Inis Oirr

This was by far my favorite locale of the whole trip! And really, would a knitting tour of Ireland be complete without a visit to the famous Aran Islands (you know, where Aran fisherman sweaters get their name)?

We spent all our island time on Inis Oirr (pronounced EE-nes SHEER), which is the smallest and easternmost of the three islands. Our guide on the island was Una McDonagh, who was an utter delight. She grew up on the island, spent some time abroad, and then returned to raise her family on the island.

This woman hosts knitting tour groups, runs a café and a nursery, all while hosting scholarship students from the mainland who come for Irish language immersion (it’s the primary language spoken on the islands). Look up busy in the dictionary and you’ll probably see Una.

Of course, a lot of the islands work multiple jobs on the island. They’re doing some really fascinating sustainability and tourism efforts on the island (that I will not go into, because I won’t do them justice, but you should go check it out if you’re in the area!).

One of my favorite moments of the whole trip was leaving the pub to a spooky, dark roadway because every other soul on this island was in the pub watching Ireland take on South Africa in the Rugby World Cup. It’s small-town charm in an ethereal, fairy-tale setting, and I could’ve spent the whole trip there.

When we arrived, Una taught us more traditional Aran stitches that we could turn into headbands. These were a bit trickier than Ann’s class, but it’s always fun to build on what you learn. Una also taught us how to make those delicious Irish scones, and her sister-in-law demoed how to make butter (which I got to do this Thanksgiving!).

We also got a spinning and natural dye demonstration, but I hung back there since a lot in our group had zero experience with either. Mom got up and learned how to long-draw spin, though! So proud of her.

Una, our host Linda, and everyone we met on the island was utterly delightful. They outshine the beautiful, otherworldly landscape, which is worth the visit in and of itself. A visit to Inis Oirr is well worth the effort!