15/07/2021

A Visit to Skellig Michael 

A trip to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Skellig Michael is an incredible day trip to make and will enthral people of every age an truly is a once in a lifetime experience not replicated anywhere else in the world.

The Skellig Islands, stand aloof in the Atlantic Ocean some 12 km southwest of Valentia Island, County Kerry. From any angle, or from any vantage point on the nearby Ring of Kerry, they are spectacular pinnacles, which have magnetised viewers throughout all history – and beyond.

The Skellig islands are world-famous, each in its own right: Skellig Michael is known throughout the world of archaeology as the site of a well-preserved monastic outpost of the Early Christian period – now designated a World Heritage Site. The endurance of the monks and their dedication in gaining a foothold on a tiny, inhospitable, offshore island and creating a community there that survived for some 600 years can only be admired. However, only when you travel there will you truly appreciate what these great people encountered. There is a precipitous walk from the ferry to the summit that has not changed in almost 1500 years, so only able bodied people will be able to participate.

Small Skellig, which you will pass on the way to Skellig Michael is equally renowned, but in matters of ornithology as the home of some 27,000 pairs of gannets – the second largest colony of such seabirds in the world. Visit The Skellig Experience for more details on this unique experience.