> WHEN YOU GO

Getting there: There are daily flights to Dublin Airport via Aer Lingus and other international carriers. Getting around: By car: Car rental is available at Dublin Airport. By air: Stobart Air flies from Dublin to Farranfore Airport in County Kerry. Car rentals are available. By rail: Irish Rail trains run from Dublin to Killarney, where you can rent a car or book a tour with Mor Active (moractivetours.com) that will take you from Killarney to Portmagee, with stops at the Skellig Experience Visitor Centre and a tour of Valentia Island. By helicopter: Executive Helicopters flew me around the islands: executive-helicopters.com. I had been told it cost 1,000 ($1,450) for the half-hour trip with three people. Price varies according to how close you are from your starting point — we started on the lawn in front of the Skellig Experience Visitor Centre. Getting to Skellig Michael: Local boat trip operators (skelligexperience.com/ other-sea-tours) are limited to 12 trips to the island a day, weather permitting, at a cost of 60 ($87). Reservations can be made online (skelligislands.com), but there’s no guarantee of a landing on the island if the waves are too rough. An eco tour option is also available that circles Skellig Michael and Small Skellig, but doesn’t land (skelligmichaelcruises.com). Where to stay: The Moorings (moorings.ie) is an 18-room hotel on the waterfront in Portmagee that served as headquarters for the Star Wars crew when they filmed on Skellig Michael. Portmagee Heights Bed & Breakfast (portmageeheights.com) is a brisk 10-minute walk from the harbour and features geothermal heating and a fine full Irish breakfast. The Butler Arms Hotel (butlerarms.com) in nearby Waterville is a venerable family-run hotel that had been a favourite of comic actor Charlie Chaplin and hosted actors Mark Hamill and Daisy Ridley when they filmed on Skellig Michael. Where to eat: The Moorings has a restaurant next to its lively bar and features live Irish music and entertainment through the week. An Corcan (ancorcan.com/dinner.html) in Waterville serves three meals daily and features fresh local seafood and vegetarian dishes.