REPORTS THIS EVENING are the Star Wars show looks set to roll back into Kerry later this year.
The Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht – which has not specifically confirmed that Star Wars’ production company Lucasfilm is involved – has said that some filming on the Ceann Sibéal/Sybil Head area of the Dingle Peninsula will be taking place later this year.
Skellig Michael served as the location for the now-iconic final scene of Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens.
While the island’s appearance in the film is expected to boost the area’s profile among tourists, filming at the site was opposed by environmental group An Taisce and also Birdwatch Ireland.
The land where the filming will take place later this year is privately owned and currently used for agricultural purposes.
It is within what the Department describe as a ‘special protection area’ and is currently used by walkers and tourists.
In the statement issued to TheJournal.ie, the Department has said that the National Parks and Wildlife Service has examined the proposal in detail and is satisfied that filming will not adversely affect the area.
The filming has been granted after officials from the Department were satisfied that the area will not be damaged.
It went on to say:
Permission for filming has been granted subject to strict conditions. A Departmental habitats expert will be present during the shoot. Filming on Sybil Head is not expected to start for a number of months.
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