September 23, 2009 — Inis Oirr (Aran Islands)

Inis Sheer (Irish: Inis Oirr), one of three Aran Islands, County Galway - Ireland

We left the hotel around 9:45 am to catch the ferry to Inis Sheer (Inis Oirr), one of three Aran Islands. On the way, we passed by "Gus O'Conner's," a famous pub in lower Doolin. The ferry left the dock from lower Doolin just after 10:00 am. Our capable skipper, Liam O'Brien did an amazing job maneuvering "Tranquility" through the treacherous waters during the one hour trip. I've never been on a boat that rocked so violently in the seas before and was really surprised (and pleased) that I didn't get sea sick!

Check out the thick foam that covered the bay as we headed out to sea!

As we were exiting, I caught this shot of a beehive on the end of the small peninsula protecting the bay... How many thousands of years has it stood there watching over the bay, and what were it's inhabitants like?

Our first glimpses of Inis Sheer (Inis Oirr) were shrouded in a thick fog, but we could feel the history of the island and its people deep in our bones as we approached... It's an amazing experience to have a piece of land command such reverence and respect.

When the ferry docked, there were several horse and buggy drivers awaiting our arrival to provide a leisurely ride around the island and share it's history and culture. We could have walked, but the buggies were SO enticing! Our driver's name was Mike Flaherty and his horse was Pilgrim. Mike was a real "character" with a wealth of knowledge and a great sense of humor. His family had lived on the island for generations, as was evidenced on several gravestones in the island's cemetery. We spent just over an hour touring the island with Mike and Pilgrim.

The island was full of very narrow dirt roads on which people walked or bicycled; it was rare to see an actual automobile. Everywhere you look, there are fields surrounded by stone walls as far as the eye can see. Each field was created by hand, meticulously clearing the rock to form stone walls, and hauling sand and seaweed from the shore over the course of many years to create fields suitable for planting and grazing. The second picture will give you a good idea of what the fields look like prior to being cleared... Amazing vistas, and even more amazing people!

During our horse and buggy ride, we came across this shipwrech of "The Plassy" which ran aground on March 8, 1960, having come too close to the shallow rock ledges off the island's shore. Everyone on board was safely rescued, but it took the boat several years to wash up onto the island.

And here are some final images of the island that really illustrate how deeply it is rooted in its own very unique history and culture.

When we landed on the island, the sun came out and the views gradually became more stunning as the day went on. Just before we boarded the ferry around quarter of 4:00 pm to return to lower Dingle, I took these photographs of the beach and water, amazed with the variety of blues and greens swirling in the sea. It reminded me of photographs I have seen of the ocean off the Bahama Islands. And yes, I did take off my socks and shoes to walk the length of the beach in the water!