of proficiency in Irish as a learnt language. Everyone is fluent in English, but signs are in Irish: English equivalents (e.g. "Inisheer" for Inis Oírr) are unofficial. These pages give both versions of place names but give prominence to the English version simply to help with pronunciation.

There are two ferry routes from the mainland, from Rossaveel 40 km west of Galway year round, and from Doolin in County Clare in summer. All ferries sail to 53.119-9.6661 Kilronan on Inis Mór, taking 40 min; they call at 53.102-9.5792 Inis Meáin and 53.068-9.5233 Inis Oírr on the way out or back. This may mean a 90 min sailing time to an island that's closer to the mainland. Day trips are feasible.

From Rossaveel Aran Island Ferries sail at least twice a day year round, with eight a day at the height of summer. A shuttle bus from Eyre Square in Galway connects with all sailings. Never bring a vehicle (even a motorbike) to the Aran Islands, park at Rossaveel anywhere that won't inconvenience residents or harbour users.

From Doolin the Doolin Ferry sails 3 or 4 times a day Mar-Oct taking 40 min, foot passengers only.

Aer Árann fly several times a day from Connemara (or Minna) Airport (NNR  ^IATA) at Inverin, 31 km west of Galway city. There are at least a couple of flights daily year round, more in summer. Flying time is just 10 min and a day trip is always feasible. The aircraft are rinky-dinky BNF Islanders that only take 9 passengers; they rattle around in the breeze and are often cancelled in bad weather.

The airfields on Inis Mór (IOR  ^IATA), Inis Meáin (IIA  ^IATA) and Inis Oírr (INQ  ^IATA) are each about 1 km east of their island's ferry pier.

The flights from Connemara are all turnaround shuttles, with no inter-island flights. They're subsidised by the government to support island life. Connemara has no other flights so it's not connected to the global air network.

Bus 424 runs every hour or two from Galway via Spiddal and Inverin (passing within 1 km of the airport) to Rossaveel ferry pier.

The ferries from the mainland always call at Inis Mór and usually at the other islands. This means an inter-island trip is possible most days year round, and a day-trip is feasible most days in summer.

Walking is the main transport on all three islands. On Inis Meáin and Inis Oírr it will likely be your sole method, as those islands are compact, everything's within a km or two, and the paved lanes soon give way to boreen - stone-and-grass tracks. Beyond the tracks are deeply fissured limestone "clint and grike" pavements, where you want stout boots.

Inis Mór however is 14 km long, with a collection of sights 2-3 km east of Kilronan village, then the main sights are 7-10 km west. The spine road is paved and both standard and mountain bikes can be hired.

All the islands have tours, by minibus or pony cart. There's even a day-trip from Dublin by rail and air, a frenetic excursion. These are a good option if you're short of time or the weather is iffy, but it means you're disgorged into places in a group, and lose out on the atmosphere.

• 53.1259-9.76641 Dún Aonghasa on Inis Mór is a 3000 year-old stone fort dramatically sited on the edge of a 100 m cliff. It's in a D-shape, which is probably the original design not the result of cliff erosion. There are walls 6 m high and 4 m thick, walkways, chambers, and the puzzling defence known as chevaux de frise.
• Other well-preserved prehistoric forts on Inis Mór are Dún Dúchathair, Dún Eochla and Dún Eoghanachta.
• Dún Conor is the main prehistoric site on Inis Meáin. Carrownlisheen Wedge Tomb dates back at least to 2500 BC, the earliest human structure on these islands.
• Early Christian sites are in two phases. Several saints came here around the 6th century, a few to settle but others to continue their mission on the mainland: Aran plays the same role for Ireland that Iona plays for Scotland and Mount Athos for Greece. The 10th-12th centuries saw a phase of church building on those earlier sites, which needed to be close to a water supply which thus became venerated as a "holy well". Examples on Inis Mór are St Enda's, the Seven Churches complex, St Ciaran's, and Teampall Bheanáin which is an oratory rather than a church. On Inis Meáin is Templesaghtmacree, and Inis Oírr has the churches of St Cavan and St Gobnait.
• O'Brien's Castle on Inis Oírr is 15th century, with several other medieval ruins nearby.
• Lighthouses: the first Inis Mór light was in the wrong place and you couldn't see it anyway. It still stands, but was replaced in 1857 by lighthouses on the Brannock Rocks just west of Inis Mór, and on Inis Oírr.
• Puffing Holes are blow holes, found in many places around the coasts. The best of them are by the east tip of Inis Mór.
• 53.056-9.5042 Plassy on Inis Oírr is the shipwreck seen in the opening scene of Father Ted. It ran onto the rocks in 1960 and the crew were dramatically rescued by breeches buoy. Later storms threw the ship ashore on the island.

• Swim: all the islands have sheltered sandy beaches on their north side. You'll need a hot drink after. The oddest bathing experience is the Serpent's Hole on Inis Mór, a rectangular pool connected to the sea by a submerged passage.
• Scuba dive at the many dive sites around the islands. There are no support facilities so you'll have to bring a self-sufficient trip. Dry suit recommended.
• Ted Fest is held in March by admirers of the Father Ted TV sitcom, first screened on Channel 4 1995-98. Most of the TV locations were on the mainland, but the opening scene of "Craggy Island" depicts the coast of Inis Oírr. Ted Fest to date has only been held on Inis Mór but the organisers hope to broaden it to other islands. If Ted Crilly gets his sly hands anywhere near the funding, that'll probably be Tahiti.
• Wild Atlantic Run is a road race in April on Inis Oírr. Distances are 5k or 10k, they don't stretch to a marathon.
• Craiceann Bodhran Festival is a masterclass and series of gigs with Irish bodhran drums. It's held on Inis Oírr in June.
• Currach Racing is held in August off Inis Oírr. A currach is a traditional lightweight rowing boat.

• All three islands have convenience stores in their main village.
• There's an ATM in Kilronan on Inis Mór, and one within the Siopa XL store on Inis Óirr; nothing on Inis Meáin.

• The pubs all do good bar food. They keep to much the same hours and rules as on the mainland, don't come to Aran for all-night sessions and wild partying. If it's a stag or hen party you're intending, go to Gomorrah.
• Commendable pubs include Tigh Joe Mac, The Bar and Joe Watty's all on Inis Mór, Teach Ósta on Inis Meáin and Tigh Ned on Inis Oírr.
• Inis Meáin has the standout Tig Congaille, just when you'd begun to despair of finding really good Guatemalan cuisine on Aran.

• Inis Mór has the widest choice, with camping, glamping, hostels, B&Bs and small hotels.
• Inis Meáin has a B&B.
• Inis Oírr has a campsite, a few B&Bs and a hotel.

As of May 2025, you can get a mobile signal on Inis Mór in Kilronan and a little way up the lane west. There's no coverage anywhere else in these islands, though individual properties and the ferries may have a connection.

• It's back to the mainland either via Doolin in County Clare, or via Connemara in County Galway.
• Wild Atlantic Way is a motoring route around the coast from Donegal to Kinsale near Cork.