Skellig Michael has always been apart of us here in Portmagee, with thousands of you holiday makers descending on our village daily to get a peak at this wondrous location 12km approx off our small fishing village.
Many of you come into to us at the Fisherman’s for a hearty breakfast before you set off with our fantastic boatmen here at Portmagee. You can almost smell the anticipation in the air over the full Irish. Many of you always ask me the same questions, but all wanting to know what to expect. But unfortunately I cannot capture the magic that is the skelligs,all I can do is quote a fellow Irish man George Bernard Shaw “ I tell you, the thing does not belong to any world that you and I have lived and worked in: It is part of our dream world.”
After this for me to do is smile. The reason when you return back to have you Dinner with us from your trip to the Skellig Islands you all agree with Shaw.
The skellig is one of only 3 UNESCO world heritage sites in Ireland.
In 1996 Skellig Michael was awarded the accolade by UNESCO WHC , here I will paste in the reasoning behind the award. “The Committee decided to inscribe the nominated property on the basis of cultural criteria (iii) and (iv) considering that the site is of outstanding universal value being an exceptional, and in many respects unique example of an early religious settlement deliberately sited on a pyramidal rock in the ocean, preserved because of a remarkable environment.
Skellig Michael illustrates, as no other site can, the extremes of a Christian monasticism characterizing much of North Africa, the Near East and Europe.”
Skellig Michael a monastic settlement
Skellig Michael has been a monastic settlement, which dates back to the 6th century it is believed. On the top of the rock there are beehive huts where the monks lived a simple life. They were so well designed they remain waterproof to this day. The monks passed their days praying in the Church studying and working in their garden where they grew vegetables. Archaeologist research has determined the rock was the home of 12 monks. It was not until the 13th century that the monks vacated and moved to the nearby Ballinskelligs.
Skellig Michael Tours
Every morning weather permitting during the summer months our boat men leave the village of Portmagee to the great rocks. There are many Tour operators here in Portmagee where they offer both landing trips and the “Eco Tour” where they go around. Please book in advance to avoid disappointment especially for the landing tour as their is limited seats daily.
Skellig Michael put it on your bucket list
Now that you have got a little intro to Skellig Michael please visit us here at the Fisherman’s in Portmagee, and we will serve you some fantastic food before or after your trip to the Skelligs. Please click here on RESTAURANTS IN PORTMAGEE to see our menu.