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Located 12 Km off the south-west coast of Ireland, the small island of Skellig Michael is a pinnacle of barren rock that rises 218 metres above of the Atlantic Ocean. |
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Its remoteness made it an ideal location in the 7th century for an Early Christian monastic settlement. One of the best preserved early Christian monasteries in the world, the remains consist of six stone 'Bee Hive' huts and two 'boat shaped' stone oratories built on two narrow terraces. |
 Sketch of the Skellig Michael Sundial |
O'Sullivan, A. and Sheehan, J. 1996. The Iveragh peninsula: an archaeological survey of south Kerry "..This cross inscribed slab tapers regularly in width towards its base from a broad flat top. It features a circular perforation near the top from which three radial grooves extend. The central groove is the most prominent and extends down to the upper terminal of a linear Latin cross. The shaft of the cross features bulbous terminals and the crossing of its arms is ringed by a groove. 1.6ms high, 0.25ms wide." During reconstruction work at the monastery in 1946 the ancient sundial was used as the inner lintel over the 1200mm high door of the oratory on the upper terrace !! Nothing of the sundial carving can be seen now. |