Heritage sight - Skellig Michael under threat

MORE than 1,400 years ago the rocky outcrop of Skellig Michael in Kerry became home to a small group of men seeking religious solitude and isolation on one of the most extraordinary islands on earth.

It remained a monastic settlement until the 13th century when the monks finally left but it continues to fascinate pilgrims, historians, botanists and tourists. It was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1996 and in 2014 Hollywood stars landed there for a production of Star Wars.

But this national treasure is in danger as a significant rockfall has occurred on the island, the second since the winter of 2015/16 when rocks falling from its jagged slopes damaged the island’s lighthouse path and seaward wall.

For safety and conservation reasons, visitor numbers are limited to about 15,000 a year to the island but the Office of Public Works may need to reassess that figure as this national treasure is clearly at risk. Are we killing Skellig Michael with too much attention? We may have to do what the monks did: leave it to nature and worship it from afar.