Venice, the pearl of Adriatic sea
With its romantic canals, amazing architecture, and great historical relevance, Venice, a charming city on the Adriatic Sea, fascinates visitors. The great center of this…
Perched atop jagged peaks 11–12 km off the Kerry coast, Skellig Michael (Irish Sceilg Mhichíl) rises like a stone citadel from the Atlantic. Its twin pinnacles (218 m at the highest) and intervening saddle form a dramatic silhouette against the sea. Here, on the remote north peak in the first millennium AD, early Christian monks carved out a world of ascetic devotion amid crumbling drystone terraces. Their monastery of corbelled beehive cells and simple churches – remarkably intact after 1,400 years – won UNESCO World Heritage status in 1996 as “an outstanding, and in many respects unique, example of an early religious settlement…preserved because of a remarkable environment.” Today, Skellig Michael is prized not only for its archaeology and fragile ecology, but also as the windswept retreat of modern myth: the filmic world of Star Wars’ planet Ahch-To.
Below its windy summit, the island’s natural life flourishes. Millions of seabirds circle its cliffs: Atlantic Puffins and Razorbills nest in burrows; guillemots cling to sheer rocks; and the offshore Little Skellig supports the world’s second-largest gannet colony. Ireland protects the Skelligs as both a Special Protection Area (under the EU Birds Directive) and a Nature Reserve. These designations – alongside national monuments laws and strict management by the Office of Public Works – aim to safeguard Skellig Michael’s built heritage and ecological wealth for future generations.
The Sceilg Mhichíl (Skellig Michael) monastic story begins in the early Middle Ages. Gaelic Christian monks – most likely followers of a saint known as Fionán of Skellig or of the great early Irish tradition – first established a hermitage here between the 6th and 8th centuries. Seeking solitude and a life of prayer, they climbed the sea cliffs and built a community of shelters far above the waves. These settlers were heirs to the “desert monasticism” ideal – akin to the Desert Fathers of Egypt – who believed that isolation in a wild landscape brought them closer to God. As one guide puts it, the monks of Skellig Michael sought “isolation and spiritual enlightenment in one of the most remote and inhospitable places imaginable.”
Their ingenious construction survives to this day. The monks quarried durable Old Red Sandstone (the same Devonian-age rock that forms the Kerry coast) to build beehive huts (clocháns) and other structures into a terraced platform on the north peak. Each circular hut rises in corbelled layers of stone, its conical roof completed with horizontal coping stones. From the outside the huts are smoothly round; inside they are square or rectangular chambers framed by the corbelled dome. This precise shape kept out rain and wind: one modern guide notes they “were carefully built to prevent a single drop of rain from coming in.”
At least six stone cells (often labeled Cells A–F by archaeologists) still stand, each about 5 m high and 3–5 m across inside. These corbelled huts would have housed monks one or two to a dwelling, possibly with lofts supported by internal wall projections for sleeping. The largest hut (Cell A) measures roughly 14.5 × 3.8 m internally and may have housed communal activities. Nearby are two tiny oratories (one boat-shaped, one rectangular) where the brethren gathered for prayer. The thin east-west church – St. Michael’s Church – was added in the 10th or 11th century, likely to mark the monastery’s consecration to the archangel (its name appears by 1044 AD).
All these structures are dry-built without mortar. Above the terrace on which they stand, long flights of stone steps ascend from the landing coves up through the ruins. Today visitors must climb 618 steep, uneven steps – nearly 180 m of vertical ascent – to reach the monastic core. To the medieval monks, the climb was part of their sacrifice. A 19th-century observer described the scene thus: “the sense of solitude, the vast heaven above and the sublime monotonous motion of the sea beneath would oppress the spirit…were not that spirit brought into harmony.”
Below the monastery lies a small graveyard, marked by simple stone crosses and slabs. Here human remains have been found under crosses, confirming that an insular cemetery served the monks or later pilgrims. Nearby stands the faint outline of a well – doubtless a precious spring for fresh water on the barren rock. The whole complex is a marvel of medieval craftsmanship: dry-stone walls form terraces, enclosures and paving that survive almost intact.
The islanders lived in astonishing hardship. With only shallow soil on terraces, gardens grew perhaps some barley or wheat, but largely the monks’ diet came from the sea. Early accounts note that fish, seabird eggs, meat and oil (from gannet or puffin blubber) were staples. Manx Shearwater burrows, Storm Petrel nests and Atlantic Puffin colonies gave eggs and meat; geese and ducks may have also nested. A later chronicle complained that “the rock’s abundance of birds makes harvest a crime,” since almost any food laid eggs.
Life was not easy. The weather on Skellig Michael is famously fierce: Atlantic storms, salt winds and cold seas battered the cliffs. Vikings from the 9th century posed a further threat; indeed annals record at least one Norse raid (though the monks apparently held fast). Still, no less than twelve generations of ascetics sustained a Christian presence here. By around 1200 AD, changing times and climate forced the community to abandon the site. Scholars believe the little island was gradually too exposed: colder winters and scarcer resources (perhaps brought on by the Medieval Climate Anomaly) made survival untenable. The monks reputedly relocated to the abbey of Ballinskelligs on the mainland, leaving behind their huts and a living legacy of pilgrimage.
Though Skellig Michael’s monastery fell silent in the 12th–13th centuries, its spiritual legacy endured. After the friars departed, the twin Skellig Islands became a minor pilgrimage destination. From at least the 16th century onward, rānta na scealiga – pilgrimages to the Skelligs – were recorded. Local lore even ascribed to Skellig Michael the site of St. Patrick’s defeat of snakes on Ireland (mirroring the archangel’s symbolism), though this is a 13th-century legend. The island’s name itself is tied to its patron: Skellig Michael literally means “Michael’s Rock,” reflecting a dedication to the Archangel Michael, which appears in records by 1044 AD.
Subsequent centuries saw Skellig Michael pass through various hands. After the medieval era, the islands remained under Catholic monastic ownership until the Dissolution of the Ballinskelligs Abbey in 1578. Afterwards they were granted to landlords (famously the Butlers, who held Skellig in a rather gentle lease until the 1820s). In the 1820s the Commissioners of Irish Lights (predecessor to the modern lighthouse service) purchased the island for £500. This began a new chapter: the construction of two lighthouses on the western heights (completed by 1826) and a winding ‘lighthouse road’ around the east side.
The relics of the monastery were largely forgotten during this period. An 1847 expedition by Royal Irish Academy scholars left the stonework largely undisturbed, but it took until 1870 for Lord Dunraven to conduct the first complete survey. He bequeathed to history a vivid description: “the scene is one so solemn and so sad that none should enter here but the pilgrim and the penitent…” His picturesque language captures what many feel today – an almost sacred stillness above the stormy Atlantic – even as he lamented the scars of Victorian construction.
Finally, in 1880 the Office of Public Works (OPW) – the State heritage agency – took guardianship of the monastery ruins. Over the 20th century the OPW gradually acquired full control (barring the lighthouse precincts) and undertook major conservation. After 1930 minor repairs were occasional, but a systematic preservation program launched in 1978. Archaeologists surveyed and documented every wall and step before reinforcing them. By 1986 all terraced retaining walls had been rebuilt in the original dry-stone fashion. All these efforts have paid off: the monastery’s authenticity is unusually high, and modern visitors climb nearly the same stone steps that the medieval monks did.
Skellig Michael’s dramatic profile owes itself to deep geological time. The island is composed of Old Red Sandstone – thick Devonian deposits laid down ~370–400 million years ago in river basins. Subsequent mountain-building around 300 million years ago folded these layers into southwest–northeast ridges that also form much of County Kerry. Later, rising sea levels carved away lowlands, leaving Skellig Michael and Little Skellig as isolated crags. Today, the two peaks of Skellig Michael are separated by “Christ’s Saddle,” a wind-swept col about 130 m above sea level. Erosion of fault lines and the relentless pounding of waves shaped the three natural landing coves on the island. Each cove faces east or north, sheltered as much as possible from Atlantic gales, but still requiring care to approach.
The stone itself is coarse and hard, fine-grained sandstone and slate. From a distance, the Skelligs’ pale cliffs seem vertical; up close, the rock layers are fractured and eroded, revealing natural terraces that dovetail with the human-built ones. The north peak (hosting the monastery) rises to about 185 m, while the south peak (site of the isolated hermitage) reaches 218 m. In most weather, the sea around Skellig Michael is steep and unpredictable – crossing it safely requires skilled seamanship. In effect, the island’s geology and geography made it a nearly impregnable retreat. Until very recently, few outsiders dared to land: “Skellig Michael’s geographical remoteness kept visitors away until very recent times,” notes UNESCO. Today that same remoteness is appreciated as a buffer preserving the site’s integrity.
The Skelligs’ isolation has also fostered a wilderness of astonishing biodiversity. Together, Skellig Michael and Little Skellig are among the richest seabird habitats in Ireland. Nearly every crevice and hollow is claimed by nesting birds. In spring about 3,000 Atlantic Puffins burst back to their burrows on Skellig Michael between April and August, looking a little like comical penguins with their bright bills. Far more numerous are the Gannets: an estimated 27,000 pairs nest on nearby Little Skellig, making it Europe’s (and the world’s) second-largest Gannet colony. From the cliffs one hears the constant roar of these 2 m wingspan birds diving for fish. Other breeders include Guillemots and Razorbills on the cliff ledges, Manx Shearwaters in burrows, and a persistent pair of Choughs. Seabirds even nest in the monastery walls, hollowing out turf for Puffins or little Storm Petrels.
Because of this ornithological wealth, Skellig Michael is strictly protected under nature laws. It is a Special Protection Area (SPA) and Wildlife Sanctuary under EU directives, targeting an assemblage of some 20,000 seabirds. The SPA designation specifically cites Gannets, Puffins, Manx Shearwaters and Storm Petrels as qualifying species. Little Skellig, though outside the World Heritage boundary, is a National Nature Reserve for its Gannets. Grey Seals haul up on rocky ledges offshore (about fifty animals can often be seen resting nearby), and the rich planktonic waters support cetaceans from time to time. On land, the fauna is otherwise sparse – apart from hardy seabirds, only a few insect species and stunted coastal plants have managed to eke out an existence in the thin soils.
Conservation agencies carefully monitor Skellig’s wildlife. A decade-long program of avian surveys and ringing (since the 1950s) tracks population trends and breeding success. During breeding season, OPW restricts foot traffic away from sensitive nesting areas – for example, no boardwalk goes near the Puffin burrows off the main trail. Guides are trained to shoo birds off paths if needed, and visitors are expressly forbidden to touch or feed any wildlife. As one wildlife manager noted, even the presence of humans (or work crews) can disturb Storm Petrels; hence all construction on Skellig Michael is done with ornithologists on site to minimize impact.
Skellig Michael’s global significance was formally recognized in 1996, when UNESCO inscribed it on the World Heritage List under cultural criteria (iii) and (iv). The UNESCO dossier extolled it as “exceptional universal value…unique example of an early religious settlement” preserved by its “remarkable environment.” Inscription tightly bounds the World Heritage property to the island’s 21.9 hectares, emphasizing that its isolation by the ocean forms its natural buffer.
Protection of Skellig Michael now spans multiple layers of law and policy. At the national level it is a National Monument in State care: all its ancient structures and artifacts are legally safeguarded by the National Monuments Acts (1930–2004). It also lies within Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas under EU Habitats and Birds Directives. In practice, this means strict controls on any development, landing or public access. For example, by law no private boats may land on Skellig Michael outside the regulated season. Any change on the island (even installing a rainwater toilet) requires environmental clearance and bird surveys.
Management is handled by the OPW on behalf of the State. The OPW employs conservation architects, engineers and skilled stonemasons who live on Skellig each summer to oversee the site. Since 1978 a full-time presence has built up knowledge of the architecture: every wall and terrace is mapped and monitored. Conservation policy strictly “retains all original features in situ” – any repair uses only traditional drystone technique and local materials. Besides fabric restoration, the OPW also provides interpretation: guides who lead all tours, explanatory panels at the monastery, and a digital archive of the archaeology.
Visitor management is a key objective. Heavy foot traffic on narrow steps can accelerate erosion, so since 1987 only licensed boat tours may land on Skellig Michael. The OPW introduced guided tours to control visitors from the moment they step ashore. Today approximately 15 licensed boat operators run excursions to Skellig, each permitted to land just once per day. In total, only up to 180 people per day may set foot on the island. These limits were set to balance access with preservation. (In 2025, a legal dispute briefly halted the opening season for the first time, as operators sought clarity on permit renewals.)
The island is open to visitors only seasonally. Typically the Skellig Michael landing season runs from mid-May through late September, and even then only on calm-weather days. In all other months the site is unmanned and off-limits to protect monuments and wildlife. The OPW makes a public call each winter to issue annual boat-landing licences, defining the exact dates (often from early June to mid-September) and conditions. Strictly speaking, stepping onto the island is legal only with a licensed guide during the official season; unauthorized landings would breach heritage and wildlife regulations.
For modern visitors, touring Skellig Michael is an unforgettable adventure – but one that requires careful planning. All tours depart from coastal villages in County Kerry. The main departure point is Portmagee (Valentia Island), a 30–45 minute ferry or boat ride westward. Boats also run from Ballinskelligs, Derrynane and Knightstown (Valentia) in peak season. The crossing is 10–12 km over open ocean; travellers should be alert to sea swells and weather changes. In fact, departure times are set one day in advance based on tides and conditions; operators commonly contact passengers the night before to confirm their slot.
Tourists should book well in advance. Because each boat may only land once per day, seats fill quickly. In practice, tour operators announce landing slots for the year in spring – often selling out within hours. Travelers may be placed on a waiting list if oversubscribed. Those lucky enough to secure a booking should arrive at the marina 30–60 minutes before departure, prepared for a full-day excursion.
Once at Skellig Michael, every visitor sets foot on hallowed ground. According to OPW guides, a typical visit (monastery climb plus return) lasts about 2½ hours on the island. The following precautions are mandatory:
The OPW provides official guides on Skellig Michael during every tour landing. Each guide carries emergency communication gear and first aid, and they are trained in rescue procedures for injured hikers. Their brief includes archaeological commentary: as you wind through the ruins, the guide will explain each hut, chapel, cross or cell in turn. This ensures minimal impact – and also that you won’t miss subtle details, such as the rainwater channels cut into the rock or tiny inscription crosses on the stones.
Weather remains the greatest unknown. Even in summer, Skellig is subject to sudden fog, drizzle or gales. Boats can be canceled at the last minute if the forecast turns bad. (Some visitors consider the cancellation risk part of the adventure!) If you do get up to the monastery, relish the reward: from the top, the Atlantic panorama is endless. Puffins waddle past, Gannets wheel overhead, and the ruins glint in the sun. Below lies the curved reef called “The Needle’s Eye,” where spring tides swirl, and on calm days one can hear the laughter of the ocean in the waves.
Skellig Michael today stands as a case study in balancing access with preservation. The threats are many: erosion from foot traffic and wind, wear on stone by moisture and sea salt, and the potential for human disturbance of nesting birds. To mitigate these, the OPW follows best-practice conservation. For example, they recently paved the final section of some steps with non-invasive treads to reduce foot-wear. Walls that showed bulging or bowed stones have been carefully dismantled and rebuilt in situ, recording every stone’s position. New survey technology (3D scanning, photogrammetry) now monitors movement in the walls.
In tandem, wildlife managers conduct annual seabird censuses. Data show most species are stable, but some (like Puffins) are sensitive to climate impacts. Even minimal construction (like a steel canopy at Cross Cove to protect a chapel) is done in winter with strict precautions for birds. Every conservation plan is reviewed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and UNESCO. In effect, setting foot on Skellig Michael today is a privilege and responsibility: each visitor’s choices (to tread gently, obey rules, take only photos) help ensure the island’s survival.
Skellig Michael’s mystique found a new audience in the 2010s through cinema. Director J.J. Abrams filmed scenes here for Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) and The Last Jedi (2017), casting the island as Ahch-To – Luke Skywalker’s remote exile planet. Sweeping camera shots show the island’s cliffs and beehive huts, often with mist and waves. The octagonal hermitage (actually on the closed “South Peak”) serves as Luke’s cabin exterior. Almost overnight, Skellig Michael became a global pilgrimage site for movie fans. Interestingly, local puffins inspired a Hollywood invention: the cute alien “porgs” were said to be based on the birds’ appearance.
However, the filmmakers’ presence also raised eyebrows among conservationists. Guiding the shoot required special permission from the Irish government, and environmental groups like BirdWatch Ireland had warned of risks. Indeed, an OPW guide later reported “incidents” during filming – off-trail landings, rock disturbances and helicopter noise – that were only hastily acknowledged. Given Skellig Michael’s status as both UNESCO site and protected bird habitat, many argued the film crews should have imposed tighter constraints. Nevertheless, once abroad, the images did wonders for tourism: Fáilte Ireland (the Irish tourism board) and others even used Star Wars in international marketing.
Today one might encounter a white-caped figure among the ruins – an homage to Luke and Leia – but the OPW gently reminds pilgrims that Skellig’s true story is its human history. Filming is not currently permitted without the strictest oversight. (Lucasfilm’s Kathleen Kennedy indicated interest in a return, but no new shoots have been scheduled as of 2025.) For visitors, the cinematic fame is a bonus: it brings many first-time travelers, but on Skellig Michael itself, the gods remain the winds and the saints of the past, not extraterrestrial royalty.
Skellig Michael stands at a meeting point of history, nature and imagination. Climbing its steps one treads where early Christian monks lived simple lives of prayer, and also where modern cinephiles have trod in Luke Skywalker’s boots. Yet at all times the Atlantic is the master. The sunrises and sunsets spill gold over isolated sea, the seabirds wheel and cry like wild spirits, and the stone cells are silent as tombs. In the words of a 19th-century surveyor, “none should enter here but the pilgrim and the penitent.” Perhaps every visitor to Skellig Michael, knowingly or not, takes on a bit of that pilgrim’s spirit: climbing upward, seeking a view over the waves, and returning home changed.
In its world heritage designation and in the careful steps of every guide and traveller, Skellig Michael’s legacy continues. It is a testament to human faith and folly, to nature’s grandeur, and to our growing commitment to protect delicate wonders. The island’s future depends on vigilance: on laws enforced by the Irish State, on the stewardship of dedicated scholars and guides, and on visitors who respect that “extraordinary site” for the heritage it is. For those who make the journey – through brine-lashed waves and centuries of silence – Skellig Michael offers not only spectacular scenery, but a humbling reminder of time’s scale.
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