Inishmore ( ga, Árainn , or ) is the largest of the Aran Islands in Galway Bay, off the west coast of

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...

. With an area of and a population of 762 (as of 2016), it is the second-largest island off the Irish coast (after Achill) and most populous of the Aran Islands. The island is in the Irish-speaking

Gaeltacht ( , , ) are the districts of Ireland, individually or collectively, where the Irish government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant vernacular, or language of the home. The ''Gaeltacht'' districts were first officially reco ...

and has a strong Irish culture. Much of the island is

karst Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, Dolomite (rock), dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathe ...

landscape and it has a wealth of ancient and medieval sites including Dún Aonghasa, described as "the most magnificent barbaric monument in Europe" by George Petrie.

Name

Before the 20th century, the island was usually called ''Árainn'' or ''Árainn Mhór'', which is thought to mean "kidney-shaped" or "ridge". It was anglicized as 'Aran', 'Aran More' or 'Great Aran'. This has caused some confusion with Arranmore,

County Donegal County Donegal ( ; ga, Contae Dhún na nGall) is a county of Ireland in the province of Ulster and in the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Donegal in the south of the county. It has also been known as County Tyrcon ...

, which has the same Irish name. The name 'Inishmore' was "apparently concocted by the

Ordnance Survey Ordnance Survey (OS) is the national mapping agency for Great Britain. The agency's name indicates its original military purpose (see ordnance and surveying), which was to map Scotland in the wake of the Jacobite rising of 1745. There was a ...

for its map of 1839" as an anglicization of ''Inis Mór'' ("big island"), as there is no evidence of its use before then. Because the island is in the

, ''Árainn'' is the only legal placename in Irish or English as declared in the Official Languages Act 2003.

Geology and geography

The island is an extension of the Burren. The terrain of the island is composed of

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms w ...

pavements with crisscrossing cracks known as "grikes", leaving isolated rocks called "clints". The limestones date from the Visean period (Lower Carboniferous), formed as sediments in a tropical sea approximately 350 million years ago, and compressed into horizontal strata with fossil

coral Corals are marine invertebrates within the class Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact colonies of many identical individual polyps. Coral species include the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and se ...

s, crinoids,

sea urchin Sea urchins () are spiny, globular echinoderms in the class Echinoidea. About 950 species of sea urchin live on the seabed of every ocean and inhabit every depth zone from the intertidal seashore down to . The spherical, hard shells (tests) o ...

s and

ammonites Ammonoids are a group of extinct marine mollusc animals in the subclass Ammonoidea of the class Cephalopoda. These molluscs, commonly referred to as ammonites, are more closely related to living coleoids (i.e., octopuses, squid and cuttlefis ...

. Glaciation following the Namurian phase facilitated greater denudation. The result is that Inis Mór and the other islands are among the finer examples of Glacio-

Karst Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, Dolomite (rock), dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathe ...

landscape in the world. The effects of the last glacial period (the Midlandian) are most in evidence, with the island overrun by ice during this glaciation. The impact of earlier

Karstification Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathering-resistant ...

(solutional erosion) has been eliminated by the last glacial period. So any Karstification now seen dates from approximately 10,000 years ago and the island Karst is thus recent. Solutional processes have widened and deepened the grikes of the limestone pavement. Pre-existing lines of weakness in the rock (vertical joints) contribute to the formation of extensive fissures separated by clints (flat pavement like slabs). The rock karstification facilitates the formation of subterranean drainage.

Towns and villages

* Cill Rónáin (Kilronan) *Eochaill (Oghill) *Mainistir (Manister) *Cill Mhuirbhigh (Kilmurvy) *Iarairne (Eararna) *Cill Éinne (Killeany) *Gort na gCapall *Fearann an Choirce (Oatquarter) *Corrúch *Creig an Chéirín *Bungabhla *Baile na Creige *Sruthán *Eoghanacht (Onaght)

Flora and fauna

The island supports

arctic The Arctic ( or ) is a polar regions of Earth, polar region located at the northernmost part of Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean, adjacent seas, and parts of Canada (Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut), Danish Realm (Greenla ...

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on ...

and

alpine Alpine may refer to any mountainous region. It may also refer to: Places Europe * Alps, a European mountain range ** Alpine states, which overlap with the European range Australia * Alpine, New South Wales, a Northern Village * Alpine National P ...

plants side by side, due to the unusual environment. Like the Burren, the Aran islands are known for their unusual assemblage of plants and animals. The grikes (crevices) provide moist shelter, thus supporting a wide range of plants including dwarf shrubs. Where the surface of the pavement is shattered into gravel, many of the hardier Arctic or alpine plants can be found. But when the limestone pavement is covered by a thin layer of soil, patches of grass are seen, interspersed with plants like the gentian and orchids. Insects present include the butterfly the pearl-bordered fritillary (''Boloria euphrosyne''), brown hairstreak (''Thecla betulae''), marsh fritillary (''Euphydryas aurinia'') and wood white (''Leptidea sinapis''); the moths, the burren green (''Calamia tridens''), Irish annulet (''Gnophos dumetata'') and transparent burnet (''Zygaena purpuralis''); and the hoverfly '' Doros profuges''.

Tourism

2017-06-16_4904x7356_inishmore_gravestone

Inis Mór today is a major tourist destination, with bed and breakfast accommodation scattered across the island. Private minibuses, horse-drawn carriages and bicycles are the main methods of getting about for the numerous tourists who visit the island in the summer months. There is a small museum illustrating the history of Dún Aonghasa and its possible functions, while the Aran Sweater Market is a focal point for visitors who can trace the culture and history associated with the Aran sweater through the on-site museum. Nearby are a

Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several pa ...

tomb and a small heritage park at Dún Eochla, featuring examples of a traditional

thatched cottage Thatching is the craft of building a roof with dry vegetation such as straw, water reed, sedge (''Cladium mariscus''), rushes, heather, or palm branches, layering the vegetation so as to shed water away from the inner roof. Since the bulk o ...

and poteen distillery. The ''Tempull Breccain'' (Church of Brecan), commonly called the Seven Churches of Aran, is a complex of churches and other buildings dedicated to the 5th-century Saint Brecan, once a popular destination for pilgrims. In the centre of the island, at its highest point is the Inishmore Lighthouse, it was decommissioned in 1857 and replaced by the lights at Eeragh and Inisheer. The island plays host to

Ted Fest The Friends of Ted Festival, or Ted Fest, is an annual fan convention held on the island of Inishmore, off the coast of County Galway, Ireland for fans of the Channel 4 sitcom ''Father Ted'', created by Graham Linehan and Arthur Mathews (writer) ...

each year. Established in 2004, it is a celebration of the sitcom ''

Father Ted ''Father Ted'' is a sitcom created by Irish writers Graham Linehan and Arthur Mathews and produced by British production company Hat Trick Productions for Channel 4. It aired over three series from 21 April 1995 until 1 May 1998, includin ...

''. Festival goers dress as their favourite characters, watch their favourite episodes and take part in various ''Ted'' related events and competitions.

Sport

Some of the limestone sea cliffs have attracted interest from rock-climbers. Diving is possible. A particularly popular location for this is Poll na bPéist (hole of worms/sea monsters), located at the southern coast of the island, which is a large naturally formed rectangular pool communicating via underground channels with the sea. Since 2012, Inis Mór has hosted an event as part of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series.

Transport

The island is serviced by Aran Ferries ferry from

Rossaveal Rossaveal or Rossaveel ( or ''Ros a' Mhíl'') is a Gaeltacht village and townland in the Connemara area of County Galway, Ireland. It is the main ferry port for the Aran Islands in Galway Bay. It is about from Galway city. The Irish name ''Ros ...

and Doolin. These are passenger-only ferries; cars and heavy goods are transported on unscheduled services. Aer Arann Islands runs daily scheduled flights from Inis Mór Aerodrome to Connemara Airport using Britten Norman Islander aircraft.

In popular culture

The island features heavily in

Martin McDonagh Martin Faranan McDonagh (; born 26 March 1970) is a British-Irish playwright, screenwriter, producer, and director. Born and brought up in London, he is the son of Irish parents. He is known as one of the most acclaimed modern playwrights whose ...

's play '' The Lieutenant of Inishmore''. McDonagh would also use Inishmore as a filming location for his film '' The Banshees of Inisherin''. Inis Mór was used as a recording location for the 1997 film ''

The Matchmaker ''The Matchmaker'' is a 1954 play by Thornton Wilder, a rewritten version of his 1938 play ''The Merchant of Yonkers''. History The play has a long and colorful history. John Oxenford's 1835 one-act farce ''A Day Well Spent'' had been extend ...

'' and the 2010 film ''

Leap Year A leap year (also known as an intercalary year or bissextile year) is a calendar year that contains an additional day (or, in the case of a lunisolar calendar, a month) added to keep the calendar year synchronized with the astronomical year or ...

''. The first story in ''These Precious Hours'' by Michael Corrigan has a scene set on Inis Mór. The island appeared on the premiere episode of ''

The Amazing Race 12 ''The Amazing Race 12'' is the twelfth season of American reality television show ''The Amazing Race''. It featured eleven teams of two competing in a race around the world. The season premiered on CBS on November 4, 2007, and the finale aired o ...

'' with teams needing to find Teampall Bheanáin after they arrived. The music video for Dermot Kennedy's "For Island Fires and Family" (video released 10 January 2019) was filmed entirely on Inis Mór.

Notable inhabitants

Ceannanach Gregory Ceannanach, early Irish missionary, fl. c. 490-500? Biography Ceannach's original name is said to have been Gregory, the former name only associated with him after his death. He was a very early Christian missionary who worked in what ...

, early Irish missionary, fl. c. 490–500? * Saint Fanchea,

abbess An abbess (Latin: ''abbatissa''), also known as a mother superior, is the female superior of a community of Catholic nuns in an abbey. Description In the Catholic Church (both the Latin Church and Eastern Catholic), Eastern Orthodox, Copt ...

of Killeaney, fl. 500 * Enda of Aran, early Christian

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...

, died c. 530 * Mahon mac Turlough Mantach Ó Briain, Chief of Inis Mór, died 1565 * Murrough mac Toirdelbach Ó Briain, Chief of Inis Mór, fl. 1575–1588 * Murrough na dTuadh Ó Flaithbheartaigh, Chief of Iar Connacht, fl. 1569–1593 *

Liam O'Flaherty Liam O'Flaherty ( ; 28 August 1896 – 7 September 1984) was an Irish novelist and short-story writer, and one of the foremost socialist writers in the first part of the 20th century, writing about the common people's experience and from their ...

, novelist and short story writer, 28 August 1896 – 7 September 1984 *

Bridget Dirrane Bridget Dirrane (15 November 1894 – 31 December 2003) was an Irish nurse, centenarian and memoirist. Early life Bridget Dirrane was born in Oatquarter in the townland of Kilmurvey on Inishmore, Aran Islands, County Galway on 15 November 1894. ...

, centenarian, died 2004. * Pat Mullen, actor and writer, bef.1901- a.1976 *

Máirtín Ó Direáin Máirtín Ó Direáin (; 29 November 1910 – 19 March 1988) was an Irish poet from the Aran Islands Gaeltacht. Along with Seán Ó Ríordáin and Máire Mhac an tSaoi, Ó Direáin was, in the words of Louis de Paor, "one of a trinity of poe ...

, Irish language poet, 1910–1988 *

Breandán Ó hEithir Breandán Ó hEithir (18 January 1930 – 26 October 1990) was an Irish writer and broadcaster.broadcaster, 1930–1990 * Tim Robinson, author, born 1935 *

Maura Derrane Maura Catherine Derrane (born 8 July 1970) is an Irish television presenter and journalist. She currently works for Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ), having previously worked for TV3 and TG4. Derrane is a from Inishmore, County Galway. She p ...

RTÉ (RTÉ) (; Irish for "Radio & Television of Ireland") is the national broadcaster of Ireland headquartered in Dublin. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on television, radio and online. The radio service began on 1 January 1926, whil ...

television presenter, born 1970 * Barbara Feeney (née Curran), mother of director

John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), known professionally as John Ford, was an American film director and naval officer. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation. He ...

(né John Feeney) was born in the town of

Kilronan Cill Rónáin (anglicised as Kilronan) is the main settlement on Inishmore, one of the Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland in County Galway. The ferries serving the island call at Doolin, County Clare and also Ros an Mhíl, County Galw ...

Eyman, Scott
''Print the Legend: The Life and Times of John Ford''
New York: Simon & Schuster. 1999. (excerpt c/o ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'')

Aran in the Irish annals

Annals of Inisfallen (AI) * 530 – " Enda of Aran, died." * 654 – "St

Nem Moccu Birn Nem Moccu Birn (or Nennus, Nenus, Nehemias; died 14 June 654) was Abbot of Aran. His feast day is 14 June. Biography Nem was one of the few known successors of Enda of Aran, and appears to be the first such abbot listed in the Irish annals ...

, successor of Enne, of Ara, died on the 14th of June." * 751 – "Repose of Colmán mac Comán, in Ára." * 755 – " Gaimdibhla, Abbot of Aran, died." * 916 – " Egnech, successor of Enda of Ara, bishop and anchorite, died." * 1110 – " Flann Ua Aedha, successor of Énna of Ára, died." * 1114 – " Maelcoluim Ua Cormacain, successor of Ende of Ara, died." * "AI1015.8 The foreigners of the Isles, viz. with the complement of seven ships, raided the Islands, and they plundered Ara, Inse Mod, and Inis Aingin(?), and carried off one hundred and fifty aptivesas booty." * "AI1016.6 The slaughter of Ára, in which Ua Lochlainn, royal heir of Corcu Modruad, was killed in Port Ciaráin in Ára. It was the Conmaicne who slew him." * "AI1019.4 A great pestilence, i.e. a colic, in Ára in the above year, and many people died there." * 1167 – Gillagori Ua Dubhacan "successor of Einde of Ara, died."

Demographics

The table below reports data on Inis Mór's population taken from ''Discover the Islands of Ireland'' (Alex Ritsema, Collins Press, 1999) and the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of Ireland.

Annalistic references

AI= Annals of Inisfallen. (AF)M=

Annals of the Four Masters The ''Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland'' ( ga, Annála Ríoghachta Éireann) or the ''Annals of the Four Masters'' (''Annála na gCeithre Máistrí'') are chronicles of medieval Irish history. The entries span from the Deluge, dated as 2,24 ...

. * AI1016.6 "The slaughter of Ára, in which Ua Lochlainn, royal heir of Corcu Modruad, was killed in Port Ciaráin in Ára. It was the Conmaicne who slew him. Death of Muiredach son of Cadla, king of Conmaicne Mara." * AI1019.4 "A great pestilence, i.e. a colic, in Ára in the above year, and many people died there." * M1186 "Conchubhar Ua Flaithbertaigh was killed by Ruaidhri Ua Flaithbertaigh, by his own brother, in Ara." * M1560.8 "Mahon, the son of Turlough, son of Teige, son of Donough, son of Donnell, son of Turlough Meith O'Brien, went into Desmond with the crew of a ship and boat, from the island of Aran. He took prisoners in the southern country, but some assert that the taking of them was of no advantage, and that they only accompanied him through friendship. On his return with his spoils, the wind became rough, and the sky angry; and the ship and boat were separated from each other; and when the ship was making for Aran in the beginning of the night, the sail was swept away from the hands of the men and warriors, and torn to rags off the ropes and tackles, and wafted into the regions of the firmament; and the ship afterwards struck upon a rock, which is at the mouth of Cuan-an-fhir-mhoir, in West Connaught, where she was lost, with her crew, except Mahon and three others. Upwards of one hundred were drowned in that harbour, among whom was Tuathal O'Malley, the best pilot of a fleet of long ships in his time." * M1565.3 "Mahon, the son of Turlough Mantagh, son of Donough, son of Donnell, son of Turlough Meith, was treacherously slain in his own town of Aircin, in Aran, by his own associates and relations. When the chief men of Galway heard of this, they set out to revenge this misdeed upon the treacherous perpetrators, so that they compelled them to fly from their houses; and they the fugitives went into a boat, and put to sea; and where they landed was in the harbour of Ross, in West Corca-Bhaiscinn. Donnell, the son of Conor O'Brien, having heard of this, he hastened to meet them with all the speed that he could exert; and he made prisoners of the greater number of them, and carried them in close fetters to Magh Glae, in the upper part of Corcomroe, in order that their sorrow and anguish might be the greater for being in view of the place where they had perpetrated the crime; he hanged some of them, and burned others, according as their evil practices deserved."

References

External links

* {{Authority control Gaeltacht places in County Galway Aran Islands