Kilronan Inishmore, Aran Islands
July 24, 2023
HM 236. The bleak, barren and beautiful Aran Islands
There are many extraordinary things about the three Aran Islands, all rough weathered limestone outcrops with no naturally occuring topsoil. From a distance the hundreds of stone wall field divisions stand out like a patchwork quilt but up close you find the enclosures are literally fields of bare rock. There are semi circular stone forts built high up on the cliffs, facing out to sea and they hold a real air of mystery. It really is an extraordinary and intriguing place.
It took me a while to track down the Harbour Master based in Kilronan, which is the main settlement on Inishmore, the largest of the three islands. When I asked Patrick McDonagh how long his family had lived on the island he just said "generations, as far back as we can remember". Given that the first stone fort dates back to prehistoric times, that could be many generations!
Patrick's father had worked for a shipping company and had brought up his family on a small farm. Patrick explained that the reason there were so many stone walls is that there were plenty of people on the island with nothing to do, so they picked stones and built walls, allowing some seaweed and sand to be placed in the rock fissures in which they could plant potatoes. I think that is called optimistic farming!
He told me the main export off the island had been kelp which was exported to Scotland Over the years the Irish government had given many grants to try and improve the land, now it is the tourist business that keeps the island vibrant. 2,500 passengers a day transit Kilronan harbour during the summer months. A 50 million euro grant was spent on a harbour upgrade in 2008 and there was much talk of including a yacht marina. Patrick was in favour of it, but it never went ahead and I gathered that local boat users, rather unfairly, hold it against him.
I found him utterly charming and very welcoming to his beautiful, remote and spiritual island. Thank you Patrick.
There are many extraordinary things about the three Aran Islands, all rough weathered limestone outcrops with no naturally occuring topsoil. From a distance the hundreds of stone wall field divisions stand out like a patchwork quilt but up close you find the enclosures are literally fields of bare rock. There are semi circular stone forts built high up on the cliffs, facing out to sea and they hold a real air of mystery. It really is an extraordinary and intriguing place.
It took me a while to track down the Harbour Master based in Kilronan, which is the main settlement on Inishmore, the largest of the three islands. When I asked Patrick McDonagh how long his family had lived on the island he just said "generations, as far back as we can remember". Given that the first stone fort dates back to prehistoric times, that could be many generations!
Patrick's father had worked for a shipping company and had brought up his family on a small farm. Patrick explained that the reason there were so many stone walls is that there were plenty of people on the island with nothing to do, so they picked stones and built walls, allowing some seaweed and sand to be placed in the rock fissures in which they could plant potatoes. I think that is called optimistic farming!
He told me the main export off the island had been kelp which was exported to Scotland Over the years the Irish government had given many grants to try and improve the land, now it is the tourist business that keeps the island vibrant. 2,500 passengers a day transit Kilronan harbour during the summer months. A 50 million euro grant was spent on a harbour upgrade in 2008 and there was much talk of including a yacht marina. Patrick was in favour of it, but it never went ahead and I gathered that local boat users, rather unfairly, hold it against him.
I found him utterly charming and very welcoming to his beautiful, remote and spiritual island. Thank you Patrick.