The Aran Islands – At the Edge of the World is a new book that looks at the history, heritage and rare beauty of these ‘stepping stones at the edge of Europe’ exposed to the full force of the Atlantic Ocean. In this extract, editor Paul O’Sullivan looks at the rudimentary houses the islanders built, carved from the island’s stone.
Because they were islanders, the people of Aran lived a unique, largely self-contained lifestyle, and were almost self-sufficient in terms of food, supplies, culture and entertainment.
This way of life lasted well into the twentieth century, and elements still survive today. The census of 1901 gave the population of the islands as 2,845; it would steadily decline over the next century, falling under 2,000 by the 1940s and under 1,500 by the 1970s. The most recent figures give the year-round population as about 1,250.
It was to be a century of change for the Aran Islands, and of rediscovery too, thanks to a renewed interest in Gaelic culture and history.
Until recent times, Aran still relied on the ways of old and was very much a traditional Irish rural settlement. Life was difficult and demanding for the islanders – they worked long, hard hours trying to eke out a living from inhospitable soil.
The farm cluster, or clachan, was once the main type of settlement on the Aran Islands. Referred to locally as a ‘village’, the clachán comprised a group of farmers’ dwelling houses and outbuildings built close together.
It contrasted strongly with the dispersed form of settlement found on the mainland, where each dwelling house stood at the centre of its own farm, often a mile or more from its nearest neighbour.
A typical clachán, on the other hand, contained two to fifteen houses irregularly grouped together.
Almost all of the Aran clusters are located to the north, or leeside, of the slopes, as protection from prevailing winds was essential.
The exception, Gort na gCapall (‘the Field of the Horses’), is situated in the low neck of land between the two ridges of Inishmore, where it is exposed to the elements.
In the post-Famine period, many of the clusters shrank; some, like Ballindun on Inishmaan, were reduced to just two occupied houses.
But with the passage of time, many clusters have again been ‘stretched’ as new houses are built along the road. Inishmaan, viewed from the sea, presents a continuous line of houses rather than distinct villages.
The number of villages on Inishmore varies from ten to fourteen, depending on whether one regards the smaller clusters as being independent of, or merged with, the larger ones.
Killeany and Kilronan, both on Inishmore, are larger than the other Aran settlements and have a wider range of functions than the traditional clacháns. Killeany grew up around the fourteenth-century Franciscan friary and Arkyne’s Castle (Caisleán Aircín). Its sheltered harbour, protected by the castle, made it the ‘capital’ of the islands for centuries.
Kilronan resulted from the merging of two farm clusters along the main road early in the nineteenth century. After the Famine, a newly built pier made it more important than Killeany. A courthouse, a police barracks and a coastguard station were built there, giving it a completely different character from the other Inishmore clusters.
The traditional nineteenth-century clachán was a long, low, single-storey cottage with a thatched roof.
Though the size of these houses varied from one to three rooms, they all shared the same basic design. They were rectangular structures with thick stone walls built in the dry-stone technique.
Windows and doors were set in the long side of the house rather than in the gables. The roof was steeply pitched and its weight borne by the walls.
All had an open hearth at floor level, with a chimney protruding through the roof ridge. The walls were usually painted with whitewash, which was reapplied every year. The roof was thatched with rye straw secured by ropes and pegs.
When a young man married, he would often leave the family home and build his own house with the help of friends and neighbours. The site for the house was carefully chosen, taking account of slope, shelter and distance from other dwellings.
The work of building the house was carried on in a cheerful atmosphere, and when it was completed, the owner invited his helpers and neighbours to a house-warming céilí, an occasion for great celebration.
When the building was finished and the roof rafters had been positioned, the thatcher was called in. The thatcher was a respected craftsman who was much in demand in spring, summer and autumn.
To keep the roof fully waterproofed, the thatch had to be repaired every year and the whole thatch completely renewed after seven or eight years.
The houses of Aran were small, and some structures basically consisted of a single room.
So space was precious and the furniture strictly functional – chairs, a table, a dresser, beds, a wooden chest for storage and a long bench-seat which stood against the back wall.
There were other house types to be found on the islands, such as the two-storey, slate-roofed houses that can be seen in Kilronan and some of the other larger settlements. The traditional house, however, was well adapted to climatic conditions and had the added advantage of using locally sourced materials. Windows were small and set deeply in the walls.
Some cottages had no windows at all, as rent was often calculated on the basis of the size and number of windows. In any case the combination of thick stone walls, thatched roof, and small windows with even smaller panes of glass kept the house warm in winter and pleasantly cool in summer.
Doors were set in the front and back of the house, opposite each other. One or other almost always remained open by day as a means of ventilating the house and a sign of welcome to callers.
The direction of the wind decided which door was opened; the open door was called the ‘sheltered’ door, while the closed door was called the ‘wind’ door.
There are many traditional beliefs regarding the back door, some of which are still respected. For example, it is considered unlucky for a stranger to leave the house by the back door, and when a death has occurred in the house, it is customary to carry the coffin out through the back door.
Another type of door, found both on Aran and the mainland, was the half-door. It is divided in two horizontally, allowing the lower half to remain shut while the top half can be opened for light and air.
The half-door arrangement was useful for keeping young children indoors as well as preventing farm animals and hens from entering the house.
And it also provided a comfortable armrest for the woman or man of the house when they leaned out to chat with neighbours.
The Aran Islands – At the Edge of the World, was researched and edited by Paul O’Sullivan under the auspices of the City of Dublin VEC Curriculum Development Unit; it is published by O’Brien Press, and is on sale from all good bookshops and online at www.obrien.ie priced €9.99.
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