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Archipelago

    Galway BayIreland

    53°07′N 9°42′W

    Aran Islands

    Árainn Inis Meáin

    The Aran Islands or The Arans (na hÁrainneacha [n̪ˠə ˈhaːɾˠən̠ʲəxə]), are a group of three islands at the mouth of Galway Bay, off the west coast of Ireland, with a combined area of about 46 km2 (18 mi2). They form the historic barony of Aran in County Galway.

    View from old famine road over karst limestone hills to current coastal road, Murrough, Fanore, Co Clare,
    View from old famine road over karst limestone hills to current coastal road, Murrough, Fanore, Co Clare,

    Molannaol / CC BY-SA 4.0

    Chart

    12 landforms

    Overview

    The Aran Islands or The Arans (na hÁrainneacha [n̪ˠə ˈhaːɾˠən̠ʲəxə]), are a group of three islands at the mouth of Galway Bay, off the west coast of Ireland, with a combined area of about 46 km2 (18 mi2). They form the historic barony of Aran in County Galway. From west to east, the islands are Inishmore (Árainn / Inis Mór), the largest; Inishmaan (Inis Meáin), the second-largest; and Inisheer (Inis Oírr), the smallest. Several smaller islets also lie in the group. The population of 1,347 (as of 2022) primarily speaks Irish, making the islands part of the Gaeltacht. Most residents are also fluent or proficient in English. The population has declined steadily since 1841, when it was approximately 3,500.

    From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Census, cataloged

    • Major islands3
    • Minor islands2
    • Islets7
    • Rocks & skerries0

    Major islands

    3
    • Inis Mór

      Inis Mór

      Area
      32.2 km²
      High point
      71 m

      Inishmore (Irish: Árainn [ˈaːɾˠən̠ʲ] , Árainn Mhór [ˈaːɾˠən̠ʲ woːɾ] or Inis Mór [ˈɪnʲɪʃ mˠoːɾ]) is the largest of the Aran Islands in Galway Bay, off the west coast of Ireland.

    • Inis Meáin

      Inis Meáin

      Area
      9.8 km²
      High point
      79 m

      Inishmaan ( IN-ish-MAN; Irish: Inis Meáin [ˈɪnʲɪʃ mʲaːnʲ], the official name, formerly spelled Inis Meadhóin, meaning "middle island") is the middle of the three main Aran Islands in Galway Bay, off the west coast of Ireland. It is part of County Galway in the province of Connacht.

    • Inis Oírr

      Inis Oírr

      Area
      6.2 km²
      High point
      61 m

      Inisheer (Irish: Inis Oírr [ˈɪnʲɪʃ iːɾˠ], Inis Thiar [ˈɪnʲɪʃ hiəɾˠ] or Inis Oirthir [ˈɪnʲɪʃ ˈɛɾʲhəɾʲ]) is the smallest and most easterly of the three Aran Islands in Galway Bay, Ireland. With 343 residents as of the 2022 census, it is second-most populous of the Arans.

    Minor islands

    2

    Islets

    7

    Figures

    Comparative heights

    Sea level20 m40 m60 m80 m79 mInis Meáin71 mInis Mór61 mInis Oírr14 mBrannock10 mBrannock Island South9 mRock9 mBrannock Island Middle8 mStraw5 mBrannock Island East
    High points by island, metres above sea level.

    Islands by area

    0.0010.010.1110100Inis Mór: 32.2 km²Inis MórInis Meáin: 9.8 km²Inis MeáinInis Oírr: 6.2 km²Inis OírrBrannock: 0.31 km²BrannockRock: 0.2 km²RockStraw: 0.05 km²StrawBrannock Island South: 0.02 km²Brannock Island S…Brannock Island Middle: 0.02 km²Brannock Island M…Brannock Island East: 0.01 km²Brannock Island E…Lettaghcurragh: 0.01 km²LettaghcurraghUnnamed island: 0.1 haUnnamed islandUnnamed island: 0.1 haUnnamed island
    km², log scale
    Inis Mór32.2 km²
    Inis Meáin9.8 km²
    Inis Oírr6.2 km²
    Brannock Island0.31 km²
    Rock Island0.2 km²
    Straw Island0.05 km²
    Brannock Island South0.02 km²
    Brannock Island Middle0.02 km²
    Brannock Island East0.01 km²
    Lettaghcurragh0.01 km²
    Unnamed island0.1 ha
    Unnamed island0.1 ha

    Sources

    Facts

    • Geometry, areas and high points: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Copernicus GLO-30, via Talus.
    • Wikidata
    • Talus
    • Wikipedia

    Photographs