Inismaan is the middle island of the three Aran islands of the west coast of Ireland. It is rightly famous for its beautiful wild limestone landscape and for the old cottage of J.M. Synge, the writer of 'The Playboy of the Western World'. Indeed i remember seeing a wonderful production of this play by the world renowned Druid Theatre group from Galway on the island a few years ago. However, what is less often spoken off, is the amazing number and height of the stone walls which stretch all over the island and the two stone forts which dominate the skyline. No one knows the origin of these artifacts or indeed how they were constructed so well in such an isolated and barren landscape. However, anyone with a love of natural stone and an appreciation of dry wall construction reaching over seven feet in places should pay a visit to the island. I include a few photographs below from the book by Richard Coniff which deals not only with the stone walls of Aran but also of the wonderful Burren landscape in Clare and other parts of Ireland. Finally, there is a church there called: 'Teampall na Seacht Mac Ri' which is Irish for the Church of the Seven Princes. Anyone witnessing the amazing landscape will indeed feel rather privileged and somewhat regal themselves after the experience.
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