Galway

A Day On Inis Oírr. My favourite Aran Island for a day trip.

I just spent a beautiful, sunny day on Inis Oírr in the Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland. It's an easy day trip to combine with a cruise under the Cliffs of Moher and will be on a lot of visitors itineraries. It can be a bit confusing though, with the different islands and options, so read on where I clear everything up.

What Are the Aran Islands?

First, let me tell you about the Aran Islands.

The Aran Islands are a group of 3 islands off the west coast of Ireland. They are Irish speaking islands called Gaeltachts. The islands names are in Irish but you'll see Anglicised versions too.

Inis Mór/Inishmore: The big island. Population 800, size 31 km²
Inis Meáin/Inishmaan:The middle island. Population 200, size 9km²
Inis Oírr/Inisheer: The smallest island & closest to the mainland. Population 275, size 8km²

Which Aran Island to Visit ?

Most people go to Inis Mór, but I think Inis Mór needs an overnight stay to really appreciate it.

Not many people go to Inis Meáin, it suffers from middle child syndrome!

On this trip, I only had a day and Inis Oírr is ideal for the day trip. It's a smaller island, it's closer to the mainland & you can do a cruise under the Cliffs of Moher on the return journey.

You can absolutely do an overnight on the Inis Oírr as well, in fact, I highly recommend it, but I'll tell you what you can do in one day here.

Getting to the Aran Islands

You can take the ferry from Rossaveal in Galway, or from Doolin in Clare. There are 8 minute flights too from Connemara Airport both public and private flights available.

You can also take a day trip from Galway City that brings you to Inis Oírr and a cruise under the Cliffs of Moher.

If you're based in Dublin, there's no day tours to the Aran Islands, but there are day tours to Galway & the Cliffs of Moher. You could take one of these and leave the tour in Galway, stay there overnight and get the ferry to the Aran Islands the next day on your own.

My Day On Inish Oírr

I had stayed in a superb B&B in Ballyvaughan the night before So I had a quick 40 minute drive through the Burren to get to Doolin for my 10am sailing.

I got there at 9:30, parked up and boarded the boat. There's open air and indoor seating. I sat on the top deck because it was a sunny day, but once the boat got underway, we were engulfed in fog! It's only a 20 minute ride over to the island.

The approach to the island was stunning. A mix of green grass, grey rocks and whitewashed houses. There was a long line of people waiting to board the boat, these were folks who had stayed overnight in one of the campsites or B&Bs.

Getting Around Inis Oírr

When you arrive, there's some options for seeing the island

Walk: If you have a full day, you can walk around the island or just some of it. The island is only 3km long and 2.5km wide.
Horse & cart: Islanders with their horses waiting at the dock. Shared tours are around €20 while private ones are €130 for 45-60 minute tours.
Bike: Rent a bike and cycle around. There are electric bikes too
Bus: The wonderful Wanderly Wagon mini bus brings you around the island. €15 for 45 minute tour.
Electric Bike: A local guide meets you in Doolin, brings you on the boat and then around the island on an electric bike and, best of all, you have tea and scones with a local islander! I kinda wish I had done this one.

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Overwhelmed by the options? Book an Ireland trip planning call with me and I'll create a custom itinerary for you.

I chose the Wanderly Wagon to get acquainted with the island, before walking on my own later.

The Wanderly Wagon

I'm a tour guide myself, so I firmly believe that the only way to get know a place is with a local. Stiofán (Stephen in English) was the guide and he just had that classic dry Irish wit with a fantastic accent thrown in. You could listen to him talk all day.

He told us the history of the island, life on the island today. I spoke to him in Irish and asked him how much Irish is spoken on the island. He said it's still the language and they have to nearly relearn English before the next season starts!

Some of the sights we saw were

The Airport: They get a few flights a day from Galway. It's an 8 minute flight

Wall Street: At our vantage point, all we could see were stone walls, so he told us this was the Wall Street of the Aran Island 😅

The Shipwreck: Famous for the opening scene of the Irish tv show, Father Ted, the Plassey got wrecked here in 1960.

The Sunken Church: This was spectacular, a sunken church on the island. It's also the graveyard, reading the headstones was fascinating.

O'Briens Castle: The tour ended at the highest point on the island at the castle ruins. It was surreal, because there was layer of mist over the island, but it was below the castle, so all you could see was cloud beneath you.

Swimming At The Beach

I had a local friend arriving on the next boat, so I went to the coffee shop, picked up a few coffees and met my friend. We just sat on the beach for an hour catching up. It was such a nice day that we went for a swim. The water was chilly, but not cold. A yacht was docked and the water was crystal clear. It was glorious.

Walking The Cliff Path Around the Airport

We walked along the path behind the airport and didn't see another soul. I think it's easy to do this on the island, find your own little bit of solitude. The walk took an hour and brought us back to the harbour just in time for the boat home. I was sorry to be leaving and next time, I'll definitely be staying the night.

Cruise Under The Cliffs of Moher

I booked the ferry that went back to Doolin via the Cliffs of Moher. This was just spectacular. I spent two days exploring all three ways to see the Cliffs of Moher. They all had their pros/cons, but the boat was the best way to take in just how long the cliffs are. Sit on the right side of the boat for best views.

Food on the Island

My friend is a local and works in a restaurant, so we had our own picnic, but you won't go hungry on Inisheer.

There's three pubs, Tigh Ned Seafood Pub, Tigh Ruairí & Óstan Inis Oírr. You can get food and drink there. The joy of staying the night is that you get to experience these pubs at night, after most of the visitors have left.

Places to Stay on Inisheer

99% of tourists take the boat back to Doolin and stay there. But you should stay the night on the island. How often in life will you have the chance to stay on a remote Irish island?

Should You Go to Inis Oírr?

A resounding yes. Ireland is blessed with dozens of islands off its coast and Inis Oírr is one of the best, especially when combined with the sailing home under the Cliffs of Moher.

I think next time, I would do the tour that lets you have tea with the local islander & stay overnight as well for the real island experience.