Virtually Around Ireland: DAY 15: Castletownbere to Reencaheragh

Leaving Island View Bed and Breakfast, Castletownbere, Cork.

Ballaghboy, Cork.

Heading to one of the few places from which you can can reach Skellig Michael.

The cows know there's a stranger in town.

That's Dursey Island up ahead.

Place of the Last Light Ceremony, Ballaghboy, Cork.

The small dog in the courtyard knows there's a stranger in town too.

Ballaghboy, looking back along the coastline.

Ballaghboy and the closest I could get to Dursey Island. Although there's a road and houses on
the island, I can't reach the pier and Street View hasn't travelled there.

Ballydonegan Lower, Cork, looking back over the road I've travelled.

Trying to see the Skelligs.

The small village of Kenmare, Kerry.

Breathless in Kenmare.

Now passing through Ballyskellig, Kerry, looking to for Skelling Michael tour.

Ballyskellig pier. There are no roads on Skelling Michael of Little Skelling, but I can't get this
far and not take a closer look, so I'm trying out Google Earth.

Little Skellig on the left, Skellig Michael on the right. It rises to 134 metres above sea level,
and is best known as the site of Ireland's largest gannet colony, with 22,500 pairs in 1993.
The island has been a nature reserve, managed by BirdWatch Ireland, for many years.

Michael looms int he distance. It is the larger of the two Skellig Islands. After probably
being founded in the 7th century, for 600 years the island was a centre of monastic life
for Irish Christian monks. The Gaelic monastery, which is situated almost at the summit
of the 230-metre-high rock became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.
It is one of Europe's better known but least accessible monasteries.

Since the extreme remoteness of Skellig Michael has until recently discouraged visitors,
the site is exceptionally well preserved. The very spartan conditions inside the monastery
illustrate the ascetic lifestyle practiced by early Irish Christians. The monks lived in
stone 'beehive' huts (clochans), perched above nearly vertical cliff walls.

In Irish Celtic mythology Skellig Michael is said to be the burial grounds of Ir, one of the sons
of Miled who perished at the hands of the Tuatha De Danaan during the 'Coming of the Gael'.
Ir's son, Eimhir, would inherit the province of Ulster after the battle of Tailltin.
Notable Irish heroes such as Fergus, son of Rogh (The high king of Ulster prior to Conchubar
MacNessa and teacher of Cuchulain) and Conall Cearnach of the Red Branch belonged
to the line of Ir.

Along with its smaller neighbor, Little Skellig, Great Skellig is an important nature reserve.
Between them the Skelligs hold nationally important populations of a number of seabirds,
including Gannet, Fulmar, Kittiwake, Razorbill, Common Guillemot and Atlantic Puffin.
Storm Petrels and Manx Shearwaters also nest in large numbers.

You can see the imprints of some of the bee hive huts.

Looking down from the peak.

The mainland in the distance.

Going back down a steeper face.

One last look.

Bolus, Kerry.

Ducilla, Kerry, and some old ruins of precious inhabitants.

Allagheemore's view of the Skelligs. I hadn't expected them to be so visible!

The crew of an American Navy Aircraft flew to their deaths at Skellig Rock, off the coast of
south-west Ireland, on the night of 27 February 1944.
'The glow from the altimeter indicated 700'. The depth charges and flares were ready.
It was 01.02 hours and visibility was still poor' One minute later the aircraft struck the
highest point of Skellig Michael.