Star Wars: The Force Awakens \& The Last Jedi — Filming at Skellig Michael
Star Wars: The Force Awakens — Filming at Skellig Michael
J.J. Abrams chose a real 6th-century Irish monastic island as Luke Skywalker’s remote exile — and the 614 stone steps carved by those monks became one of cinema’s most memorable walks.
The filming story
When J.J. Abrams needed a location that felt ancient, sacred and unreachable, his production team flew to the Atlantic edge of Ireland. Skellig Michael — a pyramid of rock rising 218 metres from the sea, 12 kilometres off the Kerry coast — was chosen to represent Ahch-To, the island hiding the first Jedi Temple. In the film’s climax, Rey climbs its terraced paths to find Luke Skywalker in self-imposed exile.
Three days of filming took place in 2014, with a skeleton crew granted special access by the Irish Office of Public Works. The 614 stone steps — hand-cut by 6th-century monks without mortar — were the actual route used by Daisy Ridley and the R2-D2 unit. Mark Hamill stood on the summit terrace where monks had prayed for centuries. No set construction was required: the beehive stone huts (clochán) that served as Luke’s dwelling already existed, built by those same monks around 588 AD.
Rian Johnson returned to Skellig Michael in 2016 for additional sequences in Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017), including the scenes set inside the ancient Jedi library hut. The island has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996; Disney’s access was tightly controlled to prevent damage to the structure.
Film details
- Director: J.J. Abrams
- Release date: 18 December 2015
- Location: Skellig Michael, County Kerry, Ireland
- Scenes filmed: Ahch-To island — Rey’s approach up the stone steps, Luke’s clifftop huts, the summit terrace confrontation
- Filming year: 2014 (three days), returned 2016 for The Last Jedi
Visit the location today
Skellig Michael is accessible by licensed boat from Portmagee or Ballinskelligs harbours, weather permitting, from May to October. Daily visitor numbers are capped at 180 to protect the archaeological fabric. The climb on the ancient steps takes around 45 minutes and is steep; no handrails exist on the upper section. The beehive huts at the summit are intact and can be entered. Book months in advance — demand increased sharply after the film’s release and has not diminished.
📷 Diventa un fotografo di Cultural Heritage Online
Condividi le tue foto dei luoghi: restano pubblicate con la tua firma come autore. Più vengono viste, più ti fai conoscere — e presto un concorso premierà le foto più apprezzate.
Accedi o registrati gratis per aggiungere una foto