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DELAYS IN ISSUING of landing permits on Skellig Michael for the upcoming summer season could lead to a “lasting damage” to tourism in the area.
James Murphy, Chairperson of the Skellig Coast Tourism Network (SCTN), said they “urgently” need the government to issue the permits, as it would put businesses and the community at “serious risk.”
“The failure to confirm permits for the 2025 season risks serious and lasting damage to businesses, livelihoods, and Ireland’s reputation as a world-class tourism destination,” he added.
The Office of Public Works (OPW) has said that a legal issue related to the permits is ongoing.
“This competition is now subject to legal proceedings and as such the Office of Public Works cannot comment,” the agency said.
The island was scheduled to open 10 May, but the operators remain without the necessary permits.
Skellig Michael is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with early Christian monastic foundations dating to the seventh century. It is located about 12 km south off the coast of Bolus Head in County Kerry. The island also featured in the recent Star Wars trilogy.
To visit the island, landing permits are issued to boats to bring visitors to Skellig. In previous years, the landing permits were limited to 15 operators that could bring a maximum of 180 visitors to the island daily.
SCTN, which represents 120 tourism businesses across south Kerry, said there has been no “clarity” for the 2025 season, which has lead to “widespread alarm” amoung businesses and visitors.
The organisation warned that the delays could lead to disruption in the bookings to visit the island, financial damage to businesses in the region, and “reputational harm” to Ireland in the global tourism market.
Paul Devane, Owner of Skellig Michael Cruises, one of the 15 operators, said it would be “detrimental” for the area if they were not permitted to bring people to the island.
“It’s big for the local economy, lots of businesses are dependent [on the boats].”
He also said that even without the landing permits, they can take people in ferries to see the island, but they cannot land to allow people to walk on the island.
Making the journey to the island by boat is a weather dependent activity. Devane said there’s an average of 90 days a year that the boats can bring visitors to the island.
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We had a citizens assembly not to long back on biodiversity.
One of the results of this was that lights are destroying the insect world with specifics to the nocturnal ones.
Within a couple of days of this finding, a well known advertisement company went and erected giant gawdy tv screens on the sides of Dublin roads, you can see these things for miles at night, all to advertise the latest trainer or motor vehicle with no concern what-so-ever about the impact these things and similar are causing.
And if that wasn’t bad enough, I heard yesterday that our wonderful government just green lighted roundup for another 10 years, a known toxic carcinogen, and a known exterminator of microbes in the soil !!!
A government Actively CONSPIRING nature!!!
@David: “conspiring against nature”
@David: that was an EU decision on roundup. Only our Green MEPs objected but that wasn’t enough.
@eoin fitzpatrick: Our Greens in government are compliant with that EU decision.
@ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere: Blaming the Greens in particular, as some are doing, is completely irrational. They are a small minority.
@eoin fitzpatrick: Yes, correct, but I expect our government to protect our land.
And, yes in fairness, the greens did the right thing on this occasion.
@Brendan O’Brien: I wasn’t blaming the green’s, for clarity.
We are also at a point where animals should not be allowed to apply for parol after 12 years in prison for heinous crimes. This country is gone so far done the wrong road it’s scary.
Beautiful photos – the fox is a creature of beauty.
@Pat the Baker: how the lads on horses fox hunting with packs of dogs do what they do and get a kick out of it is beyond me.
“back to a state where we’re a part of nature again”
Nice platitude.
Anyone know what it means?
@Tommy Haze: living more harmoniously with nature instead of destroying everything around us maybe?
@Tommy Haze: I don’t think nature wants us back.
@Tommy Haze: Is it too much to ask that you use a little imagination?
@Tommy Haze: Hopefully we’re turning the corner on the lies of Christianity and realising that all we really understand is what is around us.
@Tommy Haze: Homeostasis.
Leo throwing a special party in Maynooth, grab the 6 packs, this one is gonna be off the hook…
What if Pagan beliefs had the time and space to evolve? Would we be as quick to write off ‘this world’ over the imagined better one.
@Thesaltyurchin: interesting. Christian thinking on nature is based on having domination over it. What a ruinous philosophy.
That was a quick read,felt a bit like a tikok video and waiting for part 2.
Put that shower we have in power out to pasture so they can be one with nature may aswel a much use as falling leaves from a tree
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