The Irish coast is dotted with islands. Many of them are known for their appearance, their vegetation, their fauna or their history. In future posts we will talk about the Aran Islands, Blasket, Inishbofin, etc, but today we will talk about the Skellig Islands.

Na Scealaga (name of the islands in Gaelic), are two rugged islands in the south of the Peninsula of Iveragh, County Kerry. The largest island is called Skellig Michel and the smallest one is Little Skellig. The islands are known for both the population of puffins and gannets that live on them and the monastery of Saint Fionan of Clonard.

The monastery is located at a height of 180 m above sea level, and to reach it we will have to climb 670 steps. It is one of the most remote monasteries in the Christian world. It was founded around 500 AD. by Saint Fionan, who moved there looking for the ideal place to lead an austere life dedicated to prayer. The hard climatic conditions caused the monks to abandon the place in the 12th century. In 1996, the monastery was declared a World Heritage Site.

Apart from the monastery, another attraction of these islands is the presence of puffins and gannets, the second in the world. The puffins nest on the cliffs, but they live in a friendly way along with the tourists who visit the island, so it is not difficult to see them near the stairs that go up to the monastery.

If you are a fan of the Star Wars saga, you will like to know that the monastery of San Fionan is the refuge of Luke Skywalker in “The Force Awakens” and “The Last Jedi”. Can you think of a better place?.