June 16-18, 2023
I left Portmagee to travel on four different buses to Ennis, and luckily had time at each of my transfer stops to have a bathroom break. My tummy was beginning to settle but I still wasn’t eating much more than a couple of scones, a banana, and a few crackers each day. I enjoy travelling by bus with nothing to do but enjoy the passing scenery and it was actually a restful day. I settled into my bed and breakfast right away and did not walk out to experience the medieval centre of Ennis town. Unfortunately I had to make the decision to cancel another much-anticipated activity that was planned for the following day – a seven kilometre hike in the Burren on the Mullaghmore Trail. It would have required several bus rides to get there, plus energy for the hike, and sadly I just wasn’t up to it. Here is an image from the internet as I didn’t get to go there! (Photo from barnabynutt.com)
What an amazing landscape! Yet another reason to travel again to Ireland! Because I skipped the hike I was able to travel on an earlier bus to Doolin, a place that I had visited on my last trip to Ireland and a gateway to the Aran Islands. I arrived at the comfortable and cozy Rainbow Hostel and received a very warm Irish welcome.
My hostess, Carmel, was so kind and offered to do my laundry and to drive me to the pier the following morning. I loved talking with her and with Susan, an Irish woman on holiday from Amsterdam, and I enjoyed hearing the two of them speak together in Irish. I’ve heard a lot of Irish spoken on this trip! I did nothing all afternoon except chat, read, nap, and enjoy a very dramatic electrical storm right above the hostel that flashed lightning, boomed thunder, and released a torrent of rain! In the evening I went on an easy walk near to the hostel along a country road to visit the ruins of an old church and a small stone circle.
It was a lovely walk in the cool rain-washed air and there were views across hay fields to the beginnings of the Cliffs of Moher in the distance.
The Killilagh Church was built in the 17th century and its cemetery continued to be used until the middle of the 20th century. It was very peaceful and there were many Celtic crosses marking the graves.
I continued along the road as it led straight towards the sea,
and turned for views back towards Doolin.
I noticed that the birds were very active with their calls to each other, possibly discussing with some excitement the fantastic storm that had passed. I walked all the way to where the road ended and did not see the ring of stones anywhere off to my right in the fields. Disappointed, I turned to walk back and continued looking, now to my left. Halfway back, and losing hope, I met a Doolin resident getting her 10,000 steps in and she knew where the stones were so I turned again and walked with her back towards the sea. She pointed out the location, about 30 metres beyond where I had stopped before! The “ring of stones” was actually the Teergonean Court Tomb. Court tombs are the oldest Neolithic tombs in Ireland and date from the early- to mid- 4th millennium BC. They get their name from an open court in front of the tomb entrance and the tombs were normally covered by long cairns of stone. It is believed that a large and prominent stone on the horizon, a glacial erratic, influenced the placement of these stones into a meaningful alignment. It was tangibly an ancient and very special place and I felt honoured to be there to experience it.
The next morning, after a good sleep, I was ready to head to Inis Oirr for a four-hour visit and then continue on to Inis Meain for a three night stay in a 200 year old cottage. The Doolin Ferry company had new boats, an improvement over the somewhat rusty one I had ridden on five years ago when I had visited Inis Mor, the biggest of the three Aran islands.
The trip to Inis Oirr, the smallest and closest island, was a quick fifteen minutes, with views of the cliffs of Moher in the distance and then views of the island with its gorgeous beach, blue-green water, harbour buildings, and hilltop castle and tower.
I had booked a bicycle, and the proprietors kindly stored my big pack for me so, feeling excited and energized again for the first time in days, I set off to explore the sights of the island. Like Inish Mor, this island is a continuation of the Karst limestone topography of the Burren and it is criss-crossed with miles and miles of dry stone walls. I had loved my time on Inis Mor and was very happy to be back to visit another of the Aran Islands. On my first stop I walked down a grassy lane to see the island’s small brackish lake – seawater seeps into the lake from fissures in the limestone.
I continued on to the remains of the MV Plassey, a large cargo steam freighter that was wrecked in a storm off Inis Oirr in 1960. All eleven crew members were rescued by the islanders who also helped to salvage the cargo. The huge rusting wreck was strangely very beautiful!
From there I cycled towards the island’s lighthouse. It was very fun to ride a bicycle and much faster than walking, even though I do usually have to get off and push on the uphill stretches! The lighthouse was like a magnet in the distance,
and there was an interesting approach to it along a long straight road hemmed in by tall stone walls.
On the return trip back up the road I noticed a gate in the wall which enabled me to walk along the rocky shore to photograph the lighthouse from different angles. It posed marvellously, as did the obliging clouds! What a gorgeous day to be on Inis Oirr!
On the walk back I became distracted by some tiny yellow star-shaped flowers and I continued to enjoy finding and photographing flowers as I pushed my bike back uphill. There were so many daisies blooming on this island!
My next stop was O’Brien’s Castle which was built in the 14th century within a ring fort believed to date from 400 BC. The castle was a three story tower house for the O’Brien family who ruled the Aran islands until the late 1500s.
I enjoyed walking around all four sides of the tower and exploring the inside,
but the real draw today was the views in all directions over the island. This view shows some of the multitude of wall-enclosed fields,
and this view (left photo), over to the next hill, shows the remains of a signal tower, built in 1804 that was part of the extensive network of towers built by the British during the Napoleonic wars.
After the hilltop visits I zoomed on my bike downhill to what was perhaps my favourite stop on the island, Teampall Chaomhan, the 10th century St. Kevin’s Church. Built near the sea, over the centuries it became buried by drifting sands until it was excavated and revealed by the islanders who continue to maintain the site. It was very unique and beautiful.
Nearby was the Cnoc Raithnoghe, a Bronze Age burial mound, dated at 1500 BC, which had also been buried under the sands over time. It was excavated after discovery and the finds included decorated pottery urns, cremated human remains, and a small bronze pin.
There was still time before my ferry to Inis Meain so I cycled towards the western side of the island to visit Cill Ghobnait, also referred to as An Teampall Beag (The Small Temple). Dedicated to St. Ghobnait, and built in the 11th century on a site in use since the 6th century, the church still features its original stone altar.
There were still more parts of the island to explore but I was happy with my day and conscious of my energy levels so I returned my bicycle and sat outside at a cafe to enjoy a scone and cup of tea and the views towards the beautiful sand beach, Tra Inis Oirr. After my break, I still had time before the ferry arrived so I walked towards the beach,
and then along the sand to its very centre where the view out to the clouds and sea was truly magical.
I said goodbye to lovely Inis Oirr as the ferry pulled away,
and said hello to Inis Meain, the middle island, as we made the approach.
I was ready for the next part of my journey and optimistic that I was on the mend. I would have three days in one place to rest, read and explore. Unfortunately, things would not go as planned!
You simply keep on keeping on.