“An incredible, impossible, mad place… I tell you the thing does not belong to any world that you and I have lived and worked in: it is part of our dream world…”
– a picturesque description of Skellig Michael from George Bernard Shaw’s letter to Frederick Jackson, on September 18th, 1910.
Jedis, Monks, Vikings & Seabirds rule the rugged western coast of Ireland in a Galaxy Far, Far, Away…
After 4 years of continuous travel, mesmerized by every country I’ve explored and enthralled by new friendships I’ve forged, it gets harder to “knock my socks off” –
yet, that’s exactly what happened when I landed on the mystical Skellig Michael!
Once at the extreme edge of the known western world, this jagged, vertiginous peak is uninhabited and lies 8 miles (12 km) from land. Rising like a phoenix out of the rough waters of the North Atlantic Ocean and recognized as 1 of only 3 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Ireland, Christian monks built a secluded monastery here around 600 AD, renouncing civilization and seeking isolation to grow closer to God.
May The (Skellig Michael) Force Be With You!
Skelling Michael’s most recent rise to fame, however, was when its stark, unique beauty was featured in several Star Wars Films, filmed across 1200 miles (2000 km) of one of the world’s most picturesque coastal routes, the “Wild Atlantic Way”. Skellig Michael was showcased in pivotal scenes in two of the movies – The Force Awakens in 2015 and again in 2017 for The Last of The Jedi. The final cliffhanger scene in The Force Awakens ends on top of an imposing mountain island with the Force-sensitive scavenger Rey extending the lightsaber to a long-lost Luke Skywalker after her intergalactic hunt to discover his remote, isolated hiding place on a planet far, far away - on Skellig Michael!
The Star Wars cast was so charmed by Ireland’s beauty and the congeniality and hospitality of its people that they took out not one, but eight, “Thank You” notes in the Irish Examiner noting that they were "Captivated by the Wild Atlantic Way and their journey to Ireland." I’m sure that you will likewise be charmed by the Irish when you visit Skellig Michael, and here's why:
But firstly… getting to Skellig Michael is half the adventure, and you don't have to be a Jedi!
Landing on Skellig Michael is completely dependent on the weather and the availability of tickets. To preserve this ancient pilgrimage site from being run over by visitors, only 8 boats are licensed to land on Skellig Island, and each can only hold a maximum of 10 passengers.
Tip: Book your tour as early as you can. Check out skelligmichael.com for a complete guide on how to book a tour from May to September.
I was over the moon when I scored a ticket to the island! I planned my entire journey trekking the Wild Atlantic Way around this ticket, staying overnight at a colorful AirBnB (The Moorings) in the village of Portmagee directly across from the Skellig Michael pier. I was NOT taking any chances in missing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
Although some of the Star Wars posters were cheesy, Portmagee has several ancient cottages adorned with traditional furniture and bright flowers worth checking out :)
However, securing lodging and a boat to make this rough ocean crossing was just the first part of the adventure: the turbulent wind that sweeps across the Irish Sea means that the boat captain decides the night before if the weather permits safe sailing, and again has to confirm the morning of the trip.
At 8 am, once confirmed we were going to sail despite the wind and clouds, I could hardly sit still long enough to enjoy my fortifying Irish Tea and Full (vegetarian) “Irish Breakfast” of baked beans, eggs, mushrooms, and Brown Soda Bread – strongly advised by locals to keep seasickness at bay. Then I wandered around the pier, praying to all the weather Gods that the trip wouldn't be canceled as the skies continued to darken with threatening clouds.
Thankfully, the trip wasn’t canceled, and once all 10 passengers were finally boarded, we set sail across crashing waves and blustery winds towards “the Skelligs” – Skellig Michael and its smaller brother, Little Skellig! Channeling my inner Viking spirit, I was too excited to sit down for the thrilling 90-minute ride.
The first stop was at Little Skellig, known as one of the most inhospitable places in the world. It was commonly believed that Little Skellig has never been inhabited by humans, but archeologist Michael Gibbons and a team of climbers have recently found signs of an early Christian oratory on a steep and precipitous terrace of the Island, dubbing it the “ultimate monastic site.”
Unlike Skellig Michael, landing is not permitted on Little Skellig as it’s a protected bird colony, and home to the Gannet. With a wingspan stretching up to 6.5 feet (2 meters), the Gannet is Ireland’s largest seabird - over 27,000 gannets nest on every square inch and cliff edge of Little Skellig, making it the 2nd largest gannet colony in the world.
Our boat circled Little Skellig for about 10 minutes, giving us a chance to witness this wondrous, noisy, and smelly island, with the stench of guano (bird poop) bristling in our nostrils. It was fascinating to see these elegant seabirds swoop down, hitting the water at speeds of up to 62 miles (100 km) per hour to catch fish lying deep underwater. With the recent economic valuation of the profits generated globally from utilizing bird guano, my estimate is that Little Skellig may be worth over a Billion US Dollars. ;)
After circling around Little Skellig, it was finally time for Skellig Michael. The energy and excitement of all ten of us was palpable (well, maybe only 9 of us, since a young Irish “lassie” got sick from the waves tossing us around mercilessly — thankfully the boat staff was fully prepared and quickly came to her aid).
Can’t believe I finally landed ON Skellig Michael - AT LAST I AM HERE!!
After finally approaching Skellig Michael, we were faced with another challenge: landing. The landing site is fully exposed to water, wind and waves; there is not an actual marina. As you step off the boat, the boat will bob up and down with the waves but the pier will be stationary, so landing can be tricky - you need to be quick and agile.
On your way up to the landing, you have to climb up 618 steps (yes, I counted) – steep, uneven, and often slippery in the wind and rain: not recommended for small children, those with trouble climbing, or those with vertigo or mobility issues. It took us about 45 minutes to make it up the steep climb – to be fair, I stopped all along the way to take in the vistas and embrace the moment of being “present” on this old, historic island.
Exploring this place – what was once home to one of Europe’s most remote religious communities, the monks of St. Fionan – I marveled at how those ancient monks eked out a living in Skellig Michael over 1600 years ago while daily exposed to the gale force of the Irish winds and the constant buttressing of the ocean waves below.
Sadly, not much is known about these monks. What we do know is that they believed in isolating themselves from civilization to grow closer to God. Driven by this belief, they developed the stamina and resilience to carve six beehive-shaped huts, a relatively large graveyard, and numerous walled-in enclaves using sheer stone and very rudimentary, 6th-century tools. We can imagine that they lived simple lives: eating the fish and seabirds they caught, drinking rainwater they trapped and filtered in stone cisterns, reading and praying, and sleeping on stone beds when darkness set in – all while dedicating themselves to their faith.
Can you believe this was created by a few lone monks sixteen centuries ago? And it is still standing...
Mesmerized as I was exploring the mind-blowingly stunning monastery, I finally had to leave the summit behind and start making my way down. There aren't many handrails or chains to grasp – which can be daunting if you look too far ahead – so just watch your feet and look only 1 or 2 steps ahead of you…
As I took one long, last look at Skellig Michael as we sailed away, I understand why the monks chose this wind-beaten, isolated rock for their peaceful refuge. The surreal, stark natural beauty and the intense isolation makes you feel you are a bit closer to heaven.
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Skellig Michael Unleashed Checklist
Gear:
Sturdy, closed-toe shoes with good grip (eg. sneakers, hiking boots)
Sunblock
Water & snacks - there are a few picturesque spots for a small picnic!
Waterproof top layer as the ocean crossing and Skelling Michael will leave you exposed to sun, wind and water.
Other Tips:
Ability to climb 618 uneven, stone-hewn steps up and down (without guardrails!)
Suffer from serious vertigo? May not be the challenge you want to take
Seasick? The 90-minute boat trip may not be too pleasant!
Book in advance! Skellig Michael is only open from Mid-May to late September. Note that Puffins fly south in mid-August, leaving Skellig Michael until next Spring
Quotes & Literature
An exhibit at The Skelling Experience on nearby Valentia Island – worth visiting to grasp the historic context of the monks fleeing the Vikings as well as the distractions of society on the mainland – aptly ponders:
Was the back–breaking work of monastery building a task of penance?
Or was it a joyous, fulfilling experience of marrying hands, skill, rock, and fine design?
Did the imposed isolation by a stormy sea constitute an indefinite prison sentence to be endured bravely and silently?
Or was it a soul-thrilling experience to witness the massive power of ocean waves, and the unyielding strength of Skellig rock?
Was it a dulling, stupefying monotony to hear and see nothing but the endless wheeling, screaming seabirds all day?
Or was the word of God in every flimsy feather and every trembling wingtip?
George Bernard Shaw, the Nobel prize winning author and playwright, visited Skellig Michael in 1910. He was so in awe of what he encountered that he wrote to a friend describing island as
“…the most fantastic and impossible rock in the world: Skellig Michael, or the Great Skellig, where in south west gales the spray knocks stones out of the lighthouse keeper’s house, 160 feet above calm sea level. There is a little Skellig covered with gannets – white with them (and their guano) – covered with screaming crowds of them… both the Skelligs are pinnacled, crocketed, spired, arched, caverned, minaretted; and these gothic extravagances are not curiosities of the islands: they are the islands: there is nothing else.
The rest of the cathedral may be under the sea for all I know: there are 90 fathoms by the chart, out of which the Great Skellig rushes up 700 feet so suddenly that you have to go straight up stairs to the top – over 600 steps. And at the top amazing beehives of flat rubble stones, each overlapping the one below until the circle meets in a dome – cells, oratories, churches, and outside them cemeteries, wells, crosses, all clustering like shells on a prodigious rock pinnacle, with precipices sheer down on every hand, and lodged on the projecting stones overhanging the deep huge stone coffins made apparently by giants, and dropped there God knows how.
An incredible, impossible, mad place… I tell you the thing does not belong to any world that you and I have lived and worked in: it is part of our dream world…”
– From Shaw’s letter to Frederick Jackson: Parknasilla Hotel, Sneem, 18th September 1910.
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