11/05/2025
Franciscan Friars; Skellig Michael
In the spring of 2015, I had the good fortune to attend and photograph a mass held on Skellig Michael within the remains of the monastery there. The mass was conducted by six Franciscan Friars hailing from America and France who live in, work with and support the community of Moyross, Co. Limerick. They had travelled to the Skelligs on a mission to go back to the roots of their faith; to explore its history and anchor themselves in this historical landscape. The whole experience was humbling and quite emotional. I hope I have captured some of the spirit and solemnity of the service in this photograph. The five Americans and one Frenchman were great company, along with Valentia boatman, Dan McCrohan, on a rather choppy Skellig crossing. Far from the dour image that we may have of the religious orders, these gentlemen were humorous and great fun to be around. I felt extremely honoured to have been invited into their company and to be able to observe their worship. Following the release of the Star Wars films, there was a great deal of excitement in Kerry, and worldwide interest, with Skellig Michael being one of the locations used in the film’s making. However, these Friars are a timely reminder of the spiritual foundations of this spectacular UNESCO World Heritage site.
