Star Wars: Episode VIII Has Commenced Filming on Ireland's Skellig Michael

The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport has been advised of filming taking place on Sceilig Mhichíl, (also known as Skellig Michael or Great Skellig Island), Co. Kerry from 5am on Monday 14th September to 7pm on Friday 18 th September 2015.



Vessels are requested to give the island a wide berth during these activities. Vessel masters and skippers are reminded to comply with the requirements of the International Regulations for the Prevention of Collisions at Sea at all times.

We've waited years for a new Star Wars movie, and now there are three in production at the same time. With JJ Abrams wrapping things up on Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and Gareth Edwards currently shooting Star Wars: Rogue One, we Star Wars fans could already consider ourselves spoiled rotten. Now, Rian Johnson has started filming at Skellig Michael in Ireland, kicking off production on Disney's third Star Wars movie.The confirmation came from Ireland's Department of Tourism Transport and Sport earlier this morning as they warned those operating ships near the island to give it a wide berth so as not to interfere with Johnson's production.With it's predecessor not even released yet, little is known about Rian Johnson's Star Wars: Episode VIII. Benicio Del Toro has been confirmed as one of the movie's lead villains, while only Oscar Isaac's Poe Dameron has been confirmed to return from JJ Abrams' Star Wars: The Force Awakens.Abrams and his team had previously spent a number of days carrying out principal photography for Star Wars: The Force Awakens on Skellig Michael, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site off the Southern coast of Ireland. While there, it's been revealed that Star Wars legend Mark Hamill almost came a cropper after he slipped in a hazardous part of the island where two tourists tragically fell to their deaths in 2009. Hamill was eventually rescued by an island guide, much to the relief of the LucasFilm team who had apparently raised concerns of having 63 year old Hamill filming in such a tricky environment before production had even started on the project.