The Aran Islands lie in Galway Bay off the west coast of Ireland. They’re made up of Inis Mór, Inis Meáin, and Inis Oírr. People have likely lived on the islands since c. 3000 BCE. Late Bronze Age and Iron Age ruins scatter the islands, alongside old churches and holy wells. After the era of […]
islands
Legends of Bardsey Island: Avalon or the Isle of 20,000 Saints?
Ynys Enlli in north Wales is also known as Bardsey Island, and it’s been a pilgrimage destination since the 6th century. The island lies at the north end of Cardigan Bay, just off the tip of the Llŷn peninsula. Archaeological evidence shows human habitation on the island for at least four millennia. But where does […]
Islay Folklore: Giants, Fairy Changelings, and the Water Bull
Islay is an island to the west of Scotland, at the entrance to the Firth of Lorn. It’s 25 miles north of Northern Ireland. Archaeological evidence shows people lived here from 8000 BCE, with evidence of Neolithic and Bronze Age tombs and burial sites. Columba and his missionaries brought Christianity to the island, which Norse […]
