FÁILTE IRELAND HAS today launched a new plan for the Skellig Coast area of Kerry aimed at capitalising on the massive interest generated by 2015′s Star Wars movie.

The Skellig Islands saw a huge boost in global interest after they were featured in the reboot of Star Wars franchise.

Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens features the larger island Skellig Michael, and the beautiful landscape was given global attention throughout the filming of the move.

It will also feature in the upcoming sequel Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi.

People have since flocked to visit the small island, which is home to a former monastery and also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Now, Irish tourism organisation Fáilte Ireland wants to capitalise on that interest and spread it around the entire Skellig Coast area. It today announced its visitor experience plan aimed at increasing “dwell time in the wider region surrounding the iconic attraction”.

“This project is all about widening the current visitor experience from just simply being ‘a trip to Skellig Michael’ to a more immersive engagement with ‘the Skelligs Experience’,” said Orla Carroll, director of strategic development with Fáilte Ireland.

Projects to achieve this goal include:

• Journeys inspired by the history of the Skellig Monks
• The Cradle of Ireland’s Nationhood (centred on Daniel O’Connell’s birthplace)
• A history of global connections
• Where the ocean meets the sky at the edge of the world (incorporating the ‘dark skies’ experience)

A group of different concerned organisations are also coming together under the umbrella of the Skellig Coast Tourism Network.

The purpose of this group will be to represent and coordinate the interests of the various local companies working within the tourism sector.

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