Skelligs to get EU-protected status

THERE can be few more magnificent sights off the coast than the spectacle of the Skellig Rocks sitting serenely in the Atlantic on a clear, sunny day. But, of the two million tourists that come to the south-west each year, only a fraction ever go to the trouble of taking a ferry to these remote citadels.

A recent decision that the Skelligs are to be designated a Special Protection Area (SPA) — arising from an EU directive that seeks to establish a network of protected areas throughout Europe — will surely be widely welcomed.

Public notices have been published by the Department of the Environment stating that Ireland must take steps to protect these islands and prevent deterioration of the sites. It’s all about maintaining and restoring the habitats of species such as the whooperswan, peregrine falcon and Greenland white-fronted gees, as well as ensuring the sites of migratory species such as ducks, geese and waders are also safeguarded.

The site includes Skellig Michael and the Little Skellig islands, lying like twin pyramids about 12 kms from Valentia Island, Co Kerry.

Skellig Michael is also famous for its early Christian settlement and has a population of storm petrels, with some birds nesting in the stonework buildings once used by ancient monks.

Because of weather and rough sea conditions, the Skelligs are inaccessible for much of the year. People reach them mainly by local ferries in summertime and occasionally by helicopter. The fishing village of Portmagee, where a bridge connects Valentia with the mainland, is the main departure point for about 10 ferries which land people on Skellig Michael. As the morning mists lift off the rocks, you might get the impression that they are simply barren rocks but, on getting closer, you quickly realise they are teeming with life.

Archaeologists have a particular interest in Skellig Micheal with its well-preserved monastic buildings and the beehive huts which still keep the rain out. These buildings are the subject of ongoing maintenance and are close to the pinnacle of the rock, reached by 600 steps. Lightkeepers manned lighthouses on the rock since the early 19th century, but the only remaining lighthouse has been operating automatically since 1987.

In his classic work, Discovering Kerry, Tom Barrington wrote: “How beautiful it is here on the fine mild days: how terrifying in the wild.

Atlantic storms! One wave is recorded to have damaged the first of the lighthouses at 175 feet above sea level. One gets a sense of immediacy here with the early stages of Irish Christianity.’’

Little Skellig has been identified as being of international importance because of its huge colonies of gannets. Population estimates vary from 20,000 pairs upwards and it believed to be the second-largest seabird colony in the world. Visitors gaze for hours at the gannets which nest on the steep cliff faces. With a six-foot wingspan, the birds throw themselves into the air before taking flight. Some circle ferries, while others made a striking sight as they dive almost vertically into the sea to fish.

People do not land on Little Skellig, but they have been going onto Skellig Michael since St Fionan established a settlement there as early as the sixth century, it is believed.

Archaeologists generally agree that the design of the huts, oratories and other structures, at a height of more than 180 metres, supports this theory.

From the summit, there are breathtaking views as well as an atmosphere that words cannot describe — a truly special experience.

Standing in the settlement today, people find it hard to imagine how the monks survived on such a rocky, infertile outpost. Indeed, the construction of the 600 stone steps that lead to the top of the rock was a feat in itself. Skellig Michael has a history of pilgrimages dating from around 1300 and was known for centuries as a place of prayer and penance. Part of the folklore of the Skelligs is the story of an English soldier who went out on a ledge to mock devotions that were taking place. He slipped and was heard to cry out, as he fell 700 feet to the sea, “what a long way it is to fall!’’.

Pilgrimages ceased around 1850 and ever since, people visiting the island have been doing so largely as tourists, naturalists, archaeologists and employees of the Office of Public Works doing necessary restoration and maintenance. Some of the unusual permanent inhabitants include 13 species of animals with shells, nine different types of snail and four slugs.