Skellig Michael

Way back in April when we were starting to think about our trip we saw a picture in a book of some 'beehive' styled stone ruins on a remote island in the middle of nowhere. Our jaws dropped and we both said we have to go there!

Well, it turns out that this amazing place we saw a picture of was a UNESCO World Heritage listed site called Skellig Michael, accessible only by a nauseating, stomach-churning 45-minute boat trip off the coast of the Ring of Kerry.

We ummed and aahed about whether or not to go given it was a tad more expensive than our humble budget would comfortable allow, but we eventually decided that it’s not everyday you’re in a position to see such a remarkable place.

We set off in the morning and during the course of the boat trip the clouds burnt away and the day became sunny and glorious….rare for Ireland! As we putted along, the island gradually came into focus. What started off looking like a shard of glass poking out of the ocean revealed a steep, rocky and majestic island.

We disembarked from the boat and began our ascent to the top. Where in Australia, such an experience would have been preceded by an hour-long safety video and numerous disclaimer forms, here we were casually told to be careful as we negotiated the 618 ancient steps with no handrails where any slight slip or misstep would almost certainly lead to death as you fall down the sheer rock face.

Luckily, we didn’t have any such accidents and neither of us plunged to our deaths. We successfully scaled the 618 steps and were blown away by what we found at the top. They estimate that that the monastery was first inhabited by early Christian monks in AD600 as a way of separating themselves from the world, working hard, living simply, studying and praying, seeking to become more pure. 

It was quite astounding to imagine people not only surviving in such a remote setting, but thriving.

Again, it was one of those places that’s grandeur is hard to capture with words or photos. We feel so lucky that we were able to experience it.