Aran Islands

The Aran Islands or The Arans (na hArainneacha are a group of three islands located at the mouth of Galway Bay, on the west coast of Ireland. They constitute the barony of Aran in County Galway, Ireland. From west to east they are: Inishmore, the largest; Inishmaan), the second-largest; and Inisheer (Inis Thiar/Inis Oirr/Inis Oirthir), the smallest. Irish is the main spoken language on all three islands, and is the language used naming the islands and their villages and townlands. The islands' geology is mainly karst limestone and is thus closely related to The Burren in Co. Clare (to the east), not the granites of Connemara to the north. This is most obvious in the construction of the walls around the fields.

The islands are the home of the Aran sweater, which has gained worldwide appeal during the course of the 20th century. Much of its popularity can be attributed to the enthusiasm and engagement of Padraig O Siochain, who deeply cherished the islands, their people and their native traditions after he first arrived there in the 1950s, recording life as it was then on endless reels of film. The islands have an unusually temperate climate. Average air temperatures range from 15°C in July to 6°C in January. The soil temperature does not usually drop below 6°C (end 2010 recorded a prolonged period of snow, the first in living memory).