Homage to Peter Mullin by Carol Chase Bjerke

The Aran island of Inishmore is nine miles long and only two miles at its widest point, but an estimated 100 miles of drystone walls line its rocky surface. These walls delineate fields, and serve as a repository for stones that would otherwise interfere with the growing of crops and grazing of animals. Oftentimes the locals can identify a wall's builder by its individual style, or by the size and type of its stones. When I wanted to honor the maker of this finely constructed wall, I sent photos to the owner of the B&B where I had stayed on my last visit, and asked if by chance she knew the name of the person I was looking for. She wrote back almost immediately. "Oh yes," she said, "His name was Peter Mullin, and he really knew how to build a wall."