Public input sought on Skellig Michael plan

MEMBERS of the public are being invited to give their views on the future management of one of Kerry’s key tourist attractions.

The Government is in the process of drawing up a new 10-year management plan for the UNESCO heritage site of Skellig Micheal, and anyone with an interest in the future of this site is being asked to make their views known.

This plan will oversee the management of the UNESCO heritage site from 2019 to 2029. Given the huge interest in the key tourism site, this plan is vital to protect the historical site.

The former management plan 2008-2018 identified the number of visitors, around 11,100 a year, as sustainable, but this has increased in recent years. Thirty submissions were received from the public for the last plan.

The number of visitors to the island and the need to perserve the historic site are key factors to be considered in the new plan given the huge interest in the site since the filming of Stars Wars. Figures from the OPW show that in 2017 16,755 people visited the island, while 14,700 people visited in 2016.

There have been calls for an extended season from April 1 rather than from May to October to cater for the huge interest in the attraction. Only 15 boats are allowed to land passengers on the island. The calls for an extended seaon were dismissed by OPW Minister Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran.

The new plan will look at these concerns, but key to the management plan is to maintain and preserve the rich history and archaeology of the site for generations to come.

The public are now being invited to make their submissions to the plan. The public consultation process is open until January 18, 2019, and can be accessed via the www.worldheritageireland.ie.

The Government plan will be presented to UNESCO in 2019.