Actor Mark Hamill has said he wasn't anticipating the "wave of emotion" that came over him while filming his scenes for Star Wars: The Force Awakens on Skellig Michael in Co Kerry.

In an interview with film magazine Empire, Hamill said of his time off the Kerry coast: "It reminded me of when I was in Tunisia on the salt flats. If you could get into your own mind and shut out the crew and look at the horizon, you really felt like you were in a galaxy far, far away.

"I had the same wave of emotion happen to me when I was on Skellig Michael in Ireland. I wasn't anticipating it."

The actor, who plays Luke Skywalker in the series, has remained relatively silent about the future of his character but did say: "Obviously you're seeing him in a very different time in his life. There are lots of surprises in this movie. You're going to love it."

Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens is due for release on December 17.