DO
Ireland
The land before time
Skellig Michael – once a little-known sixth-century monastic stronghold in a quiet corner of County Kerry – is now home to an influx of Jedi enthusiasts, each itching for the chance to stand on the latest Star Wars film set.
This interest has not been without consequence, however; conservationists warn of the threats that increased tourism poses to the island’s fragile ecosystem, and the native seabirds and other species for whom Skellig Michael has served as a breeding ground for centuries.
With the island’s 1996 UNESCO World Heritage Site status, relative inaccessibility and seasonal restrictions, Skellig Michael is at best, a taxing excursion. In the Year of Sustainable Tourism, we urge you to cast your gaze further afield, to take your quest to travel further and boldly cast your gaze to the western-most point in Europe.
At the Great Blasket Island, you’ll find a land no less beautiful – one where man and nature lived harmoniously until the middle of the last century yet remains seemingly untouched by time; where prehistoric take pride of place and the wildlife roams free.
