Sunday, July 27, 2003

By Joyce Gannon, Post-Gazette Staff Writer

INIS MOR, Ireland -- Our ship pulled out from the dock midmorning under a cloudless sky with no hint of rain and the promise of summer-like temperatures by afternoon. Could this be the far west of Ireland where dreary skies and rain are as much a way of life as the steaming tea and warm scones?

	If you go Aran Islands For schedules and more information on Aran Island Ferries, visit www.aranislandferries.com. Times may vary from the printed schedule. There is also a bus connection from Galway City to the ferry dock.

Indeed it was as we departed in late May for a day-trip to Inis Mor, one of the Aran Islands located 10 miles off the Galway coast.

Mention Aran and many people visualize the beautiful wool sweaters originally worn by the fishermen here. But there's much more to the Aran Islands than their famous fashion export. The remains of several Celtic forts and churches, spectacular rocky beaches and cliffs, a dearth of automobiles and the Gaelic-speaking population all provide inspiring insights to ancient Irish life.

Dublin-born playwright John Millington Synge found the material for his best-known dramas, including "Playboy of the Western World" and "Riders to the Sea," while living and traveling through the Arans in the early 1900s. The times he spent here, he said, were among the happiest of his life because the innocent, simple lifestyle of the Aran natives provided escape "from the nullity of the rich and the squalor of the poor." (Synge's thatched cottage on another of the islands, Inis Meain, has been restored and is open to visitors.)

Inis Oirr is the smallest of the three islands that make up the Arans. The combined population on all three is about 1,500, including 800 on Inis Mor, the largest island.

To reach Inis Mor, we caught a passenger boat operated by Aran Island Ferries in Rossaveal, a fishing village on the Galway Bay, about 23 miles west of bustling Galway City. If you try to find it on a map or road sign, look for its Gaelic spelling, "O Ros an Mhil" because it's the preferred posting in this area of the country where the ancient language still prevails in many homes and shops.

We inquired about ferry times and tickets the night before our trip and opted for the first sailing at 10:30 a.m. the next day. The boat would return from Inis Mor at 4 p.m. Round-trip ticket was 19 euros per person. To accommodate the throngs of tourists who visit Ireland in the peak summer season of June through September, Aran Island Ferries offers a later return trip those months at 7:30 p.m.

By the time we boarded, the prime outdoor deck seats were completely occupied (mostly by a group of Italian tourists) so we found comfortable seats inside the two-level ship, which had plenty of windows to scope out the view. Crossing the calm sea that morning took about 50 minutes, and we docked at Kilronan, Inis Mor's main port.

At this point, visitors can head straight for the quaint village shops or select a means of transport to explore the island, which is nine miles long and about two miles wide.

As we stepped off the boat, we faced eager tour guides offering several options: minivans whose operators seemed happy to cram in a dozen or so riders; horse-drawn jaunting cars; and bike rentals. Ambitious visitors even hike to the various sites around the island.

With the beautiful weather in our favor, we decided on a horse-taxi driven by an island native, Patrick. Yes, he told us, he has relatives in the United States, including a sister, but like many Irish, he's not anxious to board an airplane to make the journey to America.

For 20 euros apiece, Patrick offered us a three-hour excursion that included the scenic drive to the opposite end of Inis Mor. There we could check out Dun Aengus, one of four forts on the island and considered to be among the best preserved stone forts in Europe. We'd have time to explore the fort and eat at its tourist center, and he'd escort us back to the main village, where we'd still have several hours before our departure. Having spent the past week driving ourselves around the countryside of Western Ireland, Patrick's offer sounded like a bit of a splurge but a fun excursion mainly because we could soak up the scenery without consulting any maps.

Plus we would have this Aran native's knowledge of the island all to ourselves.

Leaving Kilronan, our horse and driver took us along a one-lane road that passed through fields and small farms divided by the trademark Irish stone walls and dotted with lovely cottages and old stone houses. The island coast, several hundred yards below us, was rocky in most places, with stretches of sandy beach where mothers romped with young children. We figured the older kids were still in school.

We spotted a few curraghs -- Irish fishing boats -- out on the water, and Patrick pointed out seals that congregated in certain spots. If we strained our ears, we could hear their distinct squeals above the sound of the waves. John Sayles' wonderful Irish movie that features seals and an island fishing family, "The Secret of Roan Inish," was filmed farther north, on the coast of Donegal, but it evokes everything about the Arans.

About six miles from the village, we arrived at the foot of Dun Aengus (Angus' fort). A visitors' exhibit there provides background on the fort, but we didn't linger and quickly paid the 2 euros that gave us access to the hiking path to the fort itself.

The sprawling collection of stone walls sits atop a steep, rocky hill that is three-quarters of a mile high, the highest point on the island. We peeled off our sweaters about halfway up and marveled at tourists making the trek in sandals and high heels. We also wondered how many people ascend it in the rain.

When we reached the top, the semicircular fort provided stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean and 300-foot cliffs that run along the water in both directions. You can imagine your own history of the place. No traces of dwellings or water supplies have ever been found that might help fix a firmer date to the fort, and accounts of its origins vary, with estimates of when it was built ranging from 2000 B.C. to 900 B.C. to A.D. 500. It's not clear who built it either. Some historians say pre-Christian Celtic tribes; some say the Danes. Whether it was even used as a fort is also doubted by some who believe it was a site for tribal rituals or early theater.

Regardless of its beginnings, Dun Aengus provides a wonderful place to absorb untouched natural scenery. By the time we hiked back down, we welcomed the chance to buy chilled, bottled water and a light lunch at a tea shop across from the visitors' center.

Sure enough, when we finished our meal, Patrick was waiting around the corner. On the ride back he pointed out other sites and recounted how for much of his life, the island had had no cars or technology of any kind.

He dropped us near the heart of Kilronan, where we browsed through shops featuring native pottery and artwork and of course, the ubiquitous sweaters. Since the day was glorious, we bypassed the Aran Heritage Centre, which opened several years ago. It features historical and cultural exhibits as well as daily showings of the 1932 classic film "Man of Aran."

Instead, we soaked up the sun along the waterfront and had time for cappuccinos at a hotel just off the pier before our ship departed.

Though we spent only a day there, Inis Mor has a number of B&Bs to accommodate overnight visitors who want to take in some of the other forts and old church ruins or simply enjoy quiet bike rides and walks as they bask in the simplicity of life from another era.