Stones of Aran

by Tim Robinson

  Supposing, though, that such comforting generalities were acceptable, what more particularly would I require from an otherwordly Aran? Cliffs against which the waves forever lift their white hands, not in despair, not in joy. Paths lined with flowers that sing their identifications like birds, leading through an infinity of fields, in each of which is an old man remembering its name. A hermit’s history nourished on the lashings and lavings of the sea. A Residence in a sunny corner between east and west … But it seems I have already been expelled, ferried out hoodwink’d and left back on the shores of the actual, for I am merely redescribing the Aran I have written up. And of that, the Greater Aran, all I demand now is some certification of its existence.

  More accurately, I need to persuade myself that I am part of the same continuum of reality as Aran. My doubts do not arise in relation to its people, with whom I have the normal range of co-existences and whose loves and quarrels, committee-meetings and savage solitarinesses are as bone-familiar to me as those of any of my (human) race. It is true, on the other hand, that the transcendent perspectives of Aran sometimes give casual gestures the distancing charisma of blessing or prophecy. Once I was sitting on one of the western cliff-tops, half my sphere of vision dazzled by the sun-battered waves, when I saw a lobster-boat, that looked the size of a tea-chest, working in towards the base of the cliff three hundred feet below. One of the argonauts looked up, saw me, and waved; it was Mikey from Cill Mhuirbhigh. This Mikey was later to be drowned, and a communication from him after that event would not have been more appalling than that cheerful greeting from the unworld gaping at my feet. But if Mikey, an acquaintance of every day, is part of this sea-contested land, then so am I. The real difficulty arises when it is untenanted except by myself. I walk along the cliffs, the sequence of lofty headlands behind me when I glance back at them already looking as remote as archaeological eras—Iron Age, Bronze Age, Stone Age—and fading into haze. If the promontory under my feet is the present, then those ahead are the nameless and unimaginable divisions of future time, the to-become-historical and the post-historical. I can walk around the bay from this peninsula to the next, bringing my sense of reality with me like the circle of visibility that accompanies one through a mist, but I cannot catch them all together into my presence. The foam that flashes and leaps in the sunlight below makes me think of Keatsean perilous seas; but the word that tolls me back to my sole self here is not “forlorn,” but “casements.” Since I am not here just in fancy but in reality, why is it so difficult to abolish this window, to be outside, present, in this land which is not a fairyland, forlorn or otherwise, but a segment of my home-planet, a walkable extension of the ground I stand on at this moment? I suspect that my obsessive interest in the minutest particulars of Aran is a displacement-activity, a postponement of the unbuilding, or at least the de-charming, of those casements.

  The either/or is this: to be simply present and not to know and remember it, or to be reflectively aware, which implies the mediation of imagery, of mirroring—and reflection multiplies mirrors as fast as mirrors multiply reflections. Writing is my way out of this labyrinth. But I am no abstract, deep-sea, philosopher; if I raise up a metaphor as a sail to catch the winds of thought, I am soon overturned by shoals, or fly to the horizon and lie becalmed there. Therefore I choose this Aran-building method, the slow deposition of facts and observations, coalescing and fusing under their own weight into tablets of stone; if these bear writing, it is thanks to certain alchemical fixatives concocted during those furiously sleeping afternoons in my little room in the Residence.

  A writing (an utterance which has almost nothing in common with a true act of speech, as opposed to the glib self-quotation writers are prone to), may incorporate spontaneities, but it is not the work of a moment and does not issue from a single mental state; like the step, writing down a sentence holds open the possibility of returning, changed, to that point, to approaching it from the west rather than the east. Since rewriting is the essence of the sort of writing I am writing about, it might seem that the only exit from the endless walk is to leap over the cliff and leave it unfinished. In fact only the careful dispersal of its end throughout the whole book will render unnecessary a miracle of closure in the final sentence.

  The virtue of reality is that no understanding is equal to it; no walk, however labyrinthine, wears out the stone. And so, the Aran I have written myself through is inevitably the Lesser one. But, whether it be the terrestrial paradise, an airy illusion of clouds on the sea, or the work of delusive spirits, I have brought back a book as proof that I was there. Perhaps when I open it in seven years’ time it will tell me what I had hoped to learn by writing it, how to match one’s step to the pitch and roll of this cracked stone boat of a cosmos; but for the time being I cannot read it.

  SOURCES

  I. EAST

  SWORN TO THE TOWER

  1 J.M. Synge, The Aran Islands (London and Dublin, 1907; republished 1992, Penguin Books, London, with introduction and notes by Tim Robinson).

  2 Taimín Ó Briain, Amhrán an “Chéipir” taken down for me by Caomhán Ó Goill from Taimín’s brother, Antoine, in 1988.-

  MAIDENHAIR

  1 E. Lhuyd, “Some further observations relating to the antiquities and natural history of Ireland,” in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, 27 (1712).

  2 Synge, op. cit.

  SERMONS IN STONE

  1 H.C. Hart, A List of Plants Found in The Islands of Aran, Galway Bay (Dublin, 1875).

  2 N. Colgan, “Notes on the Flora of the Aran Islands,” in The Irish Naturalist, Vol. II (1893).

  DWELLING

  1 (liverwort) Information from the late Tony Whilde, Corrib Conservation Centre.

  2 Séamas Ó Murchú, “An tAinm Áite Inis Oírr,” in Éigse (1993).

  3 Dara Ó Conaola, Thatched Homes of the Aran Islands / An Teaichín Ceanntuí (Ceard Shiopa Inis Oírr Teo., 1988). (A dual-language text, but I have translated this and the succeeding extracts from the Irish version, which is the fuller one.)

  4 Information from a copy of the 1821 census made for and annotated by Colm Fólan of Cill Rónáin, in the 1940s, in private possession.

  THE FITZPATRICKS

  1 Hardiman’s appendices to Roderic O’Flaherty, A Chorographical Description of West or H-Iar Connaught, written 1684 (ed. James Hardiman, Dublin, 1846; facsimile reprint Galway, 1978).

  2 (Earl of Thomond) Máire Mac Néill, Máire Rua, Lady of Leamaneh (Whitegate, 1990).

  3 Hardiman’s appendices to R. O’Flaherty, op. cit.

  4 (ruination of Clare) From “A petition of the inhabitants to Government, praying to be relieved from the monthly contribution”; quoted in Hardiman’s appendices to R. O’Flaherty, op. cit.

  5 I am grateful to Conleth Manning, Office of Public Works, for sorting out this little problem of Old Style dates, and so correcting an error in my monograph Mementos of Mortality: The Cenotaphs and Funerary Cairns of Árainn (Inishmore, County Galway) (Roundstone, 1991).

  6 (Rickard Fitzpatrick, sheriff) James Hardiman, The History of the Town and County of the Town of Galway (Dublin, 1820, facsimile reprint Galway, 1984).

  7 Louis M. Cullen, “Five Letters Relating to Galway Smuggling in 1737,” in Journal of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society (JGAHS), XXVII (1956–57).

  8 Tomás Ó Cillín SP (Fr. Thomas Killeen PP), Short Annals of Aran (1948) (typescript in the Archiepiscopal Library, Tuam, of which there are two or three copies in private ownership).

  TALES FROM THE HILL

  1 Seán Mac Giollarnáth, Annála Beaga ó Iorrus Aithneach (Dublin, 1941).

  2 Thomas Moore, “Horace, Ode XXII Lib. I. Freely translated by Lord Eld-n,” Poetical Works of Thomas Moore (Paris, 1827).

  3 Abhráin agus Dánta an Reachtabhraigh, ed. Dubhglas de h-Íde (Dublin, 1933).

  4 (the Saucepans) Anecdotes from Dara Mullen, Cill Rónáin, Mícheál King, Fearann an Choirce, and others; historical details from Antoine
Powell, Oileáin Árann, Stair na n-oileán anuas go dtí 1922 (Dublin, 1984).

  5 (Richard Martin’s smuggling) Shevawn Lynam, Humanity Dick, King of Connemara, 1754–1834 (London, 1975; Dublin, 1989).

  6 William Stokes, The Life and Labours in Art and Archaeology of George Petrie, L.L.D., M.R.I.A. (1868).

  7 Richard Griffiths, Primary Valuation Book (Dublin, 1865).

  8 Liam O’Flaherty, Skerret (London, 1932; Dublin, 1979).

  9 Ó Cillín, op. cit.

  10 See article on one of the founders of the Coláiste Gaeilge, Mícheál Ó Droighneáin, in Beathaisnéis a Ceathair, Diarmuid Breathnach and Máire Ní Mhurchú (Dublin, 1994).

  11 E. Œ. Somerville and Martin Ross, Some Irish Yesterdays (London, 1906).

  THE INVISIBLE TOWER

  1 John Waddell, “The Archaeology of Aran,” The Book of Aran, ed. John Waddell, J.W. O’Connor, and Anne Korff (Kinvara, 1994).

  2 Peter Harbison, Pilgrimage in Ireland: the Monuments and the People (London, 1991).

  3 R. Berger, “14C Dating Mortar in Ireland,” in Radiocarbon, 34 (1992).

  4 R. O’Flaherty, West or H-Iar Connaught. For Murchadh na Mart, see “The Ferocious O’Flahertys” in this volume.

  5 Conleth Manning, “Archaeological excavations at two church sites on Inishmore, Aran Islands,” in Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries in Ireland (JRSAI), Vol. 115 (1985).

  6 (finding of stones) Ó Cillín, op. cit.

  7 Liam de Paor, “The Limestone Crosses of Clare and Aran,” in JGAHS, Vol. XXVI, Nos. 3 and 4 (1955–56).

  8 Françoise Henry, Irish Art in the Romanesque Period (1020–1170 AD) (London, 1970).

  9 (Franciscans) J.R.W. Goulden, “Kilnamanagh: The Lost Church of Aran,” in JGAHS, Vol. XXVI (1955); gives references to Wadding’s Annales Minorum.

  10 (Franciscan abbots) A. Powell, op. cit.

  11 J. O’Donovan, Ordnance Survey Letters: Galway (typescript copies in various public libraries).

  12 C. Manning (1985).

  13 R. Berger, op. cit.

  14 P. Harbison, op. cit.

  15 Annála Ríoghachta Éireann, Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland by the Four Masters, ed. John O’Donovan (Dublin, 1848, 1851, 1856). The spelling of these names varies wildly from source to source; I have given them as in the Annals; a dot over a consonant is equivalent to an “h” after it.

  16 (Cormac mac Cuilennáin) ms. (RIA 23N II 178) quoted in Ó Cillín, op. cit.

  ORIGIN AND VANISHING-POINT

  1 The excerpts from the Life of St. Enda are from a translation kindly made for me by Ann Mohr of University College, Galway, of Plummer’s edition of the manuscripts Colgan’s version derives from (Charles Plummer, Vitae Sanctorum Hiberniae, Vol. II [Oxford, 1910]).

  2 Richard Sharpe, Medieval Irish Saints’ Lives (Oxford, 1991).

  3 James F. Kenney, The Sources for the Early History of Ireland (Dublin, 1979).

  4 Sharpe, op. cit.

  5 Hubert Butler, Ten Thousand Saints: A Study in Irish and European Origins (Kilkenny, 1972).

  6 Heinrich Zimmer, “Keltische Beitrage II,” Zeitschrift fur Deutsches Alterthum und Deutsche Litteratur (Berlin, 1889). (I am grateful to Dr. Arndt Wigger for obtaining, and translating part of, this elusive source for me.)

  7 The Voyage of Saint Brendan, translated from the Latin by John O’Meara (Dublin, 1978).

  8 Butler, op. cit.

  9 “Influenza in Aran,” in Hubert Butler, Grandmother and Wolf Tone (Dublin, 1990).

  10 Butler, Ten Thousand Saints.

  DARK ANGEL

  1 First Report of the Commissioners of Inquiry into the State of the Irish Fisheries (Dublin, 1836).

  2 Ruairí Ó hEithir, “Folk Medical Beliefs and Practices in the Aran Islands, Co. Galway,” unpublished M.A. thesis, University College Dublin, 1983; my translations.

  3 Nathanial Colgan, “Witchcraft in the Aran Islands,” in JRSAI, 25 (1925).

  4 B.N. Hedderman, Glimpses of My Life in Aran (Bristol, 1917).

  5 Pat Mullen, Hero Breed (London, 1936).

  MEMENTOS OF MORTALITY

  1 For detailed transcriptions of these monuments, see Tim Robinson, Mementos of Mortality (Roundstone, 1991).

  2 (shrines) Information from Jim Higgins, Galway.

  3 Oliver J. Burke, The South Isles of Aran (County Galway) (London, 1887).

  4 J.M. Synge’s 1898 notebook (ms 4385, Manuscripts Room, Trinity College Dublin).

  SOMETIME PLACES

  1 R. Ll. Praeger, “The Flora of the Turloughs: a preliminary note,” in Proc. R. Ir. Acad., 41B (1932).

  2 Peadar Chois Fhairrge: Scéalta Nua agus Seanscéalta d’innis Peadar Mac Thuathaláinn do Sheán Mac Giollarnáth (Dublin, 1934).

  GOLD AND WATER

  1 “Uisce Glan an Charna,” Antoine Ó Briain, 1961, in Nuacht Litir (a cyclostyled local newsletter, Cill Rónáin, 19 May 1979).

  2 (identification of church) Fr. Mártan Ó Domhnaill, Oileáin Árann (Dublin, 1930); also Ó Cillín, op. cit.

  3 (cross) O’Donovan, Ordnance Survey Letters.

  4 (local information on An Carna) Máirtín Ó Conghaile, Cill Rónáin.

  5 (building of road) Seaton F. Milligan, Excursion of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, reprinted from Belfast News Letter (July 9, 10, 11, 12, 1895).

  DEVELOPMENT

  1 Sir Henry Robinson, Memories: Wise and Otherwise (London, 1924).

  2 Sir Henry Robinson, Further Memories of Irish Life (London, 1924).

  3 W.L. Micks, History of the Congested Districts Board (Dublin, 1925).

  4 Patrick Kane, “Aran of the Fishermen,” in The New Ireland Review (April 1898).

  5 (Land League) Powell, op. cit.

  6 H. Robinson, Further Memories of Irish Life.

  7 Powell, op. cit. The lines from the song were also given me by Antoine Powell.

  8 J.M. Synge, “In Connemara,” originally published in the Manchester Guardian (1905); also in Collected Works II, ed. Alan Price (Gerrard’s Cross, 1982).

  STATISTIC AND SENTIMENTAL TOURISTS

  1 Stokes, The Life … of George Petrie.

  2 Patricia Boyne, John O’Donovan (1806–1861) (Kilkenny, 1987).

  3 O’Donovan, op. cit.

  4 W.F. Wakeman, “Aran—Pagan and Christian,” in Duffy’s Hibernian Magazine, I (1862).

  5 I am grateful to Dr. Máirín Ní Dhonnchadha of the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies for translating these verses, from O’Donovan’s Ordnance Survey Letters. For Colm Cille’s poem, see Pilgrimage, p. 235.

  6 For Roderic O’Flaherty, see “The Ferocious O’Flahertys” in this volume.

  7 Put together from pp. 496 and 90 of “Clonmacnoise, Clare, and Arran,” Parts 1 and 2, S.F. (Samuel Ferguson), in Dublin University Magazine, XLI (1853). For the banquet in Dún Aonghasa, see also Pilgrimage, p. 73.

  8 Stokes, op. cit.

  9 (Melville) Galway Vindicator (28 May 1864). (I am grateful to Tim Collins, Centre for Landscape Studies, University College Galway, for this material.)

  10 E. Percival Wright, “Notes on the Flora of the Islands of Arran, West of Ireland,” in Proc. Nat. Hist. Soc. Dublin, Vol. V (1866). For references to other botanists’ visits, see D.A. Webb, “The Flora of the Aran Islands,” in J. Life Sci. R. Dubl. Soc., 2 (1980).

  11 John Beddoe, The Races of Britain: A Contribution to the Anthropology of Western Europe (1885).

  12 Earle Hackett and M.E. Folan, “The ABO and RH Blood Groups of the Aran Islanders,” in Irish Journal of Medical Science (June 1958).

  13 (the cartoon) John C. Messenger, Inis Beag, Isle of Ireland (New York, 1969).

  14 James G. Barry, “Aran of the Saints,” in JRSAI (1885–86).

  15 Seaton F. Milligan, Excursion of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, reprinted from Belfast News Letter (July 9, 10, 11, 12, 1895).

  16 Thomas J. Westropp, “The North Isle of Aran,” in JRSAI, 25 (1895); reprinted in The Aran Islands and Galway City (Dublin, 1971).


  17 Timothy Collins, Floreat Hibernia: A Bio-Bibliography of Robert Lloyd Praeger 1865–1953 (Dublin, 1985).

  18 R. Lloyd Praeger, “Irish Field Club Union: Report of the Conference and Excursion Held at Galway, July 11th to 17th, 1895,” in The Irish Naturalist, Vol. IV, No. 9 (September 1895).

  19 (steamer services) Powell, op. cit. See also, Timothy Collins, “The Galway Line in Context,” Part 2, in JGAHS, Vol. 47 (1995).

  20 Mary Banim, Here and There Through Ireland, reissued from Weekly Freeman (1896); reprinted in An Aran Reader, eds. Breandán and Ruairí Ó hEithir (Dublin, 1991).

  21 Úna ní Fhaircheallaigh, Smuainte ar Árainn (Dublin, 1902). Brief biographies of these Gaeilgeoirí are given in 1882–1982 Beathaisnéis I–IV, Diarmuid Breathnach and Máire Ní Mhurchú (Dublin, 1986–95).

  22 Séan Ó Ceallaigh, Eoghan Ó Gramhnaigh (Dublin, 1968).

  23 Patrick Pearse, “A Visit to Inis Mór and Inis Meáin, August 1898,” in Fáinne an Lae (1898); translation by Breandán and Ruairí Ó hEithir in An Aran Reader.

  24 (Pearse’s speech) Fáinne an Lae (20 August 1898).

  25 Letter to John O’Leary, from Paris, 1896, in The Letters of W.B. Yeats, ed. Allan Wade (London, 1954).

  26 Arthur Symons, Cities and Sea-Coasts and Islands (London, 1897). Reprinted in An Aran Reader.