We’ve been doing lots of driving around Ireland the last couple of weekends, and I’m not complaining!
This is Inis Mór, the largest of the three Aran Islands/Oileáin Árann:
Irish Gaelic is spoken all across the Aran Islands, making them part of on of the Gaeltacht regions. Traditionally, I believe, fishing has been the main activity for the islanders.
There are lots of old structures, such as this church:
They’ll try to catch you for Aran sweaters:
A great way to get around Inis Mór to hear them speaking Irish Gaelic is to rent a bike.
The island’s coastline is a mix between claddach (stony coastline), cliffs, and patches of sand:
Cycle up to Dún Aonghasa (“dún” means “fort”), the main prehistorical spot of Inis Mór. It dates back to 1000 B.C.. The stone fort is a semi-circle shape right against the island’s cliffs. You can walk along the edge (photo below) until you realize how far down the drop is:
On the island, there are of course lots of signs in Irish Gaelic (sorry about the small size):
Lesson: Don’t Bother Using Umbrellas
“Hey Mam, I’m at Dún Aonghasa, and it’s lashing rain!”
Quiz: What Does This Sign Mean?
Leave a reply below if you know what it means!
P.S. If you’re interested in learning Irish Gaelic, try our online Irish Gaelic lessons and sign up today.
9 thoughts on “Catch a glimpse of Inis Mór of the Aran Islands, where they speak lots of Irish Gaelic”
Nice pictures! I just read the post about Irish road signs so I remembered that this sign meant “Road Closed”. Isn’t “bealach” another word for road? What’s the difference in their usage?
Good to know heading over to the west coast next year. Dads from Galway so have have many family in the Gaeltacht regions across Co. Galway, really cant wait to get across to the Aran Islands.
@Declan You’re very lucky to have family living in the Gaeltacht! Do they still speak Irish Gaelic at home?
Well, I knew it said road closed before I came and saw the comments! I just posted this on my Irish pages (2). One is for my class, but the other one is for the class in Eastern Iowa. The last post seemed to generate interest in Bitesize. Hope things are going well for you!
Go raibh maith agat, Caron! You have been so great to us.
Tá an ceart agaibh! You’re correct 🙂
Bóthar is literally cowpass meaning road, and of course Dúnta means close/shut, so the road’s closed!
Literally “Road Shut” meaning The road is closed.
sign means “Road Closed”