The Skellig Islands
Craggy, inhospitable islands rising precipitously from the tumultuous sea, the Skelligs look extraordinary, holding onto the earth where gray skies meet stormy horizons about 14km (8 2/3 miles) off the coast of the Iveragh Peninsula. Seen from the mainland, the islands appear impossibly steep and sharp-angled. They must have seemed even more formidable in the 6th and 7th centuries, when simply getting to the islands would have been a dangerous prospect, and yet, not only did a small community of devout monks build a community there, but they built it on the steepest, most wind-battered peaks of all. Over the course of many years, they carved 600 steps into the cliff face. Gradually they built monastic buildings amid the rocks hundreds of feet above the churning sea. There is something tragic and beautiful about the remains of the ancient oratories and beehive cells, the largest of which is about 4*4m (13*13 ft.). Historians know very little about these monks and how they lived, although they were apparently influenced by the Coptic Church founded by St. Anthony in Egypt, and, like the saint, sought intense isolation. Records relating to the Skelligs indicate that, even here, all but completely hidden, the Vikings found the monastery, and punished it as they did all the Irish monastic settlements. Monks were kidnapped and killed in attacks in the 8th century, but the settlement always recovered. To this day, nobody knows why the monks finally abandoned the rock in the 12th century.
The passage to the islands by boat takes about 45 minutes, while the ascent up the steps is also time-consuming and only for the fit.
Ferries from Valentia Island are run by Des Lavelle (tel. 066/947-6124), while those from Portmagee are run by O'Keefe's (tel. 066/947-7103). The average cost is €35 ($46) per person.
