The Skellig Islands (Na Scealaga in Irish), once known as the Skellocks, are two small, steep, and rocky islands lying about 13km west of Bolus Head on the Iveragh Peninsula in County Kerry, Ireland. They are famous for their thriving gannet and Atlantic Puffin populations, and for an early Christian monastery that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The smaller island is Little Skellig (Sceilig Bheag in Irish). It is closed to the public, and holds Ireland's largest and the world's second-largest Northern Gannet colony, with almost 30,000 pairs. It is about 1.5 km east-northeast of Great Skellig.
The larger island is Great Skellig, also known as Skellig Michael, and has two peaks rising to over 230 m above sea level. With a sixth-century Christian monastery perched at 160 m above sea level on a ledge close to the top of the lower peak.
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