Seachtain Beannaithe (Holy Week)

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The most serious and probably the most lively one of the fifty two weeks which makes the year go round was last week. It is lively because sometimes it looks back on passed events while at other moments it refers to what  still lies ahead in the future…

light returns to the aran islands

The light returns

With  Domhnach an Lúir (literarily: the Sunday of  protection) we celebrated Palm Sunday. After Mass we all received a branch of the “palm tree” to take home. The tradition goes that when you give it a place in your house it gives protection for keeping one’s faith and trust during the serious week in front of us.

Nearly six weeks earlier on Céadaoin na Luaithre (Ash Wednesday) the period of Lent started. The time in which one can prepare oneself on what happened during the Holy Week. As a symbol for reflection, the priest made a cross then on people’s forehead out of ash from the Palm tree.

Each of the seven days of the Holy week represents a specific situation of what happened two thousand years ago. In a similar way we can consider any week as a parallel with it; the days of the week are developing towards a highlight which metamorphoses at a certain stage.

flower on aran islands

Resurrection

With respect to the past Holy Week it was amazing how the days developed in line with nature: while the week started  in a quiet way,  in a couple of days it developed into rough weather in which a northern wind brought a lot of coldness. It meant a period of endurance…Then there was the turning point…peace all over. No wind at all. And it happened at that day while I was crossing the Atlantic towards the mainland  a large group of dolphins showed up, playing and jumping about, in and out of the waves again and again…

Then there was  Satharn Cásca (Holy Saturday). In a way the world seemed as coming to a halt: it seemed as if the (human ) world kept their breath…

religious banner in church on aran islands

The Lord has been resurrected, He is in our mids

In the darkness we celebrated the day during Mass. There was a fuse for everyone as we entered the church.  After a while we were invited to go into the night again and there, while the stars Venus and Jupiter where our witnesses, a big candle  was lit from the little coal fire in the church yard. From this candle the first fuses were lit which in turn passed the light on to everyone.

We went into the darkness knowing that He is with us.

Slán go fóill,

Elisabeth from Inis Meáin.

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Invasion

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Did you ever hear about an invasion on Inis Meáin?! Well, since 48 hours we did! Already since a good couple of weeks a lot of Mná an Tí (housewives)  were preparing  for a fruitful cooperation with teachers-to-be in their homes. Since a long time twice a year  groups of young adults to be trained as teachers are hosted on Inis Meáin for a fortnight. Every year and every time again and again there is quite a bit of excitement in the preparation for these big events. Of course a lot has to be organized in and around the house on logistics. And then the excitement about:  ”who is coming this time and how will it work out altogether?”

Tá fáilte roimh-Welcome to Inis Meáin

This time a group of the size of nearly as many as the actual population of Ins Meáin, arrived on the  Saturday night boat.

ferry-inis-meáin

Invasion of Inis Meáin

They are divided over the several families in which they can practice and improve on their knowledge of Irish. During the week they are kept busy at the college while at night they mainly enjoy  the company of one another and the Islanders in Teach Ósta, the local pub.

It is lovely to see so many young adults being around on the island. Some of them enthusiastically walking around with a hurling stick looking for a suitable place to play a game of it. Others walking up and down the main street while being kept up with one another in conversation. For the locals it probably reminds of former decades when the population was much larger than nowadays and due to this fact,  a lot of different things were happening at the same time.

church on aran island of inis meáin

Love from Inis Meáin

After a few days of orientation from both sides things seem to be settling down and the scolairí (students) are fitted in on Inis Meáin by now.

donkeys on aran islands

Fitted in well

It is noteworthy that this large group of young adults come and stay on the island during these special weeks before and after Easter!

Slán go fóill,

Elisabeth from Inis Meáin.

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Next to Heaven

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Already the third day! No wind, no clouds, no rain…there is just the sun shining warm upon our face! No complication at all…not any border to cross. The only colour you see while looking above is the lovely bright blue of Springtime. It matches so well with the fresh greens in the fields and along the stonewalls and the lovely yellow lesser celandine and hawk bit, the flowers of this moment. Probably because of the gradually warming up of the sun these last days as well, the hawthorn gets its blooming, although quite hesitantly. And so does the fuchsia, which is so nicely called in Irish daora Dé (the tears of God)!

inis meain aran islands sunny picture

Saturated by the sun

aran islands in the sun

Saturated in the sun

Without the wind which is nearly always more or less present on the island another atmosphere is felt; one in which there is no noise at all. Imagine the only thing you hear is (the) silence. Automatically I try and listen now what is behind the silence…

Saturated by the sun

day is in aran islands

Lá Istigh. The day is in

While I am doing manual work at these moments of absolute silence I am able to hear the noises of other people’s work of labour as well. Then I become aware of the moment which presents itself in all its clarity now. The moment is and I am in it!

Slán go fóill,

Elisabeth from Inis Meáin.

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Ferries and Flights to Inis Meáin