Preparations are being made for the Star Wars production to return to Skellig Michael for filming.
The cast and crew of the new Star Wars movie have arrived in County Kerry to film on Skellig Michael. They are due to begin shooting scenes on the rock tomorrow, weather permitting, after filming was postponed today.
It's not difficult to see why the makers of a movie about another galaxy would pick a place that's out of this world, like Skellig Michael.
Skellig Michael will feature in the opening scenes of the next instalment of one of the most successful film franchises of all time. The rock is a national monument and a world heritage site. Bird life on the island is protected under the habitats directive. The first monks settled on the Skellig Islands as early as the sixth century.
Disney Lucas Film have been granted permission to return to Skellig Michael to film the opening for the eighth instalment of Star Wars. Filming had also taken place the previous year. While local reaction was generally positive, others raised concerns about the environmental impact of a film crew arriving on the rock.
John Sheehan, Senior Archaeology Lecturer at University College Cork (UCC), believes that the granting of permission to film on Skellig Michael may have an impact on a UNESCO decision over other heritage sites in Ireland.
Noel Spillane, CEO of South Kerry Development Partnership, believes that the film will showcase the region as a tourism destination.
Thousands of people visit Skellig Michael every year but public access will be closed throughout the filming for Star Wars.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 14 September 2015. The reporter is Paschal Sheehy.
