Dust down your light saber, lounge back in your stormtrooper pyjamas and prepare to feel the force of not just exciting science fiction drama, but the raw, elemental beauty of the Wild Atlantic Way.
When the Star Wars production team needed sublime scenery capable of transporting viewers to a galaxy far, far away, there was only one natural choice: Ireland.
No amount of CGI could stand in for the stunning landscapes that feature in The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, both of which spent a significant amount of time filming in the world of scenic wonder running down the country’s western seaboard.
The Star Wars encounter with the Wild Atlantic Way stretched from its most northerly point, Malin Head, in County Donegal, to locations in County Clare, County Cork and the rugged south-western section in County Kerry that takes in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Skellig Michael.
This legendary island, situated eight miles off the Kerry coastline, first burst onto cinema screens when Rey finally tracked down the long-lost Luke Skywalker at the end of The Force Awakens.
Originally home to a sixth-century settlement of monks who built the island’s distinctive stone beehive huts, Skellig Michael shone brightly on screen as the perfect end of the world refuge for Luke Skywalker. It went on to give the world the adorable porg creatures that inhabit the Star Wars universe, created from the island’s resident puffin population.