Inishmore


Inis Mór is the largest of the Aran Islands in Galway Bay in Ireland and has an area of. Inis Mór has a population of about 840, making it the largest of the Aran Islands in terms of population and largest island off the Irish coast with no bridge or causeway to the mainland. The island is famous for its strong Irish culture, loyalty to the Irish language, and a wealth of Pre-Christian and Christian ancient sites including Dún Aonghasa, described as "the most magnificent barbaric monument in Europe" by George Petrie.

Name

Prior to the 20th century, the island was more commonly called Inis Bant or as Árainn na Naomh. The modern Irish name, Árainn Mhór, leads to some confusion with Arranmore, County Donegal. The Irish word Árainn means "long ridge", presumably referring to the island's geography. Árainn is the 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 pavements with crisscrossing cracks known as "grikes", leaving isolated rocks called "clints".
The limestones date from the Visean period, formed as sediments in a tropical sea approximately 350 million years ago, and compressed into horizontal strata with fossil corals, crinoids, sea urchins and ammonites.
Glaciation following the Namurian phase facilitated greater denudation. The result is that Inis Mór and the other islands are among the finest examples of Glacio-Karst landscape in the world. The effects of the last glacial period are most in evidence, with the island overrun by ice during this glaciation. The impact of earlier Karstification 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 contribute to the formation of extensive fissures separated by clints. The rock karstification facilitates the formation of sub-terrainean drainage.

Towns and villages

The island supports arctic, Mediterranean and alpine 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 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, brown hairstreak, marsh fritillary and wood white ; the moths, the burren green, Irish annulet and transparent burnet ; and the hoverfly Doros profuges.

Tourism

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 also 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 tomb and a small heritage park at Dún Eochla, featuring examples of a traditional thatched cottage and poteen distillery.
The Tempull Breccain, 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 each year. Established in 2004 it is a celebration of the television sitcom Father Ted. 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, 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 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's play The Lieutenant of Inishmore.
Inis Mór was used as a recording location for the 1997 film The Matchmaker and the 2010 film Leap Year.
The first story in These Precious Hours by Michel Corrigan has a scene set on Inis Mór.
The island appeared on the premiere episode of The Amazing Race 12 with teams needing to find Teampall Bheanáin after they arrived.
The music video for Dermot Kennedy's "For Island Fires and Family" was filmed entirely on Inis Mór.

Notable inhabitants

The table below reports data on Inis Mór's population taken from Discover the Islands of Ireland and the Census of Ireland.

Annalistic references

AI=Annals of Inisfallen. M=Annals of the Four Masters.