Arainn: The Aran Islands of Inis Oirr, and Inis Meain, Ireland

“It was splendid on Aran. The island has the character and personality of a mute God. One is awed in its presence, breathing its air. Over it broods an overwhelming sense of great, noble tragedy.” -Liam O’Flaherty, 1927.

The photographs in this series were taken during the summers of 2005, and 2007. They evoke the experience of walking the lanes of these atmospheric, yet strangely insular Irish islands of Inisheer and Inishman. These images can only touch upon the places that made an impression upon my spirit; the Holy Well, the ruins of little churches over a thousand years old, the endless miles of stone walls enclosing tiny plots of handmade pasture, the great banks of clouds through which the shifting light streamed in great flourishes, the wild Atlantic Ocean encircling these islands, and the careful politeness of the Gaelic-speaking villagers embodying a world of timeless connection to the weather, the landscape, and tradition….