The Aran Islands

This past Saturday, the Mercyhurst students spend the day on the Aran Islands! To be honest, I had never even heard of these islands before our trip, but I was pleasantly surprised at what I saw when we arrived!

It took a 45 min ferry from Galway to get to one of the three Aran Islands. Once we arrived,we grabbed some food at a pub and ten started our adventure! 7 of my friends and I took a guided your to see all of the island. Below are a few facts about the main Aran Island itself:

- 9 miles from Galway

- 9 miles long
- 2 miles wide
- 800 residents

- the Islanders use the Irish language everyday
- 3 churches (but only 1 priest)

Since the island is so small, we were able to see just about the entire island. A few sites included seeing seals, horses, a lighthouse, old church and graveyard, a cliffs. The cliffs were definitely my favorite part. The driver dropped us off and we had to hike up a huge hill until we couldn't go any further! The view was breathtaking!

I am so glad the school took us to this place!! There's no way I would have found it on my own, and it was an experience that cannot be missed! This island was different from any town or village I've ever seen before. With such a small population, there's no crime and everyone knows each other. It was nice to see such a small community where everyone is looking out for one another!