Native name: Sceilg Mhichíl | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Skellig Michael | |
  Skellig Michael | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Atlantic Ocean |
| Area | 21.9 ha (54 acres)[1] |
| Highest elevation | 218 m (715 ft)[2] |
| Administration | |
Ireland | |
| County | Kerry |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 0 |
 Interactive map of Skellig Michael | |
| Official name | Sceilg Mhichíl |
| Criteria | Cultural: iii, iv |
| Reference | 757 |
| Inscription | 1996 (20thSession) |
Skellig Michael (Irish:Sceilg Mhichíl[ˌʃcɛlʲəɟˈvʲɪçiːlʲ]), also calledGreat Skellig (Irish:Sceilig Mhór[ˈʃcɛlʲəɟwoːɾˠ]), is a twin-pinnacledcrag 11.6 kilometres (7.2 mi) west of theIveragh Peninsula inCounty Kerry, Ireland. The island is named after thearchangelMichael; while "Skellig" is derived from theIrish language wordsceilig, meaning a splinter of stone. Its twin island,Little Skellig (Sceilig Bheag), is smaller and inaccessible. Thetwo islands were formed c. 374–360 million years ago during a period ofmountain formation, along with the localMacGillycuddy's Reeks mountain range. They were later separated from the mainland by rising water levels.
Skellig Michael consists of approximately 22 hectares (54 acres) of rock, with its highest point, known as the Spit, 218 m (714 ft)above sea level. Defined by twin peaks and a central valley called Christ’s Saddle, the island has a steep and inhospitable landscape. It is best known for itsGaelic monastery, founded between the 6th and 8th centuries, and its variety of inhabiting species, which includegannets,puffins, a colony ofrazorbills and a population of approximately fiftygrey seals.[3]
The island is of special interest to archaeologists, as themonastic settlement is in unusually good condition. The monastery on the northern peak is situated at an elevation of 170 to 180 m (550 to 600 ft), Christ's Saddle at 129 m (422 ft), and the flagstaff area are 37 m (120 ft) above sea level.[4] The monastery can be approached by narrow and steep flights of stone steps which ascend from three landing points. Thehermitage on the south peak is only accessible via a dangerous approach, and is largely closed to the public. Because of the often difficult crossing from the mainland and the exposed nature of the landing spots, the island is accessible only during the summer months.UNESCO designated Skellig Michael aWorld Heritage Site in 1996.[2]
The word "Skellig" derives from theold Irish wordsceillec, which translates as "small or steep area of rock". The word is unusual in Irish placenames and appears only in a few other instances, including Bunskellig,County Cork, and the Temple-na-Skellig church inGlendalough,County Wicklow. It may be ofOld Norse origin, from the wordskellingar ("the resounding ones"). An early but rarely used alternative Irish name for the island isGlascarraig ("the green rock").[5]
Irr lost his life upon the western main;
Skellig's high cliffs the hero's bones contain.
In the same wreck Arranan too was lost,
Nor did his corpse e'er touch Ierne's coast.[6]
The first known reference to the Skelligs appears in theIrish annals; a retelling of a shipwreck occurring around 1400 BC, said to have been caused by theTuatha Dé Danann, a supernatural race inIrish mythology. According to legend, Irr, son ofMíl Espáine (who is sometimes credited with the colonisation of Ireland), was travelling from theIberian Peninsula, but drowned and was buried on the island.[7] Daire Domhain ("King of the World") is said to have stayed there c. 200 AD before attackingFionn mac Cumhaill's army in nearbyVentry.[7] A text from the 8th or 9th century records that Duagh, King ofWest Munster, fled to "Scellecc" after a feud with theKings of Cashel sometime in the 5th century, although the historicity of the event has not been established.[8] Other early mentions include in the narrative prose of theLebor Gabála Érenn andCath Finntrágha, as well the medievalMartyrology of Tallaght.[9]
Skellig Michael is a steep pyramidal rugged rock (or "crag")[10] ofc. 18 ha (45 acres) on theAtlantic coast off theIveragh peninsula of County Kerry. It is 11.7 km (7+1⁄4 mi) west north-west of Bolus Head, at the southern end ofSaint Finian's Bay. Its twin island, Little Skellig, is a mile closer to land and far more inhospitable because of its sheer cliff faces. The small Lemon Rock island is3.6 km (2+1⁄4 mi) further inland.[4] The nearby Puffin Island is another seabird colony.[4] The Skelligs, along with some of theBlasket Islands, constitute the most westerly part of both Ireland and Europe excluding Iceland.[6]
The island is defined by its two peaks: the north-east summit where the monastery is built (185 metres above sea level), and the south-west point containing the hermitage (218 metres above sea level). These elevations reside on either side of a depression colloquially known as Christ's Saddle.[6]
The islands are composed ofOld Red Sandstone and compressedslate, and were formed between 360 and 374 million years ago, as part of the rising of the MacGillycuddy's Reeks andCaha Mountains mountains ranges. This occurred during theDevonian period when Ireland was part of a larger continental landmass and located south of theequator.[1][11] The region's topography of peaks and valleys are characterised by steep ridges formed during theHercynian period offolding andmountain formation some 300 million years ago.[1] When the Atlantic ocean level rose, it created deep marine inlets such asBantry Bay and left the Skelligs detached from the mainland. The rock is highly compressed and contains numerous fracture lines and joints.[11] As a result of erosion along a major north–south-trendingfault line containingbedrock much more brittle than that on surrounding areas, a large part of the rock broke away, resulting in Christ's Saddle, the depression between the peaks.[11] The island's rock is deeplyeroded through exposure to wind and water.[10]
The Wailing Woman rock lies in the centre of the island, on the ascent before the Christ's Saddle ridge,[12] 120 m (400 ft) above sea level, on 1.2 ha (3 acres) of grassland. It is the only flat and fertile part of the island, and thus contains traces of medieval crop farming. The path from the Saddle to the summit is known as the Way of the Christ, a nomenclature that reflects the danger presented to climbers.[13] Notable features on this stretch include the Needle's Eye peak,[14] a stone chimney 150 metres (490 ft) above sea level,[15] and a series of 14stone crosses with names such as the "Rock of the Women's piercing caoine", further references to the harsh climb. Further up is the Stone of Pain area, including the station known as the Spit, a long and narrow fragment of rock approached by 60-centimetre-wide (2 ft) steps.[16] The ruin of the medieval church is lower and approached before the older monastery.[14]
The island's three maincoves are Blind Man's Cove to the east, Cross Cove to the south and Blue Cove to the north.[17] Each can be used as access points from the sea. All three have steps carved into the rock from their landing point to above sea level.[18] The main landingcove is on the recesses of the eastern side; known as Blind Man's Cove,[19] it is exposed to sea swells and high waves, making approach difficult outside the summer months. The bay'spier is positioned under a sheer cliff face, populated by large numbers of birds. It was built in 1826 from an area known as the Flagstaff and leads to a small stairway leading to the now disused lighthouse. The steps divide into two staircases, the earliest and largely abandoned path leading directly to the monastery.[14]
Blue Cove is the most difficult landing point and is only approachable on an average of 20 days per year. Noting the inaccessibility of the island, writer Des Lavelle observes that "the fact that the monks of old undertook the giant task of constructing a stairway to this bleak cove is a good argument that the weather conditions then were far better than now."[18]
Skellig Michael is lined by exposed sea cliffs and three bays. Its inland is mostly of thin soil on steep ground, with patches of vegetation which are, however, exposed to sea spray.[11] Nonetheless, it has an ecology far more diverse than on the mainland; as an island, it provides sanctuary to wide varieties of flora and fauna, many of which are unusual to Ireland.[20] It contains a large range ofseabirds, now protected by the island's status as a nature reserve owned by the state.[21] The Skellig Islands were classified as a Special Protection Area in 1986 when they were recognised for containing an unusually large variety and population of birds.[22]
The island hostseyries forperegrine falcons. Other birds of interest includefulmars,Manx shearwaters (Puffinus puffinus),storm petrels,gannets,kittiwakes,guillemots andAtlantic puffins.[23] A herd of goats lived on the island until recently, and it supports a population of rabbits andhouse mice, both relatively recent introductions, probably introduced in the 19th century by lighthouse attendants.Grey seals haul out on the island's ledges.[24]
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Monks of theCeltic Christian tradition founded a monastery on Skellig Michael sometime between the6th and8th centuries.[8] Like many early Christian sites in Kerry, it is said to have been founded bySaint Fionán in the early 6th century, though this is doubted by historians.[25] Many of the islands off the south-west coast of Ireland have early Christian monasteries; the region was favoured because of its isolation and the abundance of rock for building. There is a concentration of monasteries off theIveragh andDingle peninsulas.[26][11]
The first definite reference to monastic activity on the island is a record of the death of "Suibhini of Skelig" dating from the 8th century.[27] TheAnnals of the Four Masters detail events at the Skelligs between the 9th and 11th centuries. The annals record aViking attack in 823, when "Skellig was plundered by the heathen and Eitgal [the abbot] was carried off and he died of hunger".[28] The Vikings again attacked in 838, sacking churches at Skellig,Kenmare, andInnisfallen Island. The Augustinianabbey in Ballinskelligs was founded in 950, the same year that Blathmhac of Sceilic died. Finally, the annals mention the death of Aedh of Scelic-Mhichíl in 1040.[29]
It has been estimated that no more than twelve monks and an abbot lived at the monastery at any one time.[30] It was continuously occupied until the late 12th or early 13th century[2] and remained a site for pilgrimage through to the modern era. The diet of the island monks was somewhat different from that of those on the mainland. With less arable land available to grow grain, vegetable gardens were an important part of monastic life. Of necessity, fish and the meat and eggs of birds nesting on the islands were staples.[31] Theories for the site's abandonment include that the climate around Skellig Michael became colder and more prone to storms, Viking raids,[32] and changes to the structure of the Irish Church. Probably a combination of these factors prompted the community to abandon the island and move to the abbey in Ballinskelligs.[8]
The site had been dedicated toSaint Michael the Archangel by at least 1044 (when the death of Aedh of Scelic-Mhichíl is recorded).[33][8] However, this dedication may have occurred as early as 950, around which time a new church was added to the monastery (typically done to mark aconsecration) and named Saint Michael's Church.[2] The island may have been dedicated to Saint Michael, the legendary slayer of serpents, based on a link toSaint Patrick. A 13th-century German source claims that Skellig was the location of the last battle between Patrick and the venomous snakes that plagued Ireland.[34]
Skellig Michael was a regular destination for pilgrims by the early 16th century.[35]
Skellig Michael remained in the possession of the CatholicCanons Regular until the dissolution ofBallinskelligs Abbey in 1578, a result of thereformation enacted byElizabeth I.[2][36] Ownership of the islands passed to theButler family,[37] with whom it stayed until the early 1820s when the Corporation for Preserving and Improving the Port of Dublin (predecessor to theCommissioners of Irish Lights) purchased the island for £500[38] from John Butler of Waterville in acompulsory purchase order.[8] The corporation constructed two lighthouses on the Atlantic side of the island, and associated living quarters, all of which was completed by 1826.[39]
In 1871,Lord Dunraven, in hisNotes on Irish Architecture, made the first comprehensive archaeological survey of the island. Describing the monastery, Dunraven wrote the island "is one so solemn and so sad that none should enter here but the pilgrim and the penitent. 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."[37][40] He was less charitable of the lighthouse project and described their alterations as attributed to "the lighthouse workmen who...in 1838, built some objectionable modern walls".[17] TheOffice of Public Works took the remains of the monastery into guardianship in 1880, before purchasing the island (with the exception of the lighthouses and associated structures) from the Commissioners of Irish Lights.[2][8]
Skellig Michael was made aWorld Heritage Site in 1996.[41][42] TheInternational Council on Monuments and Sites (an advisory body of the World Heritage Committee) described Skellig Michael as of "exceptional universal value", and a "unique example of an early religious settlement", while also noting the site's preservation as a result of its "remarkable environment", and its ability to illustrate "as no other site can, the extremes of aChristian monasticism characterising much of North Africa, the Near East and Europe".[41]
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The monastery is built into a terraced shelf 180 m (600 ft) above sea level. It contains two oratories, a cemetery, crosses, cross-slabs, sixclochán-type domedbeehive cells (of which one has fallen) and a medieval church. The cells and oratories are all of dry-builtcorbel construction, whereas the church, which was constructed at a later date, is of mortared stone.[44]
The largest hut is known as cell A and has a floor area of 14.5 × 3.8 metres and is 5 metres high. Like the other huts, its internal walls are straight before narrowing to accommodate its dome roof. The protruding stones in the interior act as pegs and are placed at about 2.5 metres to support the roof, and in some instances may have supported upstairs living quarters. The protruding stones on the exterior most likely were anchors forthatch roofing. Some cells contain recesses that may have been formed to contain cupboards.[45] The main oratory is boat-shaped and measures 3.6 × 4.3 metres. It has an altar, a small window on its eastern wall. The small oratory is situated on its own terrace, at a relative distance from the main complex. It measures 2.4 × 1.8 × 2.4 metres and contains a low door (0.9 × 0.5 metres) and a comparatively large, one-metre-high window on its north-eastern wall.[44]
St. Michael's Church dates to the 10th or early 11th century. It was originally constructed from mostly lime mortar with importedsandstone fromValentia Island. It is today mostly collapsed, with only its eastern window still standing.[44] The centre of the church contains a modern gravestone, dated 1871, erected for members of the family of one of the lighthouse keepers.[44]
The Monk's Graveyard is partially collapsed and smaller than when it was in active use. It contains stone crosses with mostly plain inscribed decorative patterns on its west side, two of which are highly detailed and believed to be early features of the site; in total over a hundred individual stone crosses have been found on the island.[46] There are several largeorthostats on its north and west sides.[46] There are two dry stoneleachta on the site. The larger is positioned between Saint Michael's Church and the main Oratory,[47] and is thought to pre-date both, and once had a large upright cross at its western end, which is now broken off. The other is located against the monastery retaining wall at the south of the oratory. Human remains have been found underneath both.[48]
Theoratory is two hundred metres above sea level and fifteen metres below the summit,[49] is the largest and is in good condition.[46] The main oratory is still largely intact and contains its originalaltar, bench, a water cistern and what is likely the remnants of ashrine.[11] The masonry work is typical of theEarly Christian period in Ireland.
The interior of the main building is 2.3 m (7 ft 7 in) long and 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in) wide. The enclosure wall is made from mostly small stones. Although it is now worn and mostly knocked down, it would once have been around 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) high. Today the interior is full of stone rubble fallen from the structure and the fragments of a 2.14 m (7 ft 0 in) tallstone cross.[50] The leacht outside of it was probably used as a shrine or altar; it is too small to have been a burial site.[48]
The hermitage is located on the opposite side of the island to the monastery. It was built below the south peak and is significantly more difficult and hazardous to approach. Today access is restricted and permitted only after prior arrangement.[51] The south peak is approached from Christ's Saddle via a very narrow and steep series ofrock-cut steps. Exposed and unprotected, the steps are vulnerable to fierce winds that at times approach hurricane force. The pathway passes through the Needle's Eye, a rock chimney formed by a narrow vertical crack in the peak.[52]
Though the hermitage's origins and history are not as well studied as that of the monastery, it seems likely that it was built later; given the presumed difficulty of its construction which would have involved the movement of large pieces of stone. These would have had to be carried up almost sheer cliff faces, and thus the builders would have needed to have had the monastery as a base.[53] The eroding effect of frost on the island's major fault line provided the masons with large amounts of materials for the construction.[54]
The hermitage consists of several enclosures and platforms situated on three mainterraces cut into the rock.[55] These are today known as the Oratory, Garden and Outer Terraces.
The outer terrace is situated on three stepped ledges some distance from the main complex and is difficult to access. Its only masonry consists of a 17 m (56 ft) wall along its steep and exposed perimeter.[56] Wondering why such an inaccessible and harsh outpost might have been built, the historian Walter Horn wrote that "the goal of an ascetic was not comfort" and recalled that theCambrai Homily states: "This is our denial of ourselves, if we do not indulge our desires and if we abjure our sins. This is our taking-up of our cross upon us if we receive loss and martyrdom and suffering for Christ's sake."[57]
Each of the three landing areas lead to long flights of steps (known as the east, south and north steps) built by the first generations of monks to inhabit the island. They may have at one time formed part of a larger network; traces of other, possibly earlier steps have been uncovered elsewhere on the island.[55][58] Archaeological evidence shows that basal sections of each series of steps were rock-cut, giving way to more stabledry stone masonry once they reached an altitude where the sea waves would no longerweather them. Later the base steps were replaced with dry-stone paths.[11]
The north steps lead from Blue Cove and consist of two long and steep continuous flights known as the upper and lower steps. The upper pathway was built from dry stone but is in very poor condition in places; given the steep face on which they are built, they are prone to erosion and the impact of falling stone from the cliffs directly above.[59] The lower rock-cut portion has been heavily weathered by the sea, and some of the ground around them has collapsed; the portions where steps are lost have been replaced withramps.[55] Aparapet at their lowest base was added in the 1820s, and they were widened during the construction of the lighthouse.[59]
The south steps are most commonly used today and merge with the north steps at Christ's Saddle, to lead to the monastery. They cross several archaeological features, including a prayer station and walling.[55] They are in good condition and were probably repaired by the lighthouse builders. Their weakest point, directly above Christ's Saddle, suffers wear and tear from continual use by modern visitors and requires continual maintenance.[59] The landing steps may have been built by the lighthouse builders; 14 steps apart from the main landing are virtually inaccessible, stopping short at both ends and leading neither to the sea nor to the highest levels.[18]
The lower part of the east steps above Blind Man's Cove was heavily blasted with dynamite in 1820 during the construction of the pier and Lighthouse Road, and are now inaccessible from the landing point.[59] The steps above this level, on a very steep climb along a sheer face,[17] have been subject to conservation, most recently in 2002/2003 when large amounts of overgrowth were removed,[17] and are today in good condition.[55]
In the first episode of the 1969BBC documentaryCivilisation: A Personal View by Kenneth Clark, the art historianKenneth Clark described the island's buildings and pathways as "an extraordinary achievement of courage and tenacity". He observed that "looking back from the great civilizations of twelfth-century France or seventeenth-century Rome, it is hard to believe, that for quite a long time—almost a hundred years—western Christianity survived by clinging to places like Skellig Michael, a pinnacle of rock eighteen miles from the Irish coast, rising 700 feet [210 m] out of the sea".[60]Adam Nicolson details the island in his 2004 bookSeamanship.[61]
Several films and documentaries have used the island as afilming location. The island was used to film the planet Ahch-To inStar Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) andStar Wars: The Last Jedi (2017). Aerial footage of the island was also used inStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019).[62][63] It also served as a location for the final scene inHeart of Glass (1976).[12]
Emma Donoghue's 2022 bookHaven is a fictional account of the first monks settling on Skellig Michael in the 7th century.[64]
Skellig Michael has three landing points, which are used according to the prevailing weather conditions. The island receives an average of 11,000 visitors per year; to protect the site, the Office of Public Works limits the number of visitors to 180 per day. The local climate and exposed terrain make the crossing from the mainland to Skellig Michael difficult. Once landed, the island's pathways are steep and unprotected. The main pathway to the island's peak consists of 600 stone steps.[65]
Skellig Michael's remoteness and inaccessibility have long discouraged visitors, and thus it is exceptionally well preserved. Tourism began in the late 19th century when rowing boats could be hired for 25shillings.[3] It become a popular tourist destination in the early 1970s when regular chartered passenger boats became available. By 1990, the level of demand had grown to the extent that the Office of Public Works were organising ten boats departing from four individual mainland harbours.[66]
Today, at least four boat licences are granted to tour operators[67] who run trips to Skellig Michael during the summer season (May to October, inclusive), weather permitting. Even when conditions on the mainland are calm, the sea around the island can be turbulent. The area is a landing point forsea swells travelling in from distant depressions in the Atlantic. The island is lashed by water from all sides, withwave crests breaking at up to 10 metres over the pier and 45 metres along the lighthouse. When such large wave troughs recede, they can often expose ragged seaweed stumps, sponges andanemones on the rock faces, further hampering approach and landing.[3]
A typical visit lasts about six hours. The Office of Public Works emphasises that the journey presents safety challenges, mainly because the steps are steep, rocky, old and unprotected. Climbs are not allowed during wet or windy weather.Dive sites immediately around the rock, mostly around Blue Cove, are permitted in summer.[68]
According to some reports, climate change has led to increased rainfall,sea swells and more frequent severe storms around the island, with future tourism likely to be affected by these factors.[69]
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51°46′16″N10°32′26″W / 51.77111°N 10.54056°W /51.77111; -10.54056
