Skellig Islands
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use Hiberno-English Template:Infobox islands The Skellig Islands (Template:Langx), historically "the Skellocks",<ref name = "Analecta">Template:Cite book</ref> are two small, steep, and rocky islands lying about Template:Convert west of Bolus Head off the Iveragh Peninsula in County Kerry, Ireland. The larger of the two is Skellig Michael (also known as Great Skellig), famous for an early Christian monastery that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Together with Little Skellig, they make up a Template:Convert Important Bird Area.<ref name=BirdLife>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Skellig MichaelEdit
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Also known as Great Skellig (Sceilig Mhichíl in Irish<ref>logainm.ie</ref>), this is the larger of the two islands, with two peaks rising to over Template:Convert above sea level. With a sixth-century Christian monastery perched at Template:Convert above sea level on a ledge close to the top of the lower peak, Great Skellig is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Birdwatch Ireland were concerned that the Irish government allowed filming on a seabird sanctuary without third party consent. During the 2014 nesting season, black-legged kittiwake chicks in nests were swept into the sea by the downdraught from a helicopter and devoured by gulls.<ref>Star Wars: Habitats directive ‘breached’ on Skellig Michael, The Irish Times, 17 December 2015</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Little SkelligEdit
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} The smaller of the two islands is Little Skellig (Sceilig Bheag in Irish).<ref>logainm.ie</ref> ({{#if:V268618|[[Ordnance Survey National Grid|{{#if:Template:Yesno|Grid|grid}} reference]] {{#invoke:Ordnance Survey coordinates|oscoord|V268618_region:GB_scale:25000|V268618|name=}}}}) It is Ireland's largest northern gannet (Morus bassanus) colony with almost 30,000 pairs, and is closed to the public. It is also one of the world's largest northern gannet colonies, and is of international importance.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The island's highest point is Template:Convert above sea level and is located approximately Template:Convert east-northeast of the island of Skellig Michael.
WildlifeEdit
Both of the Skellig islands are known for their seabird colonies, and together compose one of the most important seabird sites in Ireland, both for the population size and for the species diversity. The islands have been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because they support breeding populations of several species of seabirds.<ref name=bli>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Among the breeding birds are European storm petrel, northern gannet, northern fulmar, Manx shearwater, black-legged kittiwake, common guillemot, razorbill and Atlantic puffin (with 4,000 or more puffins on Great Skellig alone). Red-billed choughs and peregrine falcons can also be seen.<ref>Template:Natura 2000</ref>
The surrounding waters have abundant wildlife with many Grey seals. Basking sharks, minke whales, dolphins (Delphinidae), beaked whales and leatherback sea turtles have also been recorded. The islands have many interesting recreational diving sites due to the clear water, an abundance of life, and underwater cliffs down to 60 m (200 feet).
In popular cultureEdit
The final scene of Star Wars: The Force Awakens was shot on Skellig in July 2015, with additional filming taking place there in September 2015 for The Last Jedi, the following film in the series. The remains of the Skellig Michael monastery appear in the film, representing an ancient Jedi temple.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Earlier, the Skellig Islands served as a location in the Werner Herzog 1976 movie Heart of Glass, where the islands feature in one of the prophecies by the seer Hias.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Certain scenes from the 2012 movie Byzantium were also filmed here.<ref>Template:Citation</ref>
In the Witcher fantasy literature series and its related video games, 'Skellige' is an archipelago visited by protagonist Geralt of Rivia.<ref>Template:Citation</ref> In the video game The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, the inhabitants of the islands can be heard speaking with an Irish accent.<ref>Template:Citation</ref>
GalleryEdit
- Skellig Michael03(js).jpg
Skellig Michael
- ISLA DE SKELLIG - panoramio.jpg
Little Skellig
- SkelligIslands.JPG
The islands seen from the mainland
- Skellig hives.jpg
Beehive style huts on Skellig Michael
- Gannets on Little Skellig.jpg
Northern gannet colony on Little Skellig