Twelve kilometres off the Kerry coast, a twin-peaked pyramid of rock rises 218 metres from the Atlantic. On its shoulder, early Christian monks built six drystone beehive huts and two oratories reached by 600 hand-cut steps, seeking the most extreme solitude in Christendom. The island is the northwestern terminus of the 'Sword of St Michael' — a chain of seven Michael sanctuaries stretching in a rough line to the Levant.
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Notable facts
- Monks lived here for ~600 years on seabirds, fish and rainwater gardens.
- The 'Sword of Michael' line continues: St Michael's Mount, Mont-Saint-Michel, Sacra di San Michele, Monte Sant'Angelo, Symi and Mount Carmel — with the Apollo sanctuary of Delphi near its Greek stretch.
- Its remoteness made it a Star Wars filming location — Luke Skywalker's retreat.
Through the theories
How each theory reads Skellig Michael. Follow a theory to see its verdict and every other site it claims.
Ley LinesMostly chance
Starting point of the Apollo–Michael great-circle alignment, the continental-scale cousin of England's Michael line.
