Moe and Irene's RTW blog: Ireland: Inishmore

May 7-8, 2013 Kilroan, Inishmore Island, Ireland. We take the ferry from Ros a' Mhíl, a port 23 miles west of Galway City centre, to Kilroan, Inis Mór. We make our way up the hill to Claí Bán B&B for a two-nights stay. We are a merry band of three: Moe, myself and my sister Carol.

Claí Bán B&B

We choose not to tour in a horse-drawn carriage, but opt for a day tour with Oliver Faherty, 7th generation Inishmore resident.

Inishmore is an island with charm, history and tradition. It is a Gaeltacht or Irish-speaking region and most everyone living there speaks Irish daily, in their homes, businesses and in the pubs. I was delighted and spoke with Oliver, our guide, in Irish on and off, throughout the day. He took us to places where tourists go and to places where they don't. And yes, he knows everyone--and all of their problems!!! It was a wonderful experience.

Chickens and chicks are on the patio.

Potatoes grow in neat rows.

There are rocks everywhere.

Geologically, the Aran Island are an extension of the Burren with limestone pavements with criss-crossing cracks known as "grikes". The region has an unusually temperate climate. Since grass will grow once the temperature rises above 6°C, this means that the Burren (and the neighbouring Aran Islands) has one of the longest growing seasons in Ireland or Britain.

It has been stated, "(The Burren) is a country where there is not enough water to drown a man, wood enough to hang one, nor earth enough to bury him...... and yet their cattle are very fat; for the grass growing in turfs of earth, of two or three foot square, that lie between the rocks, which are of limestone, is very sweet and nourishing." (Wikipedia)

Some houses (but not many, because of fire insurance ineligibility) have thatched roofs.

Some have "living roofs" but no inhabitants.

Music abounds on this island.

Our hosts at Claí Bán B&B, Marion and Bartley, are musicians and their two sons are exceptional players also. Their dog Guinness is the best known dog on the island, but neither sings or plays as far as I know.

Animals are well cared for by the island people.

The four ear tags denote various vaccinations

Oliver says Hi to an island pony

Moving pastures (by bike)

This church ruin was flooded by a deluge of rain from a storm the night before.. The winds were so strong with this storm that we could barely make our way back to the B&B from Joe Watty's Pub where we had been listening to music.