Skellig Michael opening delayed again with tour guides unavailable
The Office of Public Works (OPW) has come under fire after the start of the already-delayed visitor season to Skellig Michael had to be postponed once again as there were no tour guides in place on the island.
The UNESCO world heritage site has been closed to tourists since May 10 due to a legal dispute over landing permits.
The start of the four-and-a-half month landing season was initially delayed after the OPW was issued with legal proceedings from three tenderers who were unsuccessful in an open competition to award boat licences.
The OPW maintained that it wasn't in a position to legally issue landing permits to the 15 successful boatmen whilst legal proceedings were in place.
However, last Thursday the High Court gave the green light to the OPW to lift the suspension and issue permits for the 2025 season.
The OPW then confirmed it would be in contact with the boat operators to complete the process, and that boat trips to the island were "expected to begin on Saturday, 7 June".
But despite the favourable weather conditions over the weekend, it has since emerged that landings were not possible as the island's tour guides had not yet arrived on the site for the start of the season.
The boat operators who have been issued permits for the season have since been told that the season has now been scheduled to start on Tuesday, June 10, meaning they've lost another three days of business.
'Desperately disappointing'
Boatmen and tourist representatives in the region have spoken of their frustration and anger at the latest setback.
Donal McCrohan, chairman of the Skellig Boatmen's Association, said: "This is desperately disappointing for everyone around here, and it's something that no one anticipated.
"After the court decision on Thursday, we would have expected to be out on the boats by Saturday, and to add to the disappointment, the sea conditions have been excellent. After losing so much of the season already, every single day is vital.
"That's three more days we've lost, and I've had to cancel the people who were booked with us."
He said "We're all suffering round here at the moment and the place is empty. It's got to the stage where you start to wonder what else could go wrong."
Paul Devane, who's a boat operator and local restaurateur in Portmagee, said: "We've been told the delay is because there are no guides there. But we don't want any further setbacks at this stage. I'll be happy if there's no further delays, and the landings can start on Tuesday."
The Skellig Coast Tourism Network, which represents 120 businesses in the spectacular region, said its members were furious at the latest postponement to the start of the season, which it described as "another three vital days lost during an already short summer season".
The OPW has been approached for comment.
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Irish Examiner
19 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Skellig Michael opening delayed again with tour guides unavailable
The Office of Public Works (OPW) has come under fire after the start of the already-delayed visitor season to Skellig Michael had to be postponed once again as there were no tour guides in place on the island. The UNESCO world heritage site has been closed to tourists since May 10 due to a legal dispute over landing permits. The start of the four-and-a-half month landing season was initially delayed after the OPW was issued with legal proceedings from three tenderers who were unsuccessful in an open competition to award boat licences. The OPW maintained that it wasn't in a position to legally issue landing permits to the 15 successful boatmen whilst legal proceedings were in place. However, last Thursday the High Court gave the green light to the OPW to lift the suspension and issue permits for the 2025 season. The OPW then confirmed it would be in contact with the boat operators to complete the process, and that boat trips to the island were "expected to begin on Saturday, 7 June". But despite the favourable weather conditions over the weekend, it has since emerged that landings were not possible as the island's tour guides had not yet arrived on the site for the start of the season. The boat operators who have been issued permits for the season have since been told that the season has now been scheduled to start on Tuesday, June 10, meaning they've lost another three days of business. 'Desperately disappointing' Boatmen and tourist representatives in the region have spoken of their frustration and anger at the latest setback. Donal McCrohan, chairman of the Skellig Boatmen's Association, said: "This is desperately disappointing for everyone around here, and it's something that no one anticipated. "After the court decision on Thursday, we would have expected to be out on the boats by Saturday, and to add to the disappointment, the sea conditions have been excellent. After losing so much of the season already, every single day is vital. "That's three more days we've lost, and I've had to cancel the people who were booked with us." He said "We're all suffering round here at the moment and the place is empty. It's got to the stage where you start to wonder what else could go wrong." Paul Devane, who's a boat operator and local restaurateur in Portmagee, said: "We've been told the delay is because there are no guides there. But we don't want any further setbacks at this stage. I'll be happy if there's no further delays, and the landings can start on Tuesday." The Skellig Coast Tourism Network, which represents 120 businesses in the spectacular region, said its members were furious at the latest postponement to the start of the season, which it described as "another three vital days lost during an already short summer season". The OPW has been approached for comment. Read More Tourists in Albufeira face fines in crackdown on nudity and drunken behaviour
RTÉ News
4 days ago
- RTÉ News
High Court gives go-ahead for Sceilg Mhichíl boat trips to resume
Boats will be permitted to ferry people to and from Sceilig Mhíchíl for the remainder of this summer following a ruling from the High Court. The UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is a special protected area for bird life, was due to open to visitors on 8 May. But legal action by unsuccessful operators in the latest competition for tenders prevented the scheduled opening. Tours to the island, which was a location for two of the Star Wars films, are in huge demand and the business is vital to the local economy and to boat operators. In December last year, the Office of Public Works (OPW) had a competition to award 15 permits for boat operators for Summer 2025 and onwards. The number of permits is limited to protect the island's fragile ecosystem. The successful applicants were contacted in late March. They can land a maximum of twelve passengers a day on Sceilg Mhíchíl during the landing season. Two unsuccessful participants in the competition brought High Court proceedings challenging the outcome. Their action, which is scheduled to last three days, will begin on 21 July. The legal challenge acted as an effective injunction preventing permits from being issued this summer, prohibiting the OPW from entering into legally binding contracts with the successful tenderers. The OPW made an urgent application to the court to seek permission to issue the permits for this year, which was heard earlier this week. Mr Justice Garrett Simons delivered his ruling today, finding that the potential prejudice to the unsuccessful tenderers was outweighed by the potential prejudice to the successful participants and the local economy if no landings at Sceilg Mhíchíl were to be permitted for a further six or seven weeks. He noted that one month of the season had already been lost. He granted the OPW's application to lift the automatic suspension on the issuing of permits, meaning permits can now be issued for the balance of the 2025 season. The judge noted the issues raised by the unsuccessful applicants in relation to the granting of the tender remain open for debate at the trial of the action next month.
Irish Examiner
4 days ago
- Irish Examiner
Skellig Michael boat trips can resume, court rules
The High Court has given the go ahead for boat trips to Skellig Michael to resume. Mr Justice Garrett Simons granted an application by the Office of Public Works (OPW) to lift an automatic suspension on landing at the Unesco heritage site and former monastic island, which was also used as a film location for the Star Wars movies, The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. The order will allow the OPW to enter into a legally binding contract with each of 15 boat operators who were successful in the public competition for permits to land on the island off the Kerry coast. The landing season runs from mid-May to the end of September each year. Those landing permits were automatically suspended when two unsuccessful bidders brought a High Court challenge to the decision. The OPW then had to apply to the court asking that the stay be lifted pending hearing of the substantive challenge. The unsuccessful bidders, Atlantic Endeavour Ltd and SMBT Ltd, trading as Skellig Michael Boat Trips, disagreed with the OPW interpretation of the legal effect of the automatic suspension. They contended there were a number of mechanisms open whereby landing permits might legitimately be granted to the successful tenderers for the balance of the 2025 season, while preserving their own right to challenge the allocation of landing permits for the 2026 and subsequent seasons. Mr Justice Simons heard the application to lift the suspension this week and on Thursday ordered that it be lifted. He said the practical effect of this order was that it would now be legally permissible for the OPW to issue landing permits to the 15 successful tenderers for the balance of the 2025 season. This will allow for the commencement of passenger landings at Skellig Michael, or Sceilg Mhichíl in Irish. He said his judgment entails no finding whatsoever on whether the outcome of the tender process allows the OPW to confine the right to land passengers on Sceilg Mhichíl to the 15 successful tenderers for a five-year period. The proper interpretation of the request for tender and associated documentation, and the legal consequences of the tender process, remain open for debate at the trial of the action, he said. The judgment, he said "goes no further" than deciding the execution of concession contracts does not result in the crystallisation of a contractual right on the part of the successful tenderers to exclusive landing rights for the 2026 and subsequent seasons. He said the significance of this finding was that the unsuccessful tenderers were not relegated to a claim for certain damages in respect of the 2026 and subsequent seasons. The only right which the OPW seeks to translate into a concluded contract, prior to the determination of the full High Court challenge, is confined to the 2025 landing season, he said. He said he was listing the substantive action for the alleged breaches of the public procurement legislation in July.
