07/24/2021 7:00 AM
Clarín.com
International
Updated 07/24/2021 7:00 AM
They are the essence of the most traditional Ireland.
The Aran Islands
, three pieces of living stone that emerge in the
Atlantic Ocean
very close to the Irish coast is - for its scarce 1,300 inhabitants - the image of resistance.
It has the charm of the wild, with the Atlantic hitting its cliffs.
It has the mystery of its ancestors, who left the legacy of their
Gaelic language
, and it has the unexpected certificate of the creation of Aran wool, a fabric that its women manufactured to combat the cold of the rude shark fishermen, and that the world fashion has re-signified it.
The Aran Islands, and their islets, lie just 50 kilometers from Galway, the lively, bohemian city on the west coast of Ireland.
But there is another story.
Aran Islands are three areas where 1,300 inhabitants live .: Photo Shutterstock
It is that the Atlantic Ocean marks an iron curtain that seems to protect the way of life of the proud inhabitants of the islands.
Gray, green, magical and flat lands, which preserve, almost intact, their Gaelic tradition and culture.
The islands are home to dozens of sites and impressive pre-Christian constructions.
"We speak Gaelic"
"English is not our mother tongue, we still speak Gaelic", say its proud inhabitants, who live a few kilometers from the "motherland" - motherland - which is the name that the locals give to Ireland.
A wink from the entertainment world put them in the eyes of the world, and the Aran Islands were no longer mere points on the horizon when in 1934, the North American filmmaker Robert Flaherty removed them from anonymity with the documentary
Man of Aran
, in which it reflected the struggling survival of its inhabitants at the beginning of the 20th century, according to the
newspaper El País
.
The film, which won an award at the Venice Film Festival that year, portrayed these islands of rugged landscape as an almost mythical place where writers such as William B. Yeats and John M. Synge took refuge in search of inspiration and in the one that Gaelic
, the original language of the Irish
, found refuge from the push of English.
The Aran Islands have amazing cliffs that resist the pounding of the Atlantic Ocean: Photo Shutterstock: Photo Shutterstock
Is that the Aran Islands are considered
Gaeltacht
, an Irish-speaking area.
That is why on its routes there are signs written only in Gaelic and in the men's baths it does not say
man
but
fear
.
The ferry, obligatory transport to get there
Nestled exactly 48 kilometers from Galway Bay, the best way to get to the Aran Islands is by ferry.
From July 19, Ireland reopened its doors to tourists.
The landscape is the same, but today the Aranese are working with tourism again, offering those who make a getaway during the day bicycles for rent, incredible rides in horse carts, accelerated excursions by van and, of course, the historical jerseys.
Another attraction of Inisheer Island is that it has the island's only freshwater lake, Loch Mór, Photo Shutterstock
The largest of the islands is called
Inis Mór or Inishmore
, and it is best to explore it by bicycle.
The rural roads, delimited by stone walls, reach the very cliffs.
The pier, in the small village of Kilronan, offers a beautiful postcard decorated with its “curraghs”, the traditional boats of the fishermen.
The island is also known for the lively nightlife of its cafes and restaurants.
There are several forts from the Bronze Age, but none as large as Dún Aengus.
These are several circular dark stone structures, surrounded by scattered rocks, located right on the edge of an impressive cliff that is not as high as those of Moher but that the traveler can approach to the very edge.
Taylor Swift and her Aran cardigan
"The Aran Point is experiencing a renaissance in the world of cinema, music and world-class fashion, something that can help save this traditional artisanal technique of the Irish West Isles."
This is how Vogue magazine described the unexpected resurgence of this particular fabric.
One of the promoters was none other than singer Taylor Swift.
In July 2020, Taylor Swift released her album Folklore by surprise, and accompanied it with a note: "It all started with imagery."
Among the various scenes that had come to mind was "a cardigan that is still infused with the scent of loss 20 years later."
Taylor Swift and her sweater that put the Aran Islands back in the world of fashion, because that fabric was born there.
This is how she was seen dressed in those comfortable pullovers: the cable sweater, more specifically, one from Aran, an absolutely unmistakable garment, which has its origin in the three Irish islands of
Inishmore (or Inis Mór),
Inishmaan (Inis Meáin) and Inisheer (Inis Oírr)
, in western Ireland.
Traditionally, it was made with bainín — sheep wool, the most typical, cream-colored — without dyeing;
This type of sweater often incorporates different types of knitting, such as the basket stitch, the eight or the diamond stitch.
These motifs are said to have different symbolic meanings ranging from luck on the fishing trip to hope for future prosperity,
Vogue says
.
The story goes that in the early years of the 20th century, they began to knit sweaters with untreated virgin wool.
They were strong and waterproof garments, although their smell was not pleasant.
A few years after perfecting the technique, island workers began selling their designs in stores on the mainland.
By the middle of the century they were already appearing in fashion magazines.
Their warmth made them world famous.
In 1976, Inis Meáin Knitting Company was already installed on the island and ready to export that magnificent garment that achieved worldwide fame,
the Aran sweater
.
This particular fabric was born on the island in the middle, the loneliest.
Between spectacular cliffs, circular stone forts, deserted beaches and, in addition, a turbulent Atlantic and strong winds.
Faced with such a rebellious climate, the women of the island decided to try to
protect the fishermen from the cold and humidity.
A picturesque construction in the Aran Islands: Photo Shutterstock
The appeal of the cliffs
Inisheer (Inis Oírr) is the smallest island in Aran and has one of the most popular attractions in Ireland,
the Cliffs of Moher
.
Eight kilometers of spectacular cliffs over the sea, more than 200 meters high, and an area for the special protection of birds.
It is the largest seabird reserve in Ireland,
with a large colony of puffins and various species of seagulls.
In addition, it is a magnificent observation point for dolphins and seals, and you can even spot a humpback whale.
Another attraction of Inisheer Island is
that it has
the island's
only freshwater lake, Loch Mór
, featured on the way to the site of an ancient shipwreck.
That event and the rescue of the survivors became a local legend.
The rusty hull of the Plassey freighter, which sank in 1960 during a severe storm in the Atlantic, continues in the same place certifying the events and is another tourist attraction.
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