Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-08-03
ISLANDS OF ARAN.
on The COAST OF GALWAY


Ortnsvs-or had the blessing ofbeing with
-, ~, influence ,f the British Coast, they
Ia Iorc since have been celebrated, oo'H III
- s,a,;st;c history, as well as In pressing
..,,;,,.,,.I narratiye--and we Can assure our
-. ro,v that whoever will take the trouoie
80 become acquainted with the ancient CIV" &
sccIesias,ical history Of these lone isies-the an
-;en, customs and costumes-the rehcs OF lot,
v,er times, and pecuhariues OF the preseh''"i'
acknowledge that the Islands OF Aran, NO" rem
derpd CONSPICUOUS by their misery, are aeSer'-
~, &c more attention, and calculated to excite
deeper interest.
tn term Aran signifies lofty, from ara,
,o5dsr and is applied to different emlnences IN
leland and Scotland The subject OF our pres
ar, consideration is the group OF ISLANDS al the
entrance of Galway Bay, ten leagues westward
ofthat port. They constitute an hah oarohy OF
which Noycullen, in the County GALWAY forms
the other haf-,hey measure about IL mlieS III
lsnc,h. by 9 IL in breadth, exhibiting an IRE g
Mar inden,ed appearance, with many sale ana
conmodious stations for shipping.
Tho arcicn, inhabitants Of these Islands, &C
rordinr 70 Ptolemy, were the Ganganl-lhey
were he oncani-they were the |oncanl %
Orosius. the Scylhs or Scots oil ~amdtn. l"
s4s. the Kings of Connaught and Munster oe-
clarcd these isles independent aad eAen1P! iron,
the ackow ledgment Of any jurisdiction oey""o
their island boundaries, and IN 1851, Arahho'e
was wasted by the injurious Danes. IN 1874
these islands were wasted by sir Jonn ~ Ar0!'
the Lord Justice, although deienuea ny '"'"
Lord the powerful O'Brltn'
The O'B:iens were long the Lords Of AFah
Islands, but were 6ispossessed IN the lo'h cen
tury. by the O'Flahertys, OF lar-l onna"ght
lpI he
ANNEXED tSe disputed property 10 the Crown
No, long after, Sir Rober, Lynch became pos
sass,d of those islands, whose desoendent, Rob-
srt was declared forfeiung traitor, and his IL
,Is made over 10 Uranus Smith, a London ad-
vsr,nrer Richard Butler, created Earl oil "A
-an in ,663. purchased Smiths interest, and
,r,s confirmed in his title by the Act OF Settle
men, Fi,zpatrick, Of Gal way, got possession
&C R,,ler', chlefinterests there, but rHorigaged
hem. subsequently,, 10 member OF the Disoy
family for four thousand pounds MS sum ho,
being paid, the mortgage was ioreeiosed; anu
,be JsIanhs Of Aran were thus transferred 10 lhe
,resent proprietors the Digbys oil Landentowhc
IT, Islands of Aran abound IN remains oil
Druidism, open temples, affairs, stone Pihars'
.,rred n,ounts. miraculous fountains, and ira
.ss &c ,h- ancient s venerable groves. ne
p,oan he Christian Saint, the warrior, ana
The IMPOVERISHED peasant, have each, III SUI
ccss;on. pIaytd their respective parts heie IN
The oreat procession Of human me- we le'
e. ,1a ;rnuisitiye reader TO Ledwich's errone-
- acconn, &C these islands, but WITH more
-I..snrs and confidence 10 Hardiman'S lnge-
-. "a learned history of Galway, and
O,F;sbr,,v's very interesting paper IN the
transactions of the Royal Irish Academy
Tn. orpa, Aran Island comprises Tour thous'
,,J civ hundred and seven acres, lnismean one
Thousand three hundred and eight acres, 'he
a,.l IF which is two thousand seven hundred
,onnds MR. annum.~ The number OF It's lnhaoi-
e.. amounts 10 three thousand four hunorea
80 sr,acn whose occupation independent oil
,or;enItvre, is fishiug-here are forty-oue open
hoa,s and se,er,een row boats, and pier was
rra,ted At Aranmore, in 1918, under MI MN
80 direction. four hundred and hiIy ieet III
18th with QUAY where one hundred ooatS,
&C cor,y tons burden, may ride In safety. Ion
siderable quantities Of cod, ling, hadoocH, '"I-
10, garnet. ckerel, Dream, Holsters, OYSTERS
ms scollons. cookies, muscles, &c are taken
here. and the herring fishery is frequently pro
ductive. The Inhabitants are very sKli'ni Al W.
rectinr the natural advantages oil the iS.a"us ~
The hest and most ad, analogous ENDS. oai' int
wan, of which so sadly interrupts the hs"eritS
nj the Yves, of Ireland, by an ingenious oon III,
vance, is bought at natures s,ore-ho"se. Inc
waters here are so strongly lmPreg"a'eu WIN
salt, that upon the retrear Of The highest 'iHe'
The Judgments in the deep caverns aious 'ne
whole shore, evaporare, and residum oil SALT
ou;te sufficient for curing purposes, IS iothd Ut
>o.;,ed in them-another mode oil curing Is
~ frrouent immersion-the salt which e'apo-
ratiou leaves, being found sufficient Tor Pre'cr-
ra,;o n The Pufsn-catehng is another profit
.bIs and curious traffic carried on here; the a
s ssn' Of sfp npsssspog in the eron' and not s
pnTrsouen,ly the poor erag-men, VINO NUM- ny
n;~S, opIy sacrifice their lives to the prospect
of a successful adventure. ,,;u ,s,.irs
The Inhabitants of Arsn Islands sun retains
marked veslges of aneien, dislinciiyeness pom i'm
in language. custom, and habltS-'ney are SUI.
in 1925 the aboriginal Celtic hs, 1aw
are still subdivided according TO the LEU. sa~
Their costume is equally dis'ine,; . ns;r
Jacket. lust covering the waist, oSeria9s 70"
&c hose wide trowsers that reach the anS -.
The language is so obviously diaiec, o; ~.
Ir;sh. that the Galwagins cannot easiiy liz IT,
nre, i. nor is there any other language Sp0A'n'