Skellig Michael, off the coast of Kerry, has been the site of both The Force Awakens and its sequel, the as-yet untitled Episode VIII.

However, it would seem that Kerry hasn't seen the last of Star Wars and Lucasfilm as reports today suggest that crews are scouting the cliffs of Ceann Sibeal on the Dingle pennisula and have signed local landowners up to faciliate filming in 2016. As you'd expect, landowners declined to comment and cited non-disclosure agreements, however it's understood that filming on Ceann Scibeal will require a permit issued by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.

Ceann Sibeal is an EU-designated Special Protection Area with colonies of chough, fulmar and peregrine falcon nested on the cliffs. As with Skellig Michael, an environmental impact assessment will have to take place for filming can be signed off on, however filming took place previously on two separate occasions in 2015 without incident.

As for what role Ceann Sibeal has remains to be seen. It's widely rumoured that Skellig Michael's monastic settlement doubled as the hiding place of Luke Skywalker ala Yoda on Dagobah in The Empire Strikes Back. Mark Hamill was a regular sight in Kerry during filming there. It's suggested that Ceann Sibeal might be another location in that same planet, however we won't know anything for definite until 2018.

In fact, we don't even know if this is more filming for Episode VIII or Episode IX - so it's all rumours at this stage.

 

Via RTE