Arranmore
| Arranmore Irish: Árainn Mhór | |
.jpg) Aerial view of Arranmore (left) | |
|---|---|
| Main village: | Leabgarrow |
| Location | |
| Location: | 54°59’22"N, 8°31’51"W |
| Grid reference: | B665155 |
| Data | |
| Population: | 478 (2022) |
Arranmore is an island off the west coast of County Donegal. It is the largest inhabited island of County Donegal, with a population of 478 in 2022, but has had a gradually falling native population since the 1990s. Its main settlement is Leabgarrow. The island is part of the Gaeltacht, with most of the inhabitants speaking Ulster Irish.
The island lies three miles off Burtonport, a small coastal village in The Rosses. The island is served by two ferry services, which operate between Arranmore and Burtonport on the mainland. The two operators make use of vessels previously built for Caledonian MacBrayne, allowing both to carry passengers, cars, and heavy-goods vehicles.
The name Árainn Mhór means 'Great Kidney / Ridge'. It is also known in English as 'Aran Island'.[1] The same name is found in the Aran Islands in Galway Bay and the Isle of Arran in Buteshire. In Irish it was traditionally called Árainn; the adjective mór (large) was added fairly recently. It was also sometimes called Árainn Uí Dhomhnaill, 'Aran of the O'Donnells'.
Population
Most of the population lives along the southern and (comparatively sheltered) eastern coast, where the main village, Leabgarrow, is located. The island has been settled since pre-Celtic times, and the few remaining signs of early settlement include a promontory fort to the south of the island[2] and shell middens dotted along the beaches. Its position near the Atlantic shipping lanes was exploited, with a coast guard station and a lighthouse positioned on the most north-westerly point, and a Second World War monitoring post.
The permanent population is 478, but this rises to well over 1,000 during the summer. A large proportion of the housing stock is holiday homes, with both native islanders and their descendants, as well as nonlocals.
Appeal to foreigners
In 2019, due to the long decline in population, islanders wrote open letters to the United States and Australia, asking people to consider moving to the island. They encouraged both populations to come to the less crowded island and enjoy "time for living".[3] In 2022, following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the island became a refuge for Ukrainian refugees who were resettled in Ireland.[4]
Irish language
There are 469 people living on Arranmore and 62% are native Irish speakers. During the summer, students of all ages from all over Ireland travel to the island for a 3-week holiday. It is a very popular way of meeting new people and also learning the Irish language. Students attend school during the day and play games and ceilí dance in the evenings. They are taught about the Irish language through Irish. Irish must be spoken at all times.[5] The college on Arranmore is known as Coláiste Árainn Mhóir, meaning the College of Arranmore.[6]
Lifeboat and coast guard
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) station on the island is equipped with the largest class of vessel the service has, a Severn class lifeboat. There has been an RNLI presence on the island since 1883, with the station having moved from Aphort to Leabgarrow and most recently to a purpose-built station at Poolawaddy in 1997.[7] The crews of the station have been involved in some major rescues over the years, including that of the SS Stolwijk, for which the crew received medals from both the RNLI and the Dutch state. A monument to this rescue was unveiled in 2017.[8]
A helipad was constructed in Aphort in the early 2000s which can land a Sikorsky S-92 aircraft as used by the Irish Coast Guard.[9]
Places and villages on Arranmore Island
- Aphort
- Plohogue
- Fallagowan
- Ballintra
- Ballard
- Illion
- Leabgarrow (main settlement)
- Leabrannagh
- Pollawaddy
- Scraigatoke
- Torries
- Rannagh Park
Outside links
 |
("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Arranmore) |
- Árainn Mhór
- Arranmore Ferry Service
- The Arranmore Ferry
- Arranmore Island's Mobile App, Seo Árainn Mhór
References
- ↑ Aran Island/Árainn Mhór: Placenames Database of Ireland
- ↑ "Arainn Mhor Island - Donegal - Ireland". http://www.arainnmhor.com/.
- ↑ Dixon, Emily (2019-06-14). "Irish island asks Americans to move there" (in en). CNN. https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/ireland-arranmore-island-scli-intl/index.html.
- ↑ Specia, Megan (2022-09-05). "Ukrainians in Rural Ireland Piece Together New Lives, Step by Step" (in en-US). The New York Times. SSN 0362-4331. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/05/world/europe/ukraine-refugees-rural-ireland.html.
- ↑ "Rules". http://colaistearainnmhoir.com/rules.
- ↑ "Home - Coláiste Árainn Mhóir". Colaistearainnmhoir.com. 2021-06-18. http://colaistearainnmhoir.com/. Retrieved 2022-08-16.
- ↑ "Arranmore Lifeboat". http://www.arainnmhor.com/arranmore-lifeboat/.
- ↑ Farrell, Daniel (4 August 2017). "Monument to brave Arranmore lifeboat crew to be unveiled this Sunday". https://coastmonkey.ie/arranmore-lifeboat-monument-stolwijk/.
- ↑ "Baby gets his wings after dramatic helicopter birth". https://www.independent.ie/regionals/sligochampion/lifestyle/baby-gets-his-wings-after-dramatic-helicopter-birth-29441242.html.