The Aran Islands are three barren limestone rocks stretching across the mouth of Galway Bay on Ireland's west coast: "When viewed from the coast of Clare or Connemara at sunset, the three islands of Aran, resembling gigantic humpback whales of varying sizes, straddle the mouth of Galway Bay" (Brendan O hEithir).  They have been fascinating archaeologists and anthropologists as well as linguists and writers.  Among them are Lady Gregory, Arthur Symons, Patrick Pearse, John Millington Synge, Seamus Heany, Derek Mahon and James Joyce.
  Joyce was already familiar with the Aran islands through Synge's The Aran Islands (1907) and his wife's Galway background.  In 1912 he came back to Ireland from Trieste and sailed to Inis Mor in August and in Galway he wrote an Italian article, "Il Miraggio del Pescatore di Aran.  La Valvola dell'Inghilterra in Caso di Guerra" ("The Mirage of the Fisherman of Aran, England's Safety Valve in Case of War") for Il Piccolo della Sela, Trieste's main newspaper, 5 September 1912.

IMAGE	IMAGE NO.	DATA
Rossaveal		Rossaveal, the port to the Aran Islands
	arn2000-650	(Wednesday 26 July) Rossaveal
	arn2000-651	(Wednesday 26 July) On the way to Inis Mor
Mainistir		Mainistir, Inis Mor
	arn2000-653	(Wednesday 26 July) Pier
	arn2000-654	(Wednesday 26 July) Mainistir
	arn2000-655	(Wednesday 26 July) Mainistir
	arn2000-656	(Wednesday 26 July) Mainistir
	arn2000-657	(Wednesday 26 July) Mainistir
	arn2000-663	(Thursday 27 July) The Holy Mother, Mainistir
	arn2000-686	(Thursday 27 July) Mainistir
	arn2000-687	(Thursday 27 July) The B&B where I stayed in 2000.
	arn2000-688	(Thursday 27 July) Pier
	arn2000-689	(Thursday 27 July) Harbor: a scene from the ferry back to Rossaveal
Aran Fisherman's Restaurant		The Aran Fisherman's Restaurant, Kilronan
	arn2000-658	(Wednesday 26 July) The Aran Fisherman's Restaurant, Kilronan
	arn2000-660	(Wednesday 26 July) Inside of the Aran Fisherman Restaurant
	arn2000-661	(Wednesday 26 July) The menu of the Aran Fisherman Restaurant
	arn2000-659	(Wednesday 26 July) My favorite lobster dish, the Aran Fisherman Restaurant
A pub		A pub near the B&B, Kilronan
	arn2000-662	(Wednesday 26 July) A pub near the B&B, Kilronan
Fearann an Choirce		Fearann an Choirce
	arn2000-664	(Thursday 27 July) Corruch, the B&B where I stayed in 1994.
	arn2000-665	(Thursday 27 July) Fearann an Choirce
	arn2000-666	(Thursday 27 July) The trees stricken by the wind in the garden of a pub, Fearann an Choirce
	arn2000-684	(Thursday 27 July) Jesus Christ, Fearann an Choirce
Cill Mhuirbhhigh		Cill Mhuirbhhigh
	arn2000-667	(Thursday 27 July) The coast in Cill Mhuirbhhigh
	arn2000-668	(Thursday 27 July) The coast in Cill Mhuirbhhigh
	arn2000-669	(Thursday 27 July) Cill Mhuirbhhigh
Dun Aonghasa		Dun Aonghasa
	arn2000-670	(Thursday 27 July) On the way to Dun Aonghasa
	arn2000-671	(Thursday 27 July) On the way to Dun Aonghasa
	arn2000-672	(Thursday 27 July) On the way to Dun Aonghasa
	arn2000-674	(Thursday 27 July) On the way to Dun Aonghasa
	arn2000-676	(Thursday 27 July) Dun Aonghasa
	arn2000-677	(Thursday 27 July) Inside of Dun Aonghasa
	arn2000-678	(Thursday 27 July) Inside of Dun Aonghasa
	arn2000-679	(Thursday 27 July) Dun Aonghasa
	arn2000-680	(Thursday 27 July) Inside of Dun Aonghasa
	arn2000-681	(Thursday 27 July) On the way back from Dun Aonghasa
	arn2000-682	(Thursday 27 July) On the way back from Dun Aonghasa
	arn2000-683	(Thursday 27 July) On the way back from Dun Aonghasa
Eochaill		Eochaill
	arn2000-685	(Thursday 27 July) Eochaill