Skellig
"Magic that takes you out, far out, of this time and this world."
George Bernard Shaw, speaking of the Skelligs after visiting in 1910.
Today's booming property prices, quickening pace of life and the rat race can sometimes send us scampering for a bit of solitude. This retreat to quiet places is, however, not something unique to the modern world. Early Christian monks equated isolation with proximity to God, or if they did not, they certainly believed that union with God could be enhanced through withdrawal to harsh and isolated regions. And there are few places in Ireland more isolated than Skellig Rock.
Skellig Michael lies off the westernmost tip of the Iveragh Peninsula, Co.Kerry. Between the 6th and 8th centuries the island became a place of refuge from the world for a small settlement of ascetic monks.
Filmmaker Leonard Sheil has made a haunting 30 minute film about what is now a UNESCO World heritage Site. "I visited the island not only to explore the island's distant but also it's recent past," explains Leonard. "This is not an historical account, but a visual diary, with chapters to denote plausible manifestations. Skellig remains aloof, a mystery, majestic but it is, above all, sublime!"
Accompanied by a Martyn Taig score the film evokes a sense of wonder for Skellig, a place that is in turn serene and severe. The film, which screened as part of last year's Kerry Film Festival is now available from selected retailers throughout Kerry including Pages Bookstore, Killarney; The Dingle Bookshop and The Writers' Museum, Listowel.
For more information on the film, or to check out a two minute excerpt, please visit www.light-keepers.net
Those of a more adventurous nature should take a day trip to Skellig. The haunting peaks of Skellig have been home to a variety of colorful characters since Duach, King of West Munster, took refuge there in the year 490 when he was hunted off the mainland by Aengus, King of Carhel. From the monastic settlements of the sixth century, through subsequent Viking invasions, to the building of the lighthouse in the 1820’s there's hardly a corner of earth that crams more history into a more beautifully isolated place.
To book a trip to the Skellig please contact Brendan Casey on 066 947 2437 or log onto www.skelligsislands.com for more information. Trips cost 40 euro and are worth every penny. Boats sail daily, weather permitting, during the summer months from Portmagee pier at 10:30 am but because of heavy demand it’s advisable to book well in advance. And for those that find the day trip and 600 step hike to the top of the island a tiring experience there’s Moorings Guest House and Bridge Bar in Portmagee for a refreshing pint of Guinness. Please call 066 947 7108 or log onto www.moorings.ie for more information.
George Bernard Shaw, speaking of the Skelligs after visiting in 1910.
Today's booming property prices, quickening pace of life and the rat race can sometimes send us scampering for a bit of solitude. This retreat to quiet places is, however, not something unique to the modern world. Early Christian monks equated isolation with proximity to God, or if they did not, they certainly believed that union with God could be enhanced through withdrawal to harsh and isolated regions. And there are few places in Ireland more isolated than Skellig Rock.
Skellig Michael lies off the westernmost tip of the Iveragh Peninsula, Co.Kerry. Between the 6th and 8th centuries the island became a place of refuge from the world for a small settlement of ascetic monks.
Filmmaker Leonard Sheil has made a haunting 30 minute film about what is now a UNESCO World heritage Site. "I visited the island not only to explore the island's distant but also it's recent past," explains Leonard. "This is not an historical account, but a visual diary, with chapters to denote plausible manifestations. Skellig remains aloof, a mystery, majestic but it is, above all, sublime!"
Accompanied by a Martyn Taig score the film evokes a sense of wonder for Skellig, a place that is in turn serene and severe. The film, which screened as part of last year's Kerry Film Festival is now available from selected retailers throughout Kerry including Pages Bookstore, Killarney; The Dingle Bookshop and The Writers' Museum, Listowel.
For more information on the film, or to check out a two minute excerpt, please visit www.light-keepers.net
Those of a more adventurous nature should take a day trip to Skellig. The haunting peaks of Skellig have been home to a variety of colorful characters since Duach, King of West Munster, took refuge there in the year 490 when he was hunted off the mainland by Aengus, King of Carhel. From the monastic settlements of the sixth century, through subsequent Viking invasions, to the building of the lighthouse in the 1820’s there's hardly a corner of earth that crams more history into a more beautifully isolated place.
To book a trip to the Skellig please contact Brendan Casey on 066 947 2437 or log onto www.skelligsislands.com for more information. Trips cost 40 euro and are worth every penny. Boats sail daily, weather permitting, during the summer months from Portmagee pier at 10:30 am but because of heavy demand it’s advisable to book well in advance. And for those that find the day trip and 600 step hike to the top of the island a tiring experience there’s Moorings Guest House and Bridge Bar in Portmagee for a refreshing pint of Guinness. Please call 066 947 7108 or log onto www.moorings.ie for more information.
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