Inis Meáin, Aran Islands, Ireland 1973 Old footage

A short film on life in Inishmaan (Inis Meáin) in the early 1970's. Inishmaan (meaning "middle island") is the middle of the three Aran Islands in Galway Bay on the west coast of Ireland. It is part of County Galway in the province of Connacht.

[@johnprice7303]

I was reduced to tears whilst viewing this short film. i was born and reared in Co. Leitrim, and am therefore all too familier with the term 'poverty' In my teenage years, my beloved late Father and I shared the suit to seperate mass's, but I cannot remember ever being hungrey.

[@Kevin-rw4yw]

What part Leitrim sir?

[@philcasey5931]

6:09 "I like living on the island because of the freedom ... from the clock" Amen

[@ronaldschwigel2286]

15 YEARS LATER THE WOOLEN MILLS HAVE SAVED THE ARAN ISLES

[@genevievemaher4967]

It was a Joy to watch the New Version of this 50 years later on Inis Meáin last night

[@benji.B-side]

Fantastic to watch. Some of the women at the end, shying away from the camera, shows a little reflection of a more innocent culture and times. Times of community and spirit, of high morals and values, etc, that sadly, commercialism, materialism and capitalist greed, are slowly eroding away. We now focus too much on 'self, self, self' with a 'I'm alright Jack' attitude, in society today, isolating ourselves from any community spirit. We have much to learn/re-learn from these wonderful people and their focus on family and community.

[@MrSoldierperson]

Sʜʏɪɴɢ ᴀᴡᴀʏ ғʀᴏᴍ ᴄᴀᴍᴇʀᴀ ᴅᴏᴇsɴ'ᴛ ᴍᴇᴀɴ ʜɪɢʜ ᴍᴏʀᴀʟs.

[@roscobhoy]

It still exists. Come out to the islands some time and you'll see for yourself

[@brendacarey3110]

I'm in awe of anything Irish. Thank's for your footage. I alway's felt pulled towards Irish life, and at least a Great desire for History. I Pray for Heritage research on immediate Family one day.

[@anniedavis4569]

Beautiful video of the island life. I grew up in kilraine and I can’t get it out of my head

[@SoldierDrew]

God bless the Republic of Ireland and their Irish language. Freedom & peace be upon them.

[@goalltheway-pm8xs]

What about the Irish stranded in the six counties: subjugated with British tyranny?

[@rosemarymccarron3887]

Unfortunately that has all changed. They have flipped the country into an anti catholic,pro abortion,gay marriage ,divorce.....etc etc most liberal society . This is what is called digression.

[@silverkitty2503]

@@goalltheway-pm8xs What about the tuam babies ? The maggie laundries? There are many kinds of tyranny... lets move on.

[@barraphointe]

Great video. Enjoyed watching it. Thanks.

[@barrywalsh7926]

The abandoned Great Blasket Island off the west coast of Ireland holds a special place in the heart of 92-year-old Dr Mike Carney who was born there. The Telegraph goes with him as he visits his birthplace for the last time. "I don't know if I will be able to make it," says Mike Carney, looking out across a wild stretch of water to the place where he was born 92 years ago. "I would like to put my feet down there one more time, but I wonder, is it possible?" Frankly, it seems crazy to try. The Great Blasket is famous throughout the world as a place where a remarkable community once lived, but it is remote, empty and inaccessible for most of the year. We are in the far west of Ireland and the weather is turning bad, making the ground treacherous underfoot. Dr Carney walks with a shuffle and wears a brace for his back. He is standing on the headland, looking out at the Blasket Sound. Under those waves there are many wrecks. To get to the island, the old man will have to negotiate a wet quayside, a rubber dinghy, a sharp climb up into a converted fishing boat and an hour's journey by sea, buffeted by the Atlantic waves. Then he will face the dinghy again and the derelict island slipway, slick with seaweed, leading to a steep rock path as slippery as ice. Yet he says: "I have the determination within me to do this." He has come a long way already to reach this point; more than three thousand miles from his retirement home in Massachusetts, then down the coast of Ireland from the airport to the far tip of the Dingle Peninsula, a finger of land that points back west. "I can't get the island out of my mind," says Dr Carney, with the strong accent of a man who grew up speaking only Gaelic and who has never let the language go. "I dream about the island at night. I dream about the way it was when we were young." The Great Blasket island was abandoned 60 years ago, as the result of a tragedy that had broken the hearts of the Carney family and their fellow islanders. The evacuation took place on 17 November 1953. Nobody has lived there permanently since. The houses are ruins. So what is calling Mike Carney now? Why is he risking his life to get back? kzbin.info/www/bejne/emjKqGpuiLyfhNk

[@kellysouter4381]

You dream of it because that's when you were young, before everything went wrong. I dream of a suburban South Australian bungalow in 1975, watching the Goodies in colour on our big box of a tv!

[@johnmcdyer7297]

Well don’t we all remember the past and yearn to see it again just one more time is his thoughts i imagine

[@lisagriffiths934]

Just finished reading 'Pieces of Land (Journeys to Eight Islands)' by Kevin Crossley-Holland, an absorbing read for anybody fascinated by island life and history (however romantically !) - the last chapter is about his stay on Inishmore - also includes stays on Lundy, Tory, Hoy, Eigg, St. Agnes, Alderney and Lindisfarne - all around early 70's too, so very different experience to now. Highly recommended.

[@suzannelawson9215]

Do you still own this book? I live in USA and visited Ireland during the 1980's. Loved seeing Ireland very much. I wonder if this book is still available and if I could get it here in USA?

[@alfredahearn5768]

Thank you so much for posting! This is far more informative than THE MAN OF ARAN!

[@damianmcdonagh7908]

It's a fascinating island to explore. There's a well marked walking trail around the island that incorporates the main historical sites.

[@cpdirt]

More of us mainland people may take note of how much our native language is still alive and well. I had the pleasure of get to know lads from Aran Islands in St Jarlaths boarding school in Tuam in late 90's.

[@dhughes2236]

Jarlaths was a great place.

[@dhughes2236]

And the Mercy Convent, Tuam had many Aran girls as boarders.

[@pamelatotanes1917]

Wow nice film ill watch this again thanks for sharing

[@elizdonovan5650]

Great video. Thank you. ☘️🌝🌲

[@matthewfarmer6830]

Thanks for sharing.👍

[@florenceobrien2822]

Love my country

[@alarmerads]

Långa åror. Man får tvärsa händerna när man ror. Jag var där 1969. Från Galway med fraktbåt till inishmore, utan hamn naturligtvis. Jag hade irländskt sällskap med en vän ut till ön vilket tror jag inverkade på hur trippen föll ut för min del. Fantaskiska upplevelser i det vardagliga på ön ställt mot det Svenska som jag kom ifrån

[@Iceageonmars]

A world that is so very much gone and young people today would find it very hard to fully understand what it was really like.

[@Tacoman1967]

I'm proud of my Irish roots, although my family was from Cloonlavis.

[@dougmacgregor5053]

I was shocked at the beginning at the number of people streaming out of the church in 1970's. I suspect that has changed a great deal from when I was 20

[@michealbreathnach2928]

The Islanders are still toughing it out fair play to them. Aran is kind of too big to fail. Where all of the other smaller island off the coast of Conamara were abandoned (or had bridges built onto them). The Aran Islands have managed to keep the population, thank God. Thank God also that those old piseogaì about everything have been more or less dropped.

[@cigh7445]

Are they still speaking Irish primarily Michael or is it mostly English there now like the majority of other Gaeltacht?

[@ryue65]

@@cigh7445 still Irish in Inis Mean.

[@rochong1991]

I never thought of this, your right though

[@genevievemaher4967]

​@cigh7445 ..more definitely it's Gaeilge on our island

[@michealbreathnach2928]

​@@cigh7445Neart gaeilge buíochas mór le Dia. Tá Oileáin Árann agus formhór Chonamara dílis don ghaeilge í gconaí.

[@rubydawn1]

love this

[@paddy66111]

The video tells the history of the island so i am going to visit inis meain

[@An-Éire]

min 11:30 the guy running is that David Kelly the irish actor from Ned Divine ?

[@Discover-Ireland]

I used to load the ship with the gas barrels fir Aranislands. Beautiful place before tourism spoilt it.

[@mayam1141]

Felt sorry for the cattle 😔

[@ronschwigel8140]

the history of our forefathers some stayed on the island others went to america.

[@Sean-Ireland]

Like a scene from Father Ted a place so bleak even the seagulls don't bother to land.

[@smhorse]

Probably the field where they had "Funland"....

[@cathythompson4965]

I love hearing the Irish language

[@philipodowd227]

Suffern Jaysus but its all History now.The waves break the Shore and the sea-gulls nattern. Marks time on the Irish Race.

[@PresidentSquigglyMiggly]

I love how a woman tries to say the women control everything. It was no woman ever drowned at sea bringing back pollock or mackerel or lobster. As usual they try to downplay a mans role

[@PresidentSquigglyMiggly]

By God they did plenty but don't try and make it out it wasn't a partnership

[@fleadoggreen9062]

So they have a guy hold the cow w a rope and tow him to the bigger boat, they dont even bother to put a hook on the boat to hold the rope the man has to hold it with his hands ,geez

[@marycoleman6119]

It has to be held by a person so you don’t risk harm to the cow . The man can react more or less instantly because he can feel and see what’s happening on the rope

[@fleadoggreen9062]

@@marycoleman6119 makes sense , thanks

[@philipians1635]

very north atlantid people

[@MrBiorachanBeag]

Saol crua ar bhealach....

[@drugrocker]

5:04 - oh my god - A TREE!! pity it's a non native sycamore :-(

[@brainerdboy1177]

Go raibh maith agat as seo a roinnt!

[@richard9444]

Catherine Murphy no

[@bernardmichel8750]

@Catherine Murphy Remember the song : "The Spanish Lady" ???

[@synphet]

The cow 🤍

[@klunny998]

go raith ma agat

[@lauraswann5543]

It's GO RAIBH MAITH AGAT.

[@kellysouter4381]

Could do without the whistle!.

[@preasail]

A shame that Chris Rodmell didn't let us hear one word of Irish.

[@themadfarmer5207]

Disturbing how the women who upon seeing the camera cower away or cover their faces. They are not suppressed in their Island culture, yet has similarities with women of Islamic culture. The whole scene seems nice but they are a people who have to endure hardship

[@rochong1991]

I don't think it should be viewed as disturbing, these are very humble people and back then and even today keep to themselves and might not have wanted to be filmed by someone not from the island.

[@blueneptune825]

Shyness toward the unexpected or unfamiliar is universal. Not disturbing.✌🏼🇮🇪💚

[@jjrich1489]

Disturbing is a paranoid strange way of looking at it . Just humble and a bit shy perhaps

[@johndowney8007]

Why anyone would want to live there is beyond me

[@greenknitter]

Makes no sense. You may as well say why would anyone want to live where they're born. There's a lot to be said for a simpler life.

[@MrLeadb1]

Many people lived on such islands to avoid persecution by invaders on the mainland.

[@DarrenCondron]

This aged badly, people are longing for more off the grid living these days, this island in particular is more popular than ever.

[@lightning.watermelon8136]

I just visited there today actually. The houses and farmers are beautiful. So much history and community there, very friendly people. Lovely beaches. Peace and tranquility. Beautiful landscape and nature. Fresh air, very little pollution. And you ask why people would want this?