We’ve had two trips, one by ferry and one flying, and both involved canceled/delayed ferry back to Rossaveal. In both cases, we left Inis Mor by another means while no return ferry to Rossaveal was able to depart, so I don’t know whether one eventually sailed back to Rossaveal, or if people were truly stranded on Inis Mor for the night.
We did have a trip where the ferry was cancelled but the flight was not. Our second trip (in 2018), we flew, and spent the night on Inis Mor, as planned. The next day, heavy rain was blown absolutely sideways by fierce wind. All the flowers outside our B&B were absolutely destroyed. We stayed inside, unable to explore the island further. The weather cleared enough by late afternoon that our scheduled flight back to the mainland went as scheduled, but as we flew off, I understood that no scheduled ferry to Rossaveal was cleared yet to depart. Again, I don’t know whether ferry passengers were eventually stranded for the night, but I don’t think any ferries had even been able to sail from Rossaveal that day, so nobody new had been deposited on Inis Mor by ferry. There weren’t any stranded ferry daytrippers, at least, but perhaps there were still folks who couldn’t get back to Rossaveal by ferry who’d already spent at least one prior night on Inis Mor. Maybe a late ferry was finally dispatched to Inis Mor, and returned to Rossaveal that day, but it didn’t sound like that was likely.
The only possible drawbacks of flying vs. ferry are that flying costs more, and luggage capacity on the planes is less than on a ferry, so if you have massive luggage or are bringing a bicycle, for example, a plane isn’t an option. If getting to and/or parking at the airport is not a preference, perhaps that could be another drawback.
Our first trip, we took the ferry (with bikes!) to Inis Mor, and stayed the night, as planned. The next morning, ferries were all cancelled. I’m not sure about the status of any flights, as I didn’t even know if flights were an option (this was in 2008). Well, after being told to check back at the ferry office in an hour, and then an hour later, and then in another hour, and so on, a ferry was finally announced, but it was sailing for Doolin, not Rossaveal. The Rossaveal ferry was still in cancelled/postponed status as we left on our eastbound ferry for Doolin. I have no idea if a ferry for Rossaveal ever sailed from Inis Mor that day, either.
Unless flight cost, luggage capacity, or departing from the airport vs. from Rossaveal are an issue, flying is the way to go..
