At 6:45am Bill Sweeney, Claudia Wagner and myself set out from Midleton for Portmagee in County Kerry and hence to Skellig Michael. My fourth visit, Claudia's second and Bill's first.
I had booked our place on the boat the previous day by phoning Skipper Pat Murphy at 087 2342168. It is very important that prospective visitors to the island phone one of the several boatmen a day or so beforehand. Showing up on the day without having booked may result in disappointment, especially in high season. The fare is €40. Boats leave for the island around 10:15am.
The weather today was glorious: warm and bright sunshine with hardly a cloud in the sky. The sea crossing - it takes the best part of an hour - was reasonably calm but even on the best of days it is advisable to bring a waterproof jacket as there will invariably be some spray falling on the boat. Passengers sit in an open deck. There is some cabin space available but it can only accommodate a few people.
Time allowed on the island is about 2.5 hours and that is more than sufficient. Once you disembark you follow the concrete path which leads to the stone steps that take you to the top of the rock and the remains of the ancient monastic settlement. As mentioned in my previous Skellig post you need to be reasonably fit to tackle the sharp climb.
Last year a man died when he fell from a dangerous section of the steps. The authorities have since installed a chain anchored to the rock across this section (see photo 2nd from bottom). It is unobtrusive and does not detract from the character of the place. There had been calls last year for a railing to be installed all the way to the top of the steps. Thankfully, that has not happened.
We had hoped to see Puffins nesting but we could only spot one or two in flight. Too early. Another few weeks and they should be plentiful.
Again today most of the visitors were foreign - British, German, French, American - with only a minority of Irish and in my experience this is typical. Which is a shame. Skellig Michael is a unique place and one that many more Irish people should make an effort to visit.
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