Aran Islands: Inis Mór

Inis Mór - looking over rocks out to blue ocean, cloudy skies
Inis Mór

Hey everyone! I have been so busy with midterms, facilitating at the local elementary school, and going to explore new places. Around two weeks ago, my friend Kimi and I decided to go to the Aran Islands on a Saturday. We booked our bus tickets and the ferry ticket. However, we completely forgot to check how the weather was. Obviously, it was going to rain, but there were no warnings for a storm that weekend so we were feeling confident.

On the day of that trip, it was sunny and the sky was blue. However, when we arrived at the docks to board the ferry, the sky was turning grey. It was also starting to get a bit windy… The boat ride was a bit bumpy and I got seasick. When we got off the ferry, I started to feel a bit better. We then decided to take a tour with a local from the island. He drove us around the island and told us a bit about the area. Inis Mór is the largest (in size and population) of the Aran Islands. According to our tour guide, the population of Inis Mór is around 900 (I don’t remember the exact number, but it’s small).

On one of our stops, the tour guide let us explore Dún Aonghasa, which is an archaeological site. It is located on some of the cliffs that are safe for sightseeing the ocean. We had to walk on the path for 30 minutes to get to the top. Once we got to the top, the ocean looked so beautiful. It didn’t matter that the skies were grey. It somehow made the ocean look clearer.

Dún Aonghasa - looking over rocks out to blue ocean, cloudy sky
Views from Dún Aonghasa
Views from the cliff - looking over rocks out to blue ocean, cloudy sky
Cliff views
Picture with the ocean - looking over rocks out to blue ocean, cloudy sky
Had Kimi be my personal photographer.

After the walk at Dún Aonghasa, we stopped for lunch at the cutest place ever!

Cottage on the ocean with a rock wall around it.
Lunch at the cottage

We got a vegetable soup (mainly because we did not want to eat a heavy meal and deal with it during the boat ride… There was no way I was going to get seasick on the ride back). We also got a homemade pie and the lovely owner gave us a free slice of cake! If you ever find yourself in Inis Mór, make sure to stop for lunch at this place!

 

 

 

Preparing for Irish dancing.
Irish dancing at Monroe’s

In Galway, I have been busy working on midterms and projects. Thankfully, they are all done now! I just need to get through finals and classes. Starting next week, I will start on one of my final essays so I don’t stress out about it. I have also crossed one more thing off my Ireland bucket list! Last Tuesday, I went to Monroe’s, a local pub. Every Tuesday night, they have traditional Irish dancing. Sometimes, the dancers allow the audience to join them in dancing. Luckily, that Tuesday, they let the crowd join! I joined, even though I knew I was gonna suck. Anyways, it was SO MUCH FUN! I will definitely go back soon! The dancers were so patient and friendly when they were teaching us the steps to the dances.

Jessica