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PA Wire

Tourism Ireland hopes this video will send Star Wars fans flocking to Skellig Michael

“We were just blown away by it, it’s an extraordinary place.”

TOURISM IRELAND HAS launched a video it hopes will lead to Star Wars fans visiting Skellig Michael.

The island off the coast of Kerry has received a lot of attention after a scene from Star Wars: The Force Awakens was shot there last year. It will also feature in the next film in the series.

The new video shows director JJ Abrams and other crew members discussing why they chose Skellig Michael as a location.

Martin Joy, the film’s supervising location manager, said they needed to film in a place “from another time and place”.

We were just blown away by (Skellig Michael), it’s an extraordinary place. It certainly fed into our Star Wars universe.

Tommy Harper, executive producer, added: “I remember when we all flew in, it was special and we knew it.”

discoverireland / YouTube

Tourism Ireland plans to share the video in 14 markets: Britain, the United States, Canada, Germany France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, the Nordic region, Australia, New Zealand, India, the Gulf Cooperation Council and South Africa.

Tourism Minister Paschal Donohoe said: “The fact that Skellig Michael features in all its glory brings the dramatic scenery of Co Kerry and the broader Wild Atlantic Way to an audience of potentially hundreds of millions of people.

By the end of November 2015, we had surpassed our best ever year on record for the number of overseas visitors. We are determined to build on that.

The total annual earnings of the Irish tourism industry exceeded €7 billion for the first time last year.

Concerns

There was some controversy surrounding filming on the island, which is a Unesco world heritage site.

The Office of Public Works and the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht have been keen to emphasise that no substantial damage was caused to the island.

Following the filming, some routine maintenance work was carried out by on-site staff.

Read: Skellig Michael’s obscurity is about to end ‘in a blaze of silver-screen glory’

Read: Did the Star Wars filming actually cause any damage to Skellig Michael?

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32 Comments
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    Mute Neil Jackman
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    Jan 4th 2016, 12:41 PM

    Skellig Michael is without doubt one of the most incredible places you can possibly visit. However I can’t think of a site less suitable to mass tourism, not just in terms of ecology and heritage, but in terms of health and safety. To visit you need to be relatively fit with a decent head for heights. The boat crossing takes around 45mins and it can be rough. The day we visited we were very lucky with a calm still day, with few other people there, but even with perfect conditions there was the odd hairy bit on the steps. If it was any way wet and windy with people trying to bustle past it wouldn’t be a great experience.

    The ecology and heritage are important too, that’s not to say that no-one should ever visit or anything, but mass tourism brings extreme damage to heritage sites. Tutankhamun’s tomb in Luxor is a shocking example of the damage caused by large scale tourism. Skellig really does take pride of place in this movie, it’s a wonderful place to visit, I just hope the tourism promotion is clear of the practical issues that a visitor must face, for the visitors own sake as well as the islands.

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    Mute Dee
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    Jan 4th 2016, 1:17 PM

    Well said!

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    Mute Cardio Reilly
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    Jan 4th 2016, 1:53 PM

    I think every stars wars fan should visit skellig Michael. Then we can blow it up while they are there.

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    Mute Zoe Daly
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    Jan 4th 2016, 2:18 PM

    very true Neil. Skellig Michael is a national treasure and a unique part of our heritage.
    Great to see it featuring in Star Wars, but we need to be cautious also. Out heritage needs to be carefully and thoughtfully preserved.
    To see it become, just another marketing and tourism gimmick, would be a pity.

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    Mute Eoin O'Hagan
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    Jan 4th 2016, 3:27 PM

    Inis Cealtra aka Holy Island on the Jewel of the Shannon, Lough Derg is a little bit more accessible. On a 50 acre island near Mountshannon it has a long monastic history too. It’s a beautiful calm and historic place with a Round Tower allegedly built by Ireland’s greatest High King; Brian Boru. In fact his brother Marcan was abbot there in the 10th Century.
    Inis Cealtra was recently purchased by Clare Co. Council who will develop it sympathetically as a tourist attraction.
    Neil himself was gushing with praise for this beautiful place. It’s well worth a trip down the M7 or M6 to spend an hour or two there. http://youtu.be/-nUMlz4yKR8

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    Mute Christmas Carol
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    Jan 4th 2016, 9:16 PM

    The Galapagos is another example of this.

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    Mute Enda Elvery
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    Jan 4th 2016, 12:25 PM

    I thought the amount of visitors were limited. What I saw in star wars was so brief, it was hard to fully appreciate it

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    Mute Dermot Lane
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    Jan 4th 2016, 12:50 PM

    I think visitor numbers cannot exceed 120 per day.

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    Mute PhotographybyMeAB
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    Jan 4th 2016, 2:54 PM

    30 People max

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    Mute Niall Lonergan
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    Jan 4th 2016, 12:21 PM

    It looks like an amazing spot and maybe I’m just familiar seeing it but it looked out of place in Star Wars to me. I just thought to myself “Ah there’s Kerry”.

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    Mute Didier Youschamel
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    Jan 4th 2016, 3:12 PM

    Begod

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    Mute Fiachra Ahern Esq
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    Jan 4th 2016, 12:34 PM

    This could potentially ruin a deeply historic and most amazing site. The Skelligs should be protected and not abused to make money.

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    Mute Oran Joyce
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    Jan 4th 2016, 12:47 PM

    The deal was negotiated at 3.am in the morning.
    Some smooth talking studio exec phoned Heather Humphreys and promised her the sun, moon and stars.
    Dollar signs flashed in front of her eyes, she turned her back on our heritage and bought into the idea, beside herself with delight while rushing to inform the minister for finance the good news.
    Heather Humphreys is a Philistine masquerading as minister for Arts and Heritage.

    43
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    Mute Garry Hayden
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    Jan 4th 2016, 5:25 PM

    jaysus. I didn’t know she was from the middle east.

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    Mute Play Against Par
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    Jan 4th 2016, 12:55 PM

    The Skelligs should be cherished and protected; by all means allow people to see it, but masses should not be allowed to traipse all over it.
    Knowing the government though, they’ll sell it off…!

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    Mute Marc Power
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    Jan 4th 2016, 12:26 PM

    Let’s hope for the locals sake that they don’t all arrive at once

    40
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    Mute Pat Kelly
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    Jan 4th 2016, 1:20 PM

    Had a fantastic time there. On the way out to the Shelligs we met Seals and Dolphins. On the way back a whale. Where would you get it.

    However it is a dangerous place to climb. Steps are uneven and different heights. You need to be reasonable fit. There are no restrooms on island eitherWe were lucky to get a fantastic day, the boys on the boats are gas. Made up the cost to get there with foreigners. Not nice to see

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    Mute Ted Murray
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    Jan 4th 2016, 3:38 PM

    Yes, it’s not exactly safe, one or two tourists have fallen to deaths in recent years.

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    Mute Joe Bloggs
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    Jan 4th 2016, 12:26 PM

    The star wars production team have confirmed that they won’t be returning to the island as they’ve recreated it on a studio set in England somewhere. Shame.

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    Mute Del Haven
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    Jan 4th 2016, 12:33 PM

    As far as I was aware they had finished shooting the required scenes a few months before ep 7 came out. Sure Luke Skywalker was pulling pints afterwards

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    Mute Dermot Lane
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    Jan 4th 2016, 12:52 PM

    it’s to be used in more movies Del, that’s why they’ve built a replica

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    Mute Oran Joyce
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    Jan 4th 2016, 12:33 PM

    And this is a good thing?
    UNESCO
    Justification for Inscription:
    The Committee decided to inscribe the nominated property on the basis of cultural criteria (iii) and (iv) considering that the site is of outstanding universal value being an exceptional, and in many respects unique example of an early religious settlement deliberately sited on a pyramidal rock in the ocean, preserved because of a remarkable environment. It illustrates, as no other site can, the extremes of a Christian monasticism characterizing much of North Africa, the Near East and Europe.

    NB
    This monastic complex, perched since about the 7th century on the steep sides of the rocky island of Skellig Michael, some 12 km off the coast of south-west Ireland, illustrates the very spartan existence of the first Irish Christians. Since the extreme remoteness of Skellig Michael has until recently discouraged visitors, the site is exceptionally well preserved.

    Guess this signals the beginning of the end of Skellig Michael then.
    Christian Mystics pack your bags.
    The space cadets are arriving en masse.

    26
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    Mute Rashers Tierney
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    Jan 4th 2016, 3:13 PM

    “We were just blown away by it, it’s an extraordinary place” – not for much longer, if the fumblers in the greasy till get their way.

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    Mute Carol Oates
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    Jan 4th 2016, 2:31 PM

    The fact is there was damage from filming there for the few brief minutes of film time. It may have been minor damage but this is a heritage site and should be preserved for future generations to visit, not used as a film set. Have a bit of pride, our history is more important than Star Wars. Or it should be. Where the story was leading it seemed there would be substantial filming on the island if they were to use it again. Far more that already and so it stands to reason more potential damage to the site and disruption to the inhabitants. Perhaps the production company realized they couldn’t get the shots they wanted without damage. It’s just not worth it in my opinion. Since the number of visitors is limited anyway, what is the point of pushing the tourist angle. It’s not like the tourist board can set up a Starbucks or souvenir stands on the Island. It’s a pity they didn’t use an Irish Studio to build the new set but obiviously filming in Ireland wasn’t all that important to them when they couldn’t make free with our heritage sites.

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    Mute Mark Gerard Lochlain
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    Jan 4th 2016, 3:27 PM

    I wanna go see Skellig now!! Looks amazing!! You need a good fine day though off Kerry!!

    16
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    Mute TheCredibleHulk
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    Jan 4th 2016, 2:38 PM

    The hippies will still complain. A weed might get crushed.

    But no. Don’t tell anyone it’s there. Keep it to ourselves. We don’t like out of towers round these parts

    14
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    Mute Adam Fox
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    Jan 4th 2016, 3:07 PM

    Hippies like crushed weed.

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    Mute Robert Duggan White
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    Jan 4th 2016, 1:22 PM

    they are recreating Skellig Michael in a UK studio for the next movie… http://therissole.ie/index.php/skellig-michael-islands-recreated-in-uk-studio-for-next-star-wars-movie/

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    Mute John Ryan
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    Jan 4th 2016, 1:45 PM

    Beautiful place

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    Mute Adam Fox
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    Jan 4th 2016, 2:44 PM

    They should also have used Newgrange as ‘The Death Star!’

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    Mute Craig Barry
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    Jan 4th 2016, 4:38 PM

    Another Mecca for star wars nerds – bring your dosh lame-ohs :-)

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    Mute Chris
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    Jan 5th 2016, 7:31 AM

    Tourism Ireland paid Lucasfilms 25 grand to produce that little video (source Irish Independent)
    What a ripoff!!

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