CA
Céad míle fáilte.
This phrase means “one hundred thousand welcomes,” and it’s synonymous with Irish hospitality. Ireland’s rich culture, dynamic history, and welcoming people are an integral part of your visit. And that’s why Collette takes you to the must-sees and beyond.
On our small tour, Countryside of the Emerald Isle, travellers ferry across Galway Bay to Inis Mór – the largest of the Aran Islands with a population of only about 850 people!
Immersing yourself in the local culture is simpler in this setting – especially with the help of people like Gabriel Faherty.
Meet Gabriel Faherty
Gabriel Faherty is a local guide in Inis Mór and helps make travellers feel at home. And he’s somewhat of an authority on the largest Aran Island. “I was born and raised on the island,” Gabriel says. But it goes deeper than that – at least 10 – 12 generations deeper, according to Gabriel.
Today, he is the owner of Aran Islands Goat Cheese and Food Tours. Part business owner, part goat farmer, and part local guide, Gabriel wears many hats, but he’s used to the hard work.
As a former fisherman, he explains his career trajectory as being “from boats to goats.”
“I left school at 18; I went straight to sea because my dad, granddad, and we're all fishermen, uncles were fishermen,” he says. “Nearly 25 years as a deep-sea fisherman, so yeah, I fished right around the world. …I was the last in the family to hang up my Wellies.”
Life on Inis Mór
As a world traveller himself, Gabriel can recognize how different life is on the Aran Islands, from social dynamics to the logistics of going out.
Parenting on the Aran Islands
“It's a great place to raise a family,” Gabriel says. “I had freedom that kids in the city wouldn't have had. You'd go in the morning, and you wouldn't be back till dinner time before it got dark.”
He joked that the small, tight-knit community was a double-edged sword as a teen: He was safe to do whatever he wanted, but his parents always knew.
And he appreciates that more now as the father of teens himself. Gabriel has four children: Alan, 17; Owen, 15; Donnchadh, 13; and Fia, 11.
Gabriel’s Career on Inis Mór
Gabriel’s children inspired his self-described transition from “boats to goats,” but his wife helped him find his passion in cheesemaking.
“When my kids came along, I was looking to spend some more time at home and my wife actually bought me a cheese course for one of my birthdays,” Gabriel explains. “She reckoned I was a very hard person to shop for. She buys me various stuff from basket making courses, to helicopter lessons. One of the things that she got was a cheese course for me. I really liked the process and found it very interesting.”
That class led to another, which inspired some thinking about the resources available on Inis Mor.
“I went up on another course up in Donegal on goat husbandry because I figured because of the vegetation we have, it wouldn't really suit dairy cattle, but it would suit goats,” he says. As a child, Gabriel’s first pet was a baby goat and the connection between these two parts of his life stuck.
“We had to gather the money together,” he said. “We got some grants from the government and stuff like that, and money from the banks, to build our farm. And that was 14 years ago. We started making cheese about 12 years ago, coming up on 13 seasons this year. So yeah, it's been a roller coaster ride to say the least, but yeah, it took a gamble. It was like playing a game of poker. Took a gamble and put it all in, but it worked.”
Today, Aran Islands Goat Cheese and Food Tours is an award-winning operation recognized for contributions to local tourism, sustainable farming practices, and, of course – the cheese.
A Night Out for the Islanders
Gabriel works hard, so travellers often have questions on how he unwinds.
He says that island living makes some simple pleasures a little more difficult.
“There's three pubs, there's one hotel, there's no chemists (pharmacies), there's no cinema,” Gabriel says. “So, we go to Galway City. It's kind of like living in the suburbs for you guys in the city. We just hop on the boat.” Gabriel says there is also an option to take a seven-minute flight followed by an hour or so drive, though most people tend to take the boat.
“The boat is just our bus into town or a taxi into town,” he says. “Most islanders would have a car on the island, and you'd also have a car on the mainland as well. If you want a night out, you would generally go to the mainland.”
This trek, he says, is about two hours each way. But in the warmer months when the winter thaws and local businesses reopen for the season, you can find a night on the town without leaving the Aran Islands.
“If you just want to go out for dinner locally, there'd be music in the pubs and that during the summer months,” Gabriel says.
Book Your Ireland Tour With Collette
Hardworking local people are the backbone of their communities, and they help us learn the story of the place they call home. But it can be hard to find these stories on your own.
That’s why travellers book Collette tours – to get closer to culture and let experts take care of the details. Our small group Explorations tours are designed by in-destination experts who are travellers themselves. They’re curious about culture and want to experience a destination, not just visit it. That means venturing off the beaten path and visiting secondary cities to get closer to the locals. We find interesting people and places that enrich your travels so you can focus on enjoying the ride.
Ready to book your small group tour to Ireland to meet Gabriel yourself? Call us or see your travel professional and ask for Collette’s Countryside of the Emerald Isle tour.
