Inis Mór, the Aran Islands, County Galway

I remember going out to Inis Mór for the first time aged about eight. We set off from Ros a Mhíl in a trawler onto a choppy sea. The smell of diesel fumes forced me out onto the open deck where, under the watchful eye of my dad, I revelled in dodging the odd wave that crashed across the gunwale. As we were pulling into Cill Ronain, some fishermen were manoeuvring a curragh through the waves towards the quay. When I examined a similar craft on dry land later on, I found it hard to understand how such a flimsy seeming boat could hold the weight of three men and withstand the battering of the waves. I understand the science of it now, but their robustness still surprises me.