Sunday
Thankfully, the water at the hostel was fixed in the morning. I was able to have a hot shower before heading out for a quick breakfast before boarding the ferry. The glorious weather I’d been fortunate to experience over the past couple of weeks definitely seemed to have moved on.
I had a really nice smashed avo breakfast at a little café chain called Mocha Beans, then packed my gear and headed for the ferry. Boarding had already started and I noticed most people chose to sit up top for the views. I wisely headed downstairs and found a seat towards the stern. Sure enough, ten minutes into the trip, everyone came pouring into the cabin, all drenched from sea spray.
It was quite a choppy ride—about 60% of passengers were seasick. I ended up giving up my seat so someone ill could sit down and spent the remainder of the trip standing near the bag racks, away from the bins and toilets. Lucky I’m alright with a rocky boat.
There was a collective sense of relief as the ferry closed in on Inishmore and pulled into the small town of Kilronan. The rain had started up again, so I took shelter in a conveniently placed hotel bar. I had a couple of hours to kill before the Airbnb check-in, so I had lunch and a few bevvies, waiting for the rain to ease.
It was about a 20-minute walk to my home for the next four nights. Very pleased—the apartment was recently renovated and cosy. I managed to get some washing done before heading out for dinner at Tí Joe Watty’s. The pub was great! Nice food, good beers, and brilliant staff who were happy to chat. All the locals were speaking Irish, and it was fun trying to pick up what they were saying… I only really caught the cussing.
The best part was a guitar duo who popped in to play some traditional music—very talented players. Then it was a 30-minute walk back home for a solid sleep.
Monday
The next day was pouring with rain, so I stayed in and did some more planning for the coming weeks. The rain eventually eased just enough for me to head back to Tí Joe’s for dinner. If the weather’s decent tomorrow, I’ll try to explore the island.
Tuesday
The rain had eased to a light sprinkle around mid-morning, so I chucked on the rain jacket and headed off to hire a bike. Inishmore, being the largest of the Aran Islands, is around 30 km² and 14 km in length—just a bit too big to hike in a day.
I managed to beat most of the tourists and headed straight to the far end of the island. My main goal was to see the lighthouse, the Wormhole, Black Fort, and a few other spots if time allowed. The weather picked up and stayed mostly overcast for the rest of the day.
Dún Aonghasa was probably the most impressive. I parked the bike at the start of the trail and hiked up. The ancient fort is perched right on the edge of a high cliff—definitely not a safe place for kids, as there were zero protective barriers. Fortunately, I didn’t see any kids. The sheer drop of probably around 100 metres definitely had my palms sweating.
Just as impressive was the Wormhole—a naturally forming rectangular rock pool right on the edge of the coast. It looked like it had been carved as a swimming pool, but folklore says a sea giant once dug it as a tunnel to reach the other side of the island.
It was quite a trek to get there, with a fair bit of rock-hopping. The best part? I had a guide. Somehow, a local Golden Retriever found me and led me across the rocks to the perfect viewpoint for the Wormhole. Felt like a proper spirit-animal moment. The tide was out when I visited, so the hole was rather tame, though the ocean was raging against the cliffs.
I didn’t see my canine guide on the way back, but later, several kilometres down the road near the Black Fort, there she was, again, looking to guide more folks. I never learned her name or met her human, but she absolutely made my day.
I managed to explore most of the island and returned my bike just at closing time. Had an early dinner at a bar called… The Bar, and organised return ferry tickets for the smallest Aran Island for the next day.
Wednesday
In the morning, I had a quick brekkie and headed down to the ferry pier. The ferry was running a bit late, but no dramas—Inisheer is tiny, just 3 km². I had four hours to explore and managed to see all the main sights… plus a scenic detour through some walled paddocks.
The whole island was basically one giant stone wall, twisting and winding all over—I couldn’t believe how many rocks had been shifted to build them all. On my walk I saw an old shipwreck, the lighthouse (with views of the Cliffs of Moher across the water), Charlie Bird’s seat, O’Brien’s Castle, a ruined tower, the Fisherman’s Monument, and St. Enda’s Well.
The forecast had predicted rain, but I ended up carrying my jacket the whole day and even got a little sunburnt. Bloody forecasts. I also squeezed in some fish and chips at Tigh Ned’s Pub. Inisheer was a very cool little island—I’m glad I made the trip.
I caught the ferry back to Inishmore, treated myself to a nice dinner at the Aran Hotel, and headed back to the accommodation for my last night on the Aran Islands.
I have loved spending time on the Islands, a very special part of the world, and a very chilled community.
Tomorrow, I drive to a small town outside Dublin, where I’ll stay the night before heading to the airport Friday and flying to Rotterdam!
