Inisheer — Local services in County Galway

It was in August of 2000, my wife and I boarded the ferry without any accommodations or expectations. Upon our arrival we were greeted by an Irishman with a horse drawn buggy. He told us to climb up into his buggy, and so, we complied with his request. Immediately, we were on our way to where we did not know. I recall that we were riding in the direction of the late afternoon sun. After about ten minutes we arrived at a two story stone walled farm house. There were children playing inbetween the front of the house and and a stable. We were immediately taken to an upstairs bedroom. I remember more children running past us in the hallway. We were far away from our home, but at the same time we felt at home.

After dropping off our luggage, we immediately set out to explore. Now with the sun behind us we began walking on a path that was different from the one we rode upon. The path was lined on both sides by staked limestone walls. Behind the walls were farm animals divided into pens. It seemed primative to us.

Eventually we came to a pub. After I had my pint of Guiness in hand we seated ourselves next to the east window. It was a Sunday, there were men, women and children seated shoulder to shoulder in a large circle. In an orderly manner each was taking their turn to sing a memorized ballad or play an instrument. It seemed like the perfect way to spend a late Sunday afternoon.

After the pint was finished, and the sun was nearing the horizon we headed for the only restaurant in the village. All I remember is that we were told at the pub that a native of the small island had married a French woman and together they owned the restaurant. I don't remember eating there, but we must have, because I don't remember going to bed hungry and I recall sleeping soundly behind the thick stone walls of...

If you were to find yourself wandering across the tiny island of Inisheer on March 17, you’d almost certainly hear someone greet you with a hearty 'Lá fhéile Pádraig sona dhuit!' That’s because nearly all the island’s 260 residents would want to wish you a happy Saint Patrick’s Day in their native Irish tongue. The smallest of the three Aran Islands that are strung across the mouth of Galway Bay in western Ireland has been inhabited from prehistory, with artifacts of Bronze Age, Pagan, Celtic, Early Christian, Norman-Irish, Pastoral, Maritime Navigational, and more recent settlements scattered around its 1,400 acres.

The tiny drystone wall subdivisions of the fields are a result of a long tradition of splitting family farms between all the children. After a few generations, farms were reduced to the garden-size patches you can see here. These days, the islanders are best-known for keeping the traditional language, music, art, and stories alive, so you can be sure that they're celebrating the day in style. And if you can’t make it there today (or next year), you could always come back on June 14, when residents celebrate the island’s patron saint, Saint Caomhán. Bonus: It’s likely to be a little warmer and...

I'm a little mixed on this island. We had a great time on our bikes which was a great flexible way to see the island and we really loved the beach and playground however those things are available in a lot of places. The specifics of the island such as the ship wreck and castle ruins where not impressive and frankly a waste of time if not for the nice bike ride. Overall we had a good day however we could have done the same bike, beach and playground in a lot of places. The lack of cars helped as did the excellent lunch and ice cream so all in all...