Aran Islands

Three islands at the mouth of Galway Bay with a combined area of about forty-six square kilometres (Inishmore the largest, then Inishmaan, then Inisheer) forming the historic barony of Aran. The 1,347 people counted in 2022 speak Irish primarily, which makes the islands part of the Gaeltacht, and most are fluent in English as well. The population has fallen steadily since 1841, when it stood at roughly 3,500. Named sounds divide the islands from each other and from the mainland, among them Gregory’s Sound and Foul Sound.