Produced by Brian Foley, Jane Hyland and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) THE SOUTH ISLES OF ARAN THE SOUTH ISLES OF ARAN (_COUNTY GALWAY_) BY OLIVER J. BURKE, A.B., T.C.D. Knight of the Order of St. Gregory the Great _BARRISTER-AT-LAW_ AUTHOR OF "THE HISTORY OF ROSS ABBEY," "HISTORY OF THE LORD CHANCELLORS OF IRELAND," "HISTORY OF THE ARCHBISHOPS OF TUAM," "ANECDOTES OF THE CONNAUGHT CIRCUIT" "Signs and tokens round us thicken, Hearts throb high and pulses quicken" LONDON KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH & CO., 1, PATERNOSTER SQUARE 1887 (_The rights of translation and of reproduction are reserved._) TO THE HON. MR. JUSTICE O'HAGAN, ONE OF THE JUSTICES OF THE SUPREME COURT IN IRELAND. * * * * * MY DEAR JUDGE O'HAGAN, During the vacation of last autumn I applied myself to collecting as much information as possible concerning the South Isles of Aran, which I had visited in connection with the Land Commission in the previous month of July. Pressure of business and a severe illness compelled me to defer until recently the arranging of my notes, which, in the hope that they may direct the attention of those in power to the long neglected Islands, I have resolved to publish, and I look on it as a good omen of the success of my efforts that you have kindly allowed me to dedicate my work to you, who have won so high a place in law and in literature. Believe me to remain Sincerely yours, OLIVER J. BURKE. OWER, HEADFORD, CO. GALWAY, _August 8, 1887_. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. PAGE Island of Aran--Galway bay, anciently Lough Lurgan--Population--Religion, etc.--Inishmore, ruins on--Inishmaan, ruins on--Inisheer, ruins on--Mail boat--Hotel--Aran landscape--Flora--Potatoes--Aran wildfowl--Capture of the puffin--Cragsmen--Geology of islands--Limestone terraces--Boulders--Cliffs on islands--Seaweeds--Moving sands--_Pinus maritima_ 1 CHAPTER II.