Irish is the spoken language on all three islands, and is the language used for the names of the islands and many of the island's villages and place names, but the islanders will happily converse in English with visitors.

(Things to write about: Currachs, Robert J. Flaherty's 1934 classic documentary Man of Aran, poet Martin O'Direan (sp?) )

Table of contents

1 Geography 1..1 Inis Mór 'the big island' 1..2 Inis Meáin 'the middle island' 1..3 Inis Óirr 'the south island' 2 Getting There 3 Aran Island Sweater 3..4 Characteristics 3..5 Origin Stories 3..6 Fisherman Sweater

Geography

This is the largest island with a population of 1,281 (Census 2002). The port Kilronan (Cill Rónáin) is the main village of the island.

There are several Iron Age forts on the island, including Dún Aengus (Dún Aonghasa) and Dún Dúchathair.

Inis Meáin 'the middle island'

Despite not being the smallest island, it is the least populated and least tourist orientated island.

Inis Óirr 'the south island'

The smallest island. Ferry service from both Rossaveal and Doolin.

Getting There

There is currently no direct service from Galway city. A ferry service operates from Rossaveal and an air service is available from Inverin, both of which have connecting buses from Galway city.

Aran Island Sweater

The islands are the home of a style of sweater that has gained world wide appeal during the course of the 20th Century.

Characteristics

The sweater is usually made with undyed cream colored sheep's wool, and is even occasionally made with unwashed wool that still contains natural sheep lanolin.

The sweater usually features 4-6 texture patterns each of which is about 2-4 inches in width, that move down the sweater in columns from top to bottom. Usually the patterns are symettrical to a center axis extending down the center of the front and back panel. The patterns also usually extend down the sleeves as well.

The same texturized knitting patterns are also often used to make socks, hats, vests and even skirts.

Origin Stories

There is debate about when island residents first started making the sweaters. Some have suggested that the sweater is an ancient design that has been used on the island for hundreds of years. Proponents of this theory, often point to a picture in the Book of Kells that appears to depict an ancient 'Aran Sweater'.

Some historians, though, have cast doubt on this origin story and have suggested that the sweater, which is technically a very complex piece of knitting, was invented as recently as the 1920s by a small group of enterprising island women to be created and sold as a source of income.

Fisherman Sweater

The sweater is often sold as a 'fisherman sweater' and there are many stories that suggest that this sweater is used by the island's famous fishermen. It is said that each fisherman had a sweater with a unique design, so that if he drowned and was found on the beach, his body could be identified.