Steve Ryan Photography

The only part of Ireland that wasn’t occupied by the English was Inis Meain, which remains today one of the only places in Ireland that the Irish language survived. For this project reviving what few phrases I could recall from my school years was the challenge.

The approach taken was to visit all three islands of Aran and meet the characters that lived there.

Paraic Poil

A farmer who harvests his own crops by hand with a scythe and used to kill his own cattle until EU regulation.

Michael McNulty

A Canadian stock broker who trades from the comfort of his cottage on Inis Meain and speaks better Irish than 90% of Irish citizens.

Niamh

Once a chef on cargo boats, she lives in a caravan on Inis Moir.

Anthony

Considered to be the last of the island moonface men, he is a legend on the islands and a retired sailor.

Rory

The youngest of a large family Rory is a blind farmer who works land that is spread out over the island.