Skellig Michael looks like a place Jedi would seclude in. We'll find out soon enough!
There was great excitement in Kerry last week when the makers of Star Wars: Episode VIII came calling.
A large production crew was on Skellig Michael including director Rian Johnson, producer Ram Bergman, and head of photography Steve Yedlin.
Star Wars crews will be on site for two weeks from September 7th and the film is worth millions to local businesses.
Many locals involved have been asked to sign confidentiality agreements but there are strong rumours that the owner of one house is being paid €30,000 for the two weeks.
There are quite a few seasoned film extras in the Tramore/Waterford area who regularly take part in ‘The Vikings’ television series so, perhaps, there might also be a bit of work for them ‘in a universe far, far away’.
This month’s filming will be part of the sequel to Star Wars: The Force Awakens which was shot on Skellig Michael last summer.
That movie will be in cinemas this December while the sequel currently underway will be released in two years time
Meanwhile, did you know that there is a little known International Dark-Sky Reserve in Kerry? It is one of only three so-called gold-tier reserves in the world and the only one in the Northern hemisphere.
In an area spanning 700 square kilometres, a huge number of stars can be observed that are not seen elsewhere, so much so that seasoned astronomers are amazed when they visit for the first time.
Television crews from Japan, the United States and German have visited the site as have quite a number of international astro-photographers.