Within the Páirc Náisiúnta na Mara, Ciarraí, Ireland’s first marine national park, the larger of the two Skellig Islands, the jagged, 217m-high rock of Skellig Michael (Sceilg Mhichíl), rises dramatically out of the sea, topped with the remains of an improbable 1400-year-old early Christian monastery. The remote island 11.5km off the coast famously featured as Luke Skywalker's Jedi temple in two Star Wars movies, attracting a whole new audience to the Skelligs' dramatic beauty.
Skellig Michael
Skellig Michael (Michael's Rock; like St Michael's Mount in Cornwall and Mont St Michel in Normandy) is the larger of the two Skellig Islands and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Influenced by the Coptic Church (founded by St Anthony in the deserts of Egypt and Libya), the monks' determined quest for ultimate solitude led them to this remote, windblown edge of Europe. Not much is known about the life of the monastery, but there are records of Viking raids in 812 and 823 CE.
Although the site was expanded in the 12th century, the monks abandoned the rock soon afterwards. In the 1820s, two lighthouses were built on the island, along with the road that runs around the base.
The Landing
The landing point for visitors is at a tiny jetty on the northeast side of the island, from where you make your way along the lighthouse road, past a helipad to the cluster of sheds where the Office of Public Works (OPW) guides are based. You will get a safety briefing before you are allowed to climb up to the monastery.
The Steps
Three ancient staircases lead to the top of Skellig Michael, but only the one on the southeast side is currently in use. There are 618 steps cut into the steep face of the rock, with no handrails, save for a short length of chain low down. The steps ascend to the dip between the twin summits, known as Christ's Saddle, where you can catch your breath before the final climb to the monastery gate, 180m above sea level.
The Monastery
The 6th-century monastery is a miracle of masonry, set on platforms built on the vertiginous slope using nothing more than drystone walls and earth. Within the perimeter wall are six beehive cells, where the monks once lived, two domed oratories where they prayed and chanted, a cemetery, and a small 10th-century church. You can also see the monks' south-facing vegetable garden and their cistern for collecting rainwater.
The Hermitage
The Hermitage is a small structure near the summit of Skellig Michael's south peak, opposite the monastery; it is not open to visitors. Probably dating from the 9th century, the tiny oratory (just 2.3m by 1.2m) was possibly used as a retreat by individual monks for solitary prayer.
Getting There
Landing tours usually run from mid-May to September, weather permitting; dates are announced each year by the OPW, which looks after the site and grants tour-boat permits. Boats depart from Portmagee, Valentia, Ballinskelligs and Derrynane Harbour. The number of daily visitors is limited to 180, with boats licensed to carry no more than 12 passengers each, so it's wise to book well ahead (landings are still subject to conditions on the day). Children must be aged over 12.
Morning departure times depend on tide and weather. The trip lasts around five hours in total with 2½ hours on the island, which is the bare minimum to visit the monastery, look at the birds (puffins arrive in April, leaving around the first week in August) and have a picnic.
