Reopening of Skellig Michael postponed again due to poor weather
Skellig Michael: File Picture: Stephen Power/Alamy Live News
The reopening of Unesco World Heritage Site Skellig Michael of the Kerry coast has been deferred.
The island had been due to welcome visitors back on June 21, but the Office of Public Works (OPW) has confirmed that this date has now had to be pushed back.
The OPW said that important preparatory safety works, and special preparations to deal with Covid-19, would have had to be completed in order for original reopening to proceed.
Unfortunately, recent poor weather and sea conditions off the south west coast had meant that these works couldn't "progress in a timely manner prior to opening."
The island is now scheduled to open to visitors on Thursday, July 1.
In Kerry, there had been growing pressure for the island to reopen to tourists, given it remained closed for all of last year.
Many businesses in South Kerry and the Iveragh Peninsula depend heavily on the influx of tourists attracted by Skellig Michael and other attractions in the area.
Upwards of 11,000 people visit the island each year, which is situated 12km off the Kerry coast.
For those who can't get to the island itself, boat trips around it, and the smaller Little Skellig island, are also very popular, with thousands of these trips taking place annually.
A former monastic island and nature reserve, Skelling Michael was propelled onto the international stage with the release of the film in 2015.
In the film, the island plays home to an aged Luke Skywalker, the hero of the original trilogy.
The island features even more heavily in the sequel to that film, Star Wars: The Last Jedi in 2017, with several key scenes taking place there.
