Scarcely a day passes without some story emerging about the ability of animals to adapt to changing conditions, especially in their search for food.

A five-minute walk down the road to the Skellig Chocolate factory. How sweet is that? Trish Dromey reports

Canada is taking a lead role in seeking Unesco World Heritage status for a residential Irish island.

Tourism is one of the industries that contribute significantly to our economy, so we should be aware of trends in the wider world of tourism, especially those that might represent a threat to the goose that lays the golden egg.

Lucasfilms/Star Wars is to be asked to contribute towards the provision of a public car park in the fishing village of Portmagee in south Kerry because of the influx of so many visitors

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FOR much longer than millennia, islands have been a source of intrigue, writes Dan MacCarthy. Someone gazes out from the mainland wondering: “What is out there?”

The rise in Star Wars-related interest in Kerry’s Skellig Coast is prompting local tourism interests to widen the choice of attractions.

A boat was drifting north of the Skellig Michael world Heritage site and its sister island, with passengers on board — just six days after an inspector from the Department of the Marine warned the skipper it was unseaworthy, a court heard.

Visitor numbers to Skellig Michael, the precipitous monastic island off the coast of Kerry which closed for the season yesterday, were up this year on the back of the success of Star Wars.

A trip to the Skelligs is like dipping into a history book. It’s a pilgrimage. How apt, writes Margaret Hickey

Prosecutions have been taken on behalf of the minister for transport, tourism and sport against three boatmen, alleged to have breached passenger boat regulations near the Skelligs in Kerry.

Imagine getting an escort from dolphins on a boat ride to one of the most beautiful places in the world.

As Game of Thrones returns to our screens, Vicki Notaro goes on a cinematic tour of Ireland, taking in everything from Harry Potter to Star Wars.

As Game of Thrones returns to our screens, Vicki Notaro goes on a cinematic tour of Ireland, taking in everything from Harry Potter to Star Wars.

The people of Kerry are used to welcoming celebrities and yesterday was no exception when the new Top Gear team yesterday arrived for the weekend to film part of the BBC motoring show along the southwest coast.

SO, it finally comes down to a toss-up of a coin as to whether Ireland’s decision to allow filming of an episode of Star Wars on Skellig Michael, the remote Christian hermitage off the Kerry coast, was naive or visionary.

As the ‘Star Wars’ film crew returns to Skellig Michael on Monday, Liam Quinn agrues that the claims the Unesco World Heritage Site will be damaged simply don’t stand up.

A number of passengers became violently ill on a small passenger boat which “rolled heavily” on a rough voyage to Skellig Michael, the Unesco World Heritage site, so much so that a complaint was lodged with the Department of Transport, a court in Kerry was told yesterday.

A leading global travel guide has named Kerry as the second best destination in Europe for family holidays, trailing Kent in England.

The Office of Public Works has confirmed that it will allow extra sailings for tourists to Skellig Michael after the famous island plays host to a Star Wars film shoot next week.

It looks like Skellig Wars: Episode 1 is on the horizon.

Part of the new Star Wars movie will be filmed on the Skelligs in Co Kerry.

VENTRY/ST COLMAN’S WALK, CO KERRY

From a magic hill, to a musical bridge, why not try some sights off the beaten track, says Jonathan deBurca Butler

IF YOU’RE heading down to the Lakes of Killarney in the next week or so you may encounter a large group of walkers out around the shores.

The naval vessel the LE Aisling has detained a British-registered fishing vessel for an alleged breach of fishing regulations.

A CYNIC might suspect that birder and photographer Ronan McLaughlin this month choked Cuskinny Marsh of its oxygen — and consequently its marine life — as a stunt for the upcoming launch of his calendar collection of exquisite wildlife photography, and to make his images all the rarer, as he has tracked the months and the seasons on this widely-sung and justly-appreciated marsh beauty spot.

THERE’S something special about landing on an island, whether you arrive by causeway or by bridge, by air, by ferry or other boat, by swimming, or swing by an island via a cable-car — and you’ve all those choices on offer for Ireland’s hundreds of islands.

SATURDAY

AT first glance, it seems a mad idea: take famous scenes from the world’s most iconic movies and ‘Dingle-ise’ them by recreating the magic moments in the heartland of west Kerry where the sea and scenery always have a starring role.

THE six winning photographs in a competition to show off some of the country’s most stunning coastlines will be put on display across the country.

SCHOOL’S out this week for half a million Irish national school pupils — but those days ended some time ago for Waterville’s old NS, which has been on holliers since.

JACK O’CONNOR’S back was up against the wall yesterday.

ISLAND literature has a proud history in Ireland, and these three books are a fine contribution to the canon.

Efforts to bring majestic birds of prey back to Irish skies have been dealt a massive blow after eagles and kites were killed in a spate of poisonings, it emerged tonight.

The waters around these islands are warming and that is having an impact on some seabird populations. Richard Collins looks at the long-term consequences.

WHEN the sun shines you could be looking on the Greek islands and the Aegean, and even when Irish skies are overcast there’s something magical about Slea Head and the Blasket Islands.

TWO of the 15 white-tailed eagles recently released in Killarney National Park have made their way to the Atlantic coastline.