A Review of The Last Monks of Skellig Michael: The Fascinating Real-Life History Behind Luke Skywalker's Island

I have had The Last Monks of Skellig Michael: The Fascinating Real-Life History Behind Luke Skywalker's Island in my Kindle reader ever since I read a review of it some months past. A few days ago, I shared a review of Finnian and the Seven Mountains. As I was reading the review of Finnian, I realised that both books were by Philip Kosloski. So, after finishing Finnian, I read The Last Monks.

Skellig Michael

I should probably have read them in the reverse order, since familiarity with Skellig Michael would have been a good preparation for Finnian because it is set on the monastic island.

Mr Kosloski is a fan of the Star Wars franchise, and was drawn to write The Last Monks because it was used as a filming location for the planet Ahch-To, the home of the first Jedi temple and the Tree Library of sacred Jedi texts in the Star Wars universe.

He first discusses the Star Wars connection, before detailing the monastic settlement that existed on the island from around the 6th century until the Viking raids of the 9th and 1oth century. The raids forced the monks to the mainland, where they established themselves as Augustinian Canons at Ballinskelligs on the Iveragh Peninsula in County Kerry. There, the monks lived continuously until the evil depredations of the heresiarch, Henry VIII.

Clochan, Dingle, Co. Kerry

He explains the desire to imitate the Desert Fathers that led the monks to the desolate island off the south-west tip of Ireland, and the problems they went through in constructing the monastery and their clochan cells, shaped like bee skeps. At least stone was plentiful.

He discusses their diet, in which fish and seabird eggs figured prominently, as well as their liturgical practices, the architecture of their Church, and their government.

It is a fascinating book that can be read in a couple of hours. I highly recommend it as an introduction to his new comic book series. I will review Finnian tomorrow.