These ancient Irish stone structures are usually called beehive huts, and those on the spectacular Skellig Michael island (featured in Star Wars) are Christian monastic settlements dating from the sixth century. This one on another island is probably of more recent origin and was being used to store sheepswool sacks. In Irish it is called a ‘clochán’ (cluck-awn), from the word for stone. An intruder, a hebe bush, has taken up uninvited residence on the roof, while another, a great black-backed gull, looks through the opening.

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