The weather couldn’t have been better for our trip to Inis Mór (or Inishmore), the largest of the Aran islands. It was a 45-minutes ferry ride from Rossaveal over a calm sea.
We had brought our bikes with us, which was a little cheaper than to rent a bike on the island.
Our destination on Inis Mór was Dún Aonghasa, a stone fort of archaeological importance.
The fort consists of a series of four concentric dry stone walls, built on a high cliff around 100 metres above sea level. At the time of its construction sea levels were considerably lower and it is estimated that it was originally 1,000 metres above sea level. The shape was presumably oval or D-shaped, but parts of the cliff and the fort have since collapsed into the sea.
Outside the third ring of walls lies a defensive system of limestone spikes, known as a “cheval de frise”, planted in upright or slanting outwards positions in fissures of the limestone.
After returning to the mainland, we found a fantastic spot at Coral Beach (53.248501, -9.6291) for the night, where the sand is made up of tiny pieces of coral. We spent a long evening in the sun, which didn’t set until after 10 pm.
Hopefully the weather will stay like this for a while, as it’s much more enjoyable to explore the coast and beaches in the sunshine.