NOTE DE L'ÉDITEUR : Over the centuries many people have felt the attraction of the unique landscape of the Aran Islands, with its impressive monuments that go back thousands of years, its distinctive culture that offers glimpses of a rich and distinctive pattern of life and a people whose island isolation forged a sense of independence and endurance.

The Book of Aran is the first comprehensive publication to deal with all the many different aspects of the three islands of Inis Mór, Inis Meáin and Inis Oírr. The contents fall into three broad sections :the natural environment ; archaeology and history ; and the cultural heritage of the islands.

It is aimed at the general reader who wants to gain a deeper understanding of one of the most intriguing landscapes in Europe.

CONTENTS

Introduction, Anne Korff, J.W. O'Connell, John Waddell The geology of the Aran islands, John Feehan The Aran flora, Cilian Roden The natural history of the sea, Michael O'Connell, Cilian roden The wildlife of the Aran islands, Gordon D'Arcy Interlude : History and the human kingdom, J.W. O'Connell The archaeology of the Aran islands, John Waddell St Enda of Aran : tracing an early Irish saint, J.W. O'Connell Arkin fort : the military history of a garrison outpost on Inis Mór, Paul Walsh The maritime history of the Aran islands, John de Courcy Ireland The rediscovery of Aran in the 19th century, J.W. O'Connell Aspects of working and fishing on the Aran islands, Anne O'Dowd My early life in a thatched home, Dara Ó Conaola The yearly round on Inis Mór, Pádraigín Clancy « The sound of your footfall is as welcomed as yourself », Lelia Doolan A short story : Máire an Túirne - Spinning Maura, Dara Ó Conaola The Irish language in Aran, James Duran « And here's John Synge himself, that rooted mand », J.W. O'Connell The artist's eye, Anne Korff The making of The Man of Aran, Joe McMahon Aran, Paris and the Fin-de-siècle, Patrick F. Sheeran The Aran islands today : a personal view, Pádraig Standún Notes and References, Bibliography, Index, Notes on Authors