Skellig

Album: The Book Of Secrets (1997)
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Songfacts®:

  • The song title refers to the Skellig Islands off the west coast of Ireland, where the story takes place. Loreena McKennitt is Canadian, but is steeped in Irish culture, which permeates her music.

    In a Songfacts interview, she said she drew inspiration from a 1995 book called How The Irish Saved Civilization by Thomas Cahill. "That was about monks who ferreted away in their obscure locations, copying out the classical literature," she explained.
  • McKennitt traveled around Europe when researching her album The Book Of Secrets. One of her stops that influenced this song was to Trinity College in Dublin to look at the Book Of Kells.
  • Along with her violinist, Hugh Marsh, McKennitt used a string quartet on this track.

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