Arranmore

“Big rock, big ego”

Árainn Mhór. That’s the Irish name, and no, it isn’t just a fancy label. It’s the largest inhabited island in County Donegal, sitting right off the west coast. You’ve got 478 people living here, which is a steady drop since the 90s, so hold onto your hats. The main settlement is Leabgarrow, where folks speak Ulster Irish. It’s part of the Gaeltacht, so keep your Irish sharp or get lost. Locals used to call it Árainn Uí Dhomhnaill, the Aran of the O’Donnells. That’s a proper bit of history for you. When you get there, you’ll see rugged cliffs and green fields. It’s quiet, wild, and utterly magnificent. Just don’t expect a paved road. Nature does its own thing out here. It’s a legend, but the facts are solid. Come see for yourself.

Photo: Mike Knell, CC BY-SA 2.0

Then Tom went looking for the oddest places around it.

Stop 2 · Hop back in the car, 5 minutes

An tÍochtar

“Seagulls hate the parking”

An tÍochtar is having a real go at the seagulls today. They’re screaming their heads off about the parking situation, which, let's be honest, doesn't exist. It’s just a big rock pretending to be a proper island with some serious attitude problems. Tell the kids it's a castle. Close enough.

What the record says

An tÍochtar is recorded as an island in County Donegal.

From OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors) r17643822

Photo: Joseph Mischyshyn, CC BY-SA 2.0

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Stop 3 · 5 minutes down the road

Inis Mhic an Doirn

“Sand ate the streets”

Rutland Island was once pitched as the next big fishing town, and I would have invested every imaginary penny in it. William Burton Conyngham set up the planned settlement between Burtonport and Arranmore in the 1780s, renaming Inis Mhic an Doirn for the Duke of Rutland. There were streets, a customs house, barracks and a sail-and-net factory. Then the herring catches fell, the fishery failed in 1793 and dunes swallowed parts of the village. That is a spectacularly quick lesson in not promising the sea will keep an appointment. The island remained inhabited into the 1960s; houses there are now holiday homes. Arrange a permitted boat and confirm landing and return before visiting, and respect private buildings. Look at the dunes with the lost street plan in mind. Sand is a ruthless town planner.

What the record says

Inis Mhic an Doirn is recorded as an island in County Donegal.

From OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors) w4558596

Photo: Joseph Mischyshyn, CC BY-SA 2.0

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Stop 4 · A 10-minute spin away

Tor an Éidigh

“Tidy up, you lazy”

Tor an Éidigh is recorded as a headland in County Donegal. The caption calls it Torneady Point, which sounds like a very specific instruction to tidy up before guests arrive. I reckon the headland keeps its own schedule.

What the record says

Tor an Éidigh is recorded as a headland in County Donegal.

From OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors) n12288669184

Photo: A McCarron, CC BY-SA 2.0

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Stop 5 · Hop back in the car, 10 minutes

Cliffs of Owey

“Helicopter, please, now”

Cliffs of Owey thinks the road leading to it is a personal insult to its majestic stature. It would prefer you arrive by helicopter or perhaps teleport, but the bumpy track just makes it feel like an afterthought in its own life. Toast it with a cup of tea and move on to the next.

What the record says

Recorded as: Publicly named cliff or headland.

From the Wikimedia Commons public picture page picture record

Photo: louise price, CC BY-SA 2.0

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The whole day on one map

See everything else around Arranmore →

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