Blog Travel

I awake before dawn to almost complete silence. I strain my ears and barely hear the muted lowing of a cow and the muffled lapping of waves. I am enveloped in peaceful solitude. I am on Inis Meáin. I sit by the window and wait for day’s first blush to appear and lose myself in dawn as it comes creeping up over the eastern horizon. As I watch the sky, a faint rustling below me precedes the sudden appearance of a wren and a pair of robins who propel themselves from the thicket to alight on the stone wall in a flurry of tik­-tik-­tiks and melodic trills. I am a recent visitor to this island, only coming for the first time a fortnight ago. I was so enchanted that I have returned to see more of, and to spend more time on, this least­ visited of the Aran Islands,  this place of unspoiled beauty, of limestone karst, and patchwork of green fields delineated and defined by dry stone walls.

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Before we embarked on our week long trip to Ireland, my friends and I did what most people do: We asked around for travel recommendations. “Oh, you totally have to go the Aran Islands,” my friend Matt said. “It was one of my favorite places.”

Indeed, Matt was right. We arrived in the evening from Galway, our giant wheeled suitcases in tow, unsure of what to expect. Could we catch a cab to our Inn? Where could we find a restaurant? More importantly, why hadn’t we done any research on this particular location before we came? We’d read up on every other destination.

Aran Travel Tip #1: It’s more remote than you’re probably expecting (in a good way). There are no taxis and no rental car depots, so plan ahead.

So what are five weary travelers to do when arriving to a remote Irish island after dark? Fortunately, Noel came to our rescue.

Noel and his five feisty charges.

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