Description of the attraction
Skellig Michael is a small rocky islet in the Atlantic Ocean off the southwest coast of Ireland. It is located about 12 km west of the Ivera Peninsula (County Kerry) and is a very popular attraction today.
Skellig Michael Island is renowned for its breathtaking natural landscapes and scenic landscapes. The island gained worldwide fame thanks to the ancient monastery of St. Michael located here, which is rightfully considered one of the most interesting monasteries of the early Christian period in Europe and at the same time one of the most inaccessible. The holy monastery has been perfectly preserved to this day and is an important historical and archaeological monument. In 1996, the monastery was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The exact date of the foundation of the monastery is unknown. A long-standing legend says that the monastery was founded by Saint Fionan in the 6th century, although the earliest written sources that have survived to our times date back to the 8th century. It is believed that before the foundation of the holy monastery, Skellig Michael was uninhabited, although no reliable data was found categorically refuting or confirming this hypothesis. Thus, the history of the island is inextricably linked with the history of the monastery.
To get to the monastery, you need to climb the steep winding paths to an altitude of about 200 m above sea level. Here, on the large terrace, you will see this beautiful example of early Christian architecture - monastic cells, shaped like a bee hive, the Church of St. Michael, two oratorios (a place for prayer), as well as stone crosses and slabs.
The monastery was abandoned approximately in the 12-13th centuries, and its inhabitants moved to the Augustinian abbey in the village of Ballinskelligs on the island of Ireland. In the 19th century, two lighthouses were built on the island and Skellig Michael became an important landmark for maritime vessels.
Skellig Michael Island is one of the two Skellig Islands and together with Little Skellig Isle form an important wildlife sanctuary, home to a large population of seabirds (cormorants, auk, guillemots, kittiwakes, petrels, etc.) and a birdwatcher's paradise.
The island is accessible from April to October and only under favorable weather conditions.
