(Galway, Co. Galway, Ireland)

I’ve been in Galway for a couple of days now, but this is my first posting from Galway as my itinerary was extremely full.  Today’s  entire post is devoted to my June 2 visit to Inis Mór (English – Inishmore), largest of the Aran Islands.

The Aran Islands are three extremely rocky islands located off the western coast of Ireland.  They are a stronghold of the Gaelic language and, in the relatively recent past, were among the most isolated parts of Ireland.  They were the subject of a 1934 Oscar-winning documentary (“Man of Aran”) that portrayed traditional life on the islands.  I decided to visit Inis Mór, the largest of the three Aran Islands, for some sightseeing by bike.  Inis Mór has only 800 people but is just a bit too large to be covered by foot on a day trip.

I haven’t biked all day for many years but it was a great way to see the island’s highlights at my own pace.  I was far from the only one and, in fact, it turned out to be a brilliant move because one of the roads was closed to vehicle traffic.

The headlining sight on Inis Mór is Dún Aonghasa (English: Dun Aengus), an Iron Age ring fort perched on a cliff 200 feet above the Atlantic.  It’s not just perched there:  from time to time, part of the fort tumbles into the sea due to erosion.   The views are incredible…and so is the challenge to venture close to the edge.  While I am completely comfortable on skis high in the Alps, this was another matter altogether.  I can’t imagine lying at the top of the cliff with my head over the edge…but some people do it.  In keeping with most dramatic sites here, there are no barriers to prevent people from tumbling over the edge.

With the spectacular location, it is easy to forget the mystery about the fort:  it’s 2,000 years old and relatively little is known about its construction and use.   However, there are similar structures elsewhere in Europe (including Spain and France), suggesting that ancient Ireland may have had quite a bit of contact with the outside world.

En route to Dún Aonghasa, I passed a seal colony.  These wild animals are huge and rather endearing.  They seem to smile or wink at you when they catch your eye.  I must have taken 100 photos of the seals (one of which is at the top of this post), in an attempt to capture their expressions.

Dún Aonghasa is far from the only historic site on Inis Mór.  Na Seacht Teampaill ( The Seven Churches) is a religious complex dating back to the 8th century and contains a cemetery with many Celtic Crosses.  The Irish have a keen wit; there may in fact be only two churches.  A couple of local dogs followed me here and left when I departed the site.  This was typical of the day:  Inis Mór seems much more connected to the non-human world than other places in Europe.   In addition to the seals and dogs, I photographed cows, goats, wild rabbits and a sociable donkey while on the island.

It didn’t feel like 2014 on Inis Mór.  On the roads, it could have been any time in the relatively recent past.  When I was off the roads and on the shore or at  the top of Dún Aonghasa, it could have been hundreds (if not thousands) of years in the past.  One has to be careful not to romanticize all elements of the past (some of which are quite horrid), but it was still a very enjoyable day of time travel. 

 I returned to the vibrant city of Galway and ate an excellent Moroccan meal (chicken tagine) in a downtown restaurant.   Ethnic restaurants are one element of modern life that I wouldn’t want to give up!