Aran Islands

Aran Islands, also Arana Naomh, group of three small islands, western Republic of Ireland, in the Atlantic Ocean, at the mouth of Galway Bay. The islands, part of County Galway, are Inishmore, the largest, Inishmaan, and Inisheer; the total land area is 47 sq km (18 sq mi). Fishing has always been the main industry, and some islanders still use the fishing methods of their ancestors. The rugged life of these island fishermen was the subject of the play Riders to the Sea (1904), by the Irish dramatist John M. Synge, and the classic documentary film by Robert Flaherty, Man of Aran (1934).

Tourists are attracted to the islands by the customs of the islanders, many of whom still speak Gaelic and hold ceilidh, traditional gatherings for music, dancing, and poetry. Heritage preservation and local arts and crafts, including the famous Aran knitting, form an important part of life in the islands. Other attractions are the beautiful beaches and historic landmarks of the area. Scattered throughout the islands are ruins of ancient fortifications, churches, and monasteries constructed in the early Christian era. Among them are the 9th-century Tempall Brecan and the House of St Edna, which was the most important religious settlement on Inishmore throughout the medieval period.