which is better...aran islands from Doolin or Galway?

Sixteen years ago and more you would have had the option to catch a ferry from Galway City to the Aran Islands. That service has since been discontinued. You can, however, ferry from Rossaveel on the southern Connemara coast west of Galway to Inishmore, the largest of the islands. The service's website is at: aranislandferries.com. The trip takes about an hour.

The Doolin ferries are more likely than the Rossaveel ferries to cancel if the water is rough, though both of them will do so.

Thanks for the input...so between Rossaveel and Doolin, which is the better bet at high season in Aug. 2014? Which one is more reliable at that time in your experience? Thanks much!

The ferry out of Rossaveel runs only to the three islands and back, not to Doolin. Between Doolin and the islands, you need to take Doolin Ferries: doolinferries.com. No one can predict in advance how weather and sea conditions will affect operations on any given day. Dealing with the weather is part of the Irish experience. The Rossaveel ferry is much larger than the Doolin ferries, so the latter may be more susceptible to choppy seas. I've taken all three routes (including the discontinued one between Inishmor and Galway) and the Doolin-islands ferry numerous times and never experienced a cancellation. They do occur, of course, so just show up, buy a ticket and enjoy the ride!