Many of you know that Skellig Michael is an UNESCO world heritage site. One of 3 in Ireland. Skellig Michael has always left people in awe, here is what Irish play-write George Bernard Shaw said“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.” To underpin Shaw’s sentiments this is the reasoning by UNESCO WHC, 1996 “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
The monastic settlement dates back to the 6th century it is believed. But it even dates further than this, in the Skellig folklore. On the top of the rock there are beehive huts where the monks lived a simple life.These huts are beehive shaped yet they are rectangular inside.They were so well designed they remain waterproof to this day. The monks spent their time praying in the Church studying and working in their garden where they grew vegetables. The evidence gather by Archaeologist has determined that 12 monks lived their permanently. It was not until the 13th century that the monks vacated and moved to the nearby Ballinskelligs.
Skellig Michael the last destination on an ancient line
This Pilgrimage line spans Europe it runs from Palestine, Greece,Italy onto France and finishes Ireland.This line is known as the Apollo/ St Michael axis, as it is believed to be known thousands of years before Christianity. Skellig Michael has always been a place of refuge for numerous Catholics during penal times, as their rights and beliefs were being suppressed by the powers that be of that time. So in modern times this has been the reason thousands of people have descended on Skellig Michael. But in the most recent years the Skellig has been etching out a new history, as presently it is apart of one of the most famous movie franchises Star wars.
Skellig Michael put it on your bucket list
So now you have got a little snippet of the rich history of the great rock, all you have to do now is book our tour around the skelligs and see it for your self.So without further a dew please click on Skellig Michael tours and book now before sold out.