Inis Meáin, Aran Islands

The traditional method of creating soil on the bare limestone landscape of the three Aran Islands was to layer seaweed and sand on the rock surface and then finish with a layer of topsoil. Small areas were reclaimed at a time, first clearing the loose stones which were then used to build walls. The result is a mosaic of tiny fields and several hundred miles of stone walls protecting the hard-won soil from wind erosion. This young woman is presumably bringing hay to feed cattle and the tin can may have been used for milking. Cattle were not housed over winter but moved from field to field.