Skellig Michael will not reopen to visitors due to legal challenge by boat operators

Iconic 'Star Wars' location and Unesco World Heritage Site cannot open for the 2025 season as three boat operators whose permits were not renewed have taken a legal challenge

Boats from Portmagee, Derrynane, Ballinskelligs, and Valentia bring a maximum of 180 visitors a day to Skellig Michael. Picture Dan Linehan

Skellig Michael, where some of the most iconic scenes of the recent Star Wars movies were filmed, will not reopen as scheduled this weekend because of a legal challenge by three boat operators whose permits were not renewed.

The Office of Public Works (OPW), which manages the Unesco World Heritage Site island also known as Sceilg Mhicíl, said it sought to issue permits for 2025 despite an initial legal challenge, but there has been a further legal challenge this week.

Guides have been specifically trained for the opening of the island along with maintenance and conservation crews and the OPW is “acutely aware of the importance of the island to south Kerry”, it said.

Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) in a scene shot on Skellig Michael from 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi', one of two films in the franchise that used the Kerry island as a shooting location. Picture: Jonathan Olley/Lucasfilm

The delay is leading to fears that the south Kerry area will lose millions of euro in business this season. There have been calls for temporary permits to be issued to boat operators including to those who were unsuccessful.

Villages claim they will be down hundreds of visitors this weekend alone because of cancellations.

The Skellig Michael landing season — with boats from Portmagee, Derrynane, Ballinskelligs, and Valentia — operates between May and the third week of September each year. A maximum of 180 visitors a day is allowed land on the seventh century monastic island 11.5km off the Kerry coast.

Skellig Michael boat permits for bringing passengers take into account sea vessel safety and restrictions on numbers visiting, as well as the unique and very challenging landing conditions on the fragile island which is both a heritage site and a special conservation area for birds.

As well as being the location of a monastic settlement founded some 1,400 years ago, Skellig Michael off the coast of Co Kerry in Ireland is a special area of conservation for birds including Atlantic Puffins. The island is also a statutory nature reserve and forms part of Páirc Náisiúnta na Mara, Ciarraí. Picture: Valerie O'Sullivan

Some 15 boat landing permits are normally offered for five-year terms, to be renewed annually under a public tendering system.

However, three operators whose permits were not renewed for 2025 have now taken a judicial review. Three other operators were selected but none of the approved 15 permits have been issued.

Mark Conway, who runs the shop and post office in Portmagee, said south Kerry would expect to see 250 people arriving in the area on Saturday.

The 180 people booked to visit the island would be accompanied by people who would wish to visit Valentia and other attractions, Mr Conway said.

It’s a blow to south Kerry. All of south Kerry including Killarney is affected.

Bookings in B&Bs have been cancelled and pubs, restaurants, and coffee shops as well as shops were suffering, he claimed.

Ideal weather conditions this weekend would compensate for later in the season when boats would not be able to run but those days are now lost completely, Mr Magee said.

Rows over the awarding of permits to land on the Skellig have led to at least three legal actions in the past decade.

Local TD and Fianna Fáil spokesman for tourism, Michael Cahill, has called for “common sense to prevail” and allow the existing licensees plus the newly-appointed three to operate as normal for the season, “even if judicial reviews are pending”.

Andrea Paolucci and Giorgia Gallerani square off in Star Wars costumes at St Finian's Bay, Ballinskelligs, Co Kerry, with Skellig Michael and Skellig Beag in the distance. While access to the island itself is carefully limited, many tourists come just to see the island from villages and beaches along the coast. Picture: Valerie O'Sullivan

Permits could be issued allowing 18 boat operators this year with a reduction to 10 passengers per boat instead of the normal 12, he suggested.

In a statement, the OPW said it had sought to issue permits. 

“The OPW has lodged a motion before the High Court seeking permission to issue Sceilg Mhichíl boat operator permits for Summer 2025 to the successful applicants in a recent competition. 

"This follows a high court challenge from unsuccessful participants in the open competition to operate the boat licences.

“The OPW ran a competition in late 2024 to award 15 permits for summer 2025 and onwards. The number of permits is limited to protect the fragile ecosystem of Sceilg Mhicíl.

“In April 2025, two unsuccessful participants in the competition brought High Court proceedings challenging the outcome of the competition. 

"Under Irish and EU law, this means that the OPW is precluded from issuing permits for summer 2025, until the proceedings are resolved (or unless the court gives permission to issue permits).”