Aran Islands (Oileáin Árann)

A group of three islands located at the mouth of Galway Bay.

The Aran Islands consist of Inis Mór (Big Island), Inis Meáin (Middle Island), and Inis Oírr (East Island). They are famous for their geological formation, historical monuments, and their linguistic and cultural heritage.

The islands are a Gaeltacht area, where Irish is the primary spoken language. They are known for their knitting (Aran sweaters), dry stone walls, and ancient forts like Dún Aonghasa on Inis Mór, which perches spectacularly on a cliff edge.

At a glance

• Islands: Inis Mór, Inis Meáin, Inis Oírr
• Famous for: Aran sweaters, Dún Aonghasa, Irish language
• Geology: Limestone karst landscape similar to the Burren.

In County Galway

Aran Islands is in County Galway, Gaillimh in Irish, which means “the stony river (the River Corrib)”.

More in Galway

• Connemara Gaeltacht (Conamara): The largest and best-known Irish-speaking region, a wild landscape of bog, mountain and Atlantic coastline.
• The Twelve Bens (Na Beanna Beola): A rugged range of quartzite peaks at the heart of Connemara.
• Lough Corrib (Loch Coirib): The Republic's largest lake, dividing Galway city from Connemara.
• Kylemore Abbey (Mainistir na Coille Móire): A romantic lakeside castle turned Benedictine abbey in Connemara.
• Dún Aonghasa (Dún Aonghasa): A spectacular prehistoric stone fort on the cliff-edge of Inis Mór.

Other places of this kind

• Skellig Michael (Sceilg Mhichíl): A jagged island monastery off the Kerry coast, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a modern film location.
• Rathlin Island (Reachlainn): Northern Ireland's only inhabited offshore island, an L-shaped seabird haven off the Antrim coast.
• Achill Island (Acaill): Ireland's largest island, joined to Mayo by a bridge, with cliffs and blue-flag beaches.
• The Saltee Islands (Na Sailtí): Two small islands off the Wexford coast, one of Ireland's great bird sanctuaries.
• Devenish Island (Daimhinis): A serene monastic island on Lower Lough Erne, crowned by a perfect round tower.
• Boa Island (Inis Badhbha): A Lough Erne island famed for its enigmatic two-faced stone idol.

The Irish name

The Irish form of Aran Islands is Oileáin Árann. You can hear it spoken, and take apart names like it, in the Placename Explorer. The authoritative record for any Irish place-name is logainm.ie.