What Connects Star Wars, Ireland and St. Patricks Day?
Written by Ciaran Vipond on May 16, 2019 | 0 Comments
Those who saw the Star Wars movies ‘The Force Awakens’ and the ‘The Last Jedi,’ might be surprised to find that Luke Skywalker’s wild and otherworldly retreat Ach To is a real place - Ireland!
Given the trends in modern cinema, you might be forgiven for thinking that the Jedi Temple on Ach To was a piece of CJI trickery. But with a trip to Co. Kerry and a a golden ticket to Skellig Michael, you too could walk in the footsteps of Skywalker and Rey and enjoy the wonders of the Wild Atlantic Way!
Photo Credit: Stinglehammer (CC BY-SA 4.0)
And Skellig Michael is wondrous. The island is home to a sixth century monastery not for Jedi but Christian monks built on precipitous ledge 160m above the wild Atlantic! This was an isolated refuge but it can now be visited each year by a few lucky visitors brave enough to take the crossing by boat. Once onshore visitors climb the 618 stone steps to the monastery, many of which have become uneven with the passage of time, and monks and tourists carefully ascending and descending.
A Home from Home for Hollywood
You would also be following in the footsteps of the Lucasfilm team, who were so impressed with the stunning location that they stayed longer than expected, touring around not just Kerry and Skellig Michael, but Cork and Donegal too! And when they did finish up, they took out a full page add in Cork and Kerry regional papers to say thank you to the locals.
And Mark Hamill aka Luke Skywalker himself seemed to find his spiritual home in Ireland.
How I will miss IRELAND! Its' Beauty-Its' People-It's...Snack Food (#MagnificentMillie on alert for #Ep8DietPolice) pic.twitter.com/klCpbGLQ7w
— Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) May 25, 2016
The Mark Hamill Connection
But he didn't stay away to long! He was back in Ireland for the Dublin St. Patricks Day parade. He accepted an invitation to be the international guest of honour at the parade and was given prime seats in the President's box. So he was sure to enjoy St. Patrick’s Day!
And you can join in the festivities too by watching the parade live from 12.15pm (GMT) on the RTE player here. RTE have given free access to the parade for anyone anywhere in the world. A nice touch! Or you might just want to watch The Last Jedi and enjoy the wild Irish/Ach To scenery!
Whatever you do - Happy St. Patricks Day - Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Duit!
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Ciaran Vipond
My Irish Jeweler
Born in Co. Antrim and reared in Dublin, I was fascinated with Gaelic culture from an early age. I suppose it's not surprising given my mother inherited a grá for the Irish language from my grandfather, an Irish school headmaster. And that grá continues! My brother and sister are now Gaelic teachers here in Ireland, my niece is an award winning Irish dancer, and I proudly work to share Irish culture through our Irish and Celtic Jewelry at My Irish Jeweler!
I love researching and reading about the history of Irish design. It's at the core of what we do here at My Irish Jeweler. I find much of it so interesting that I have to share what I find. I hope you enjoy it!
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