No man is an island – but a great man can make one!

By Marie Mulrooney and Jarlath Conneely

Many countries honour their heroes and if a list of such existed for Inis Mór in the Aran Islands it surely would include Michael Hernon.

Michael is a native of Inis Mór and his father Colie Hernon was instrumental in the founding of Aer Arann on August 15, 1970.

Michael was involved with the company from the beginning and on his recent retirement after fifty years’ service he eloquently explained the huge positive impact the air service operated by Aer Arann has had on the island communities.

Michael described how in the 1960s, before Aer Arann commenced operations, there was only two boat services to the island each week on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

This meant that anyone with a hospital appointment on a Tuesday needed to travel to Galway on the previous Saturday and return on the following Wednesday.

Overnight accommodation at the Castle Hotel, a favourite with the islanders, was £5 per night so this could be a very expensive exercise.

Sometimes the islanders could get lucky and hitch an early lift home on a fishing boat departing Galway docks for Inis Mór but in rough weather he recalled that he would be “sick as a dog” as the boat pitched, rolled, and yawed all at the same time.

There was a dramatic change after Aer Arann commenced operations. People could now travel to the mainland and return daily, seven days per week.

See the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now – or you can download our digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie