Aran knitwear is as valued today as it was in medieval times. It had a significant presence in literature in the past, you can find it in the Book of Kells for example, and it is said that in the Book of Kells Daniel was depicted wearing an Aran jersey with socks to match!

Originally, whilst their womenfolk spun the wool from natural fleece, the fishermen of the Aran Islands knitted the garments using goose quills for needles. They created patterns of great beauty, simple, as befitted those who lived so close to nature, but symbolic and dignified. Study the stitches in any Aran garment and you'll find they are an allegory to a way of life with each stitch being steeped in symbolism: they are an Irish heritage