Skellig Michael
Skellig Michael, also called Great Skellig, is a twin-pinnacled crag west of the Iveragh Peninsula in County Kerry, Ireland. The island is named after the archangel Michael; while "Skellig" is derived from the Irish language word sceilig, meaning a splinter of stone. Its twin island, Little Skellig, is smaller and inaccessible. The two islands were formed c. 374–360 million years ago during a period of mountain formation, along with the local MacGillycuddy's Reeks mountain range. They were later separated from the mainland by rising water levels.
Skellig Michael consists of approximately of rock, with its highest point, known as the Spit, above sea level. Defined by twin peaks and a central valley called Christ’s Saddle, the island has a steep and inhospitable landscape. It is best known for its Gaelic monastery, founded between the 6th and 8th centuries, and its variety of inhabiting species, which include gannets, puffins, a colony of razorbills and a population of approximately fifty grey seals.
The island is of special interest to archaeologists, as the monastic settlement is in unusually good condition. The monastery on the northern peak is situated at an elevation of, Christ's Saddle at, and the flagstaff area are above sea level. The monastery can be approached by narrow and steep flights of stone steps which ascend from three landing points. The hermitage on the south peak is only accessible via a dangerous approach, and is largely closed to the public. Because of the often difficult crossing from the mainland and the exposed nature of the landing spots, the island is accessible only during the summer months. UNESCO designated Skellig Michael a World Heritage Site in 1996.
Etymology
The word "Skellig" derives from the old Irish word sceillec, which translates as "small or steep area of rock". The word is unusual in Irish placenames and appears only in a few other instances, including Bunskellig, County Cork, and the Temple-na-Skellig church in Glendalough, County Wicklow. It may be of Old Norse origin, from the word skellingar. An early but rarely used alternative Irish name for the island is Glascarraig.The first known reference to the Skelligs appears in the Irish annals; a retelling of a shipwreck occurring around 1400 BC, said to have been caused by the Tuatha Dé Danann, a supernatural race in Irish mythology. According to legend, Irr, son of Míl Espáine, was travelling from the Iberian Peninsula, but drowned and was buried on the island. Daire Domhain is said to have stayed there c. 200 AD before attacking Fionn mac Cumhaill's army in nearby Ventry. A text from the 8th or 9th century records that Duagh, King of West Munster, fled to "Scellecc" after a feud with the Kings of Cashel sometime in the 5th century, although the historicity of the event has not been established. Other early mentions include in the narrative prose of the Lebor Gabála Érenn and Cath Finntrágha, as well the medieval Martyrology of Tallaght.
Geography
Skellig Michael is a steep pyramidal rugged rock of on the Atlantic coast off the Iveragh peninsula of County Kerry. It is west north-west of Bolus Head, at the southern end of Saint Finian's Bay. Its twin island, Little Skellig, is a mile closer to land and far more inhospitable because of its sheer cliff faces. The small Lemon Rock island is further inland. The nearby Puffin Island is another seabird colony. The Skelligs, along with some of the Blasket Islands, constitute the most westerly part of both Ireland and Europe excluding Iceland.The island is defined by its two peaks: the north-east summit where the monastery is built, and the south-west point containing the hermitage. These elevations reside on either side of a depression colloquially known as Christ's Saddle.
Geology
The islands are composed of Old Red Sandstone and compressed slate, and were formed between 360 and 374 million years ago, as part of the rising of the MacGillycuddy's Reeks and Caha Mountains mountains ranges. This occurred during the Devonian period when Ireland was part of a larger continental landmass and located south of the equator. The region's topography of peaks and valleys are characterised by steep ridges formed during the Hercynian period of folding and mountain formation some 300 million years ago. When the Atlantic ocean level rose, it created deep marine inlets such as Bantry Bay and left the Skelligs detached from the mainland. The rock is highly compressed and contains numerous fracture lines and joints. As a result of erosion along a major north–south-trending fault line containing bedrock much more brittle than that on surrounding areas, a large part of the rock broke away, resulting in Christ's Saddle, the depression between the peaks. The island's rock is deeply eroded through exposure to wind and water.The Wailing Woman rock lies in the centre of the island, on the ascent before the Christ's Saddle ridge, above sea level, on of grassland. It is the only flat and fertile part of the island, and thus contains traces of medieval crop farming. The path from the Saddle to the summit is known as the Way of the Christ, a nomenclature that reflects the danger presented to climbers. Notable features on this stretch include the Needle's Eye peak, a stone chimney above sea level, and a series of 14 stone crosses with names such as the "Rock of the Women's piercing caoine", further references to the harsh climb. Further up is the Stone of Pain area, including the station known as the Spit, a long and narrow fragment of rock approached by steps. The ruin of the medieval church is lower and approached before the older monastery.
Coves
The island's three main coves are Blind Man's Cove to the east, Cross Cove to the south and Blue Cove to the north. Each can be used as access points from the sea. All three have steps carved into the rock from their landing point to above sea level. The main landing cove is on the recesses of the eastern side; known as Blind Man's Cove, it is exposed to sea swells and high waves, making approach difficult outside the summer months. The bay's pier is positioned under a sheer cliff face, populated by large numbers of birds. It was built in 1826 from an area known as the Flagstaff and leads to a small stairway leading to the now disused lighthouse. The steps divide into two staircases, the earliest and largely abandoned path leading directly to the monastery.Blue Cove is the most difficult landing point and is only approachable on an average of 20 days per year. Noting the inaccessibility of the island, writer Des Lavelle observes that "the fact that the monks of old undertook the giant task of constructing a stairway to this bleak cove is a good argument that the weather conditions then were far better than now."
Ecology
Skellig Michael is lined by exposed sea cliffs and three bays. Its inland is mostly of thin soil on steep ground, with patches of vegetation which are, however, exposed to sea spray. Nonetheless, it has an ecology far more diverse than on the mainland; as an island, it provides sanctuary to wide varieties of flora and fauna, many of which are unusual to Ireland. It contains a large range of seabirds, now protected by the island's status as a nature reserve owned by the state. The Skellig Islands were classified as a Special Protection Area in 1986 when they were recognised for containing an unusually large variety and population of birds.The island hosts eyries for peregrine falcons. Other birds of interest include fulmars, Manx shearwaters, storm petrels, gannets, kittiwakes, guillemots and Atlantic puffins. A herd of goats lived on the island until recently, and it supports a population of rabbits and house mice, both relatively recent introductions, probably introduced in the 19th century by lighthouse attendants. Grey seals haul out on the island's ledges.
History
Monastic
Monks of the Celtic Christian tradition founded a monastery on Skellig Michael sometime between the 6th and 8th centuries. Like many early Christian sites in Kerry, it is said to have been founded by Saint Fionán in the early 6th century, though this is doubted by historians. Many of the islands off the south-west coast of Ireland have early Christian monasteries; the region was favoured because of its isolation and the abundance of rock for building. There is a concentration of monasteries off the Iveragh and Dingle peninsulas.The first definite reference to monastic activity on the island is a record of the death of "Suibhini of Skelig" dating from the 8th century. The Annals of the Four Masters detail events at the Skelligs between the 9th and 11th centuries. The annals record a Viking attack in 823, when "Skellig was plundered by the heathen and Eitgal was carried off and he died of hunger". The Vikings again attacked in 838, sacking churches at Skellig, Kenmare, and Innisfallen Island. The Augustinian abbey in Ballinskelligs was founded in 950, the same year that Blathmhac of Sceilic died. Finally, the annals mention the death of Aedh of Scelic-Mhichíl in 1040.
It has been estimated that no more than twelve monks and an abbot lived at the monastery at any one time. It was continuously occupied until the late 12th or early 13th century and remained a site for pilgrimage through to the modern era. The diet of the island monks was somewhat different from that of those on the mainland. With less arable land available to grow grain, vegetable gardens were an important part of monastic life. Of necessity, fish and the meat and eggs of birds nesting on the islands were staples. Theories for the site's abandonment include that the climate around Skellig Michael became colder and more prone to storms, Viking raids, and changes to the structure of the Irish Church. Probably a combination of these factors prompted the community to abandon the island and move to the abbey in Ballinskelligs.
The site had been dedicated to Saint Michael the Archangel by at least 1044. However, this dedication may have occurred as early as 950, around which time a new church was added to the monastery and named Saint Michael's Church. The island may have been dedicated to Saint Michael, the legendary slayer of serpents, based on a link to Saint Patrick. A 13th-century German source claims that Skellig was the location of the last battle between Patrick and the venomous snakes that plagued Ireland.
Skellig Michael was a regular destination for pilgrims by the early 16th century.