Though this article will proudly spare everyone's afternoon eyes the distinct displeasure of reading those typical all caps warning messages, the kindhearted writer behind it is just too nice to go any further without uttering the phrase "spoiler alert!" at least once. That, dear friends, was your fair warning. On a related note, what's your deal? Go see Star Wars: The Force Awakens, weirdos. Almost everyone else on the planet is way ahead of you.
For the billions of people in the know, the final scene of Force Awakens is an absolute stunner and is clearly quite indicative of the future of the franchise. That's our guy Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), presumably decked out in head-to-toe Yeezy Season 28 while (also presumably) reciting his favorite Morrissey lyrics to himself while plotting a comeback. The emotional encounter between Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Luke works because, in addition to the fact that it's inarguably awesome, that island is breathtaking. Thankfully, that place is very real and exists in Ireland for your future enjoyment.
Skellig Michael, an island off the coast of Kerry, serves as J.J. Abrams and company's climactic kick-off point for the forthcoming Episode VIII while providing a healthy dose of closure for anyone who actually thought Luke had made a home somewhere on the Dark Side. "I remember when we all flew in," executive producer Tommy Harper says in Discover Ireland's tourism-boosting clip above. "It was special and we knew it."
Tourism Minister Paschal Donohoe, as quoted by Time, says the country "surpassed our best ever year on record for the number of overseas visitors" by the end of November 2015. "We are determined to build on that," he added, a plan made quite likely given the fact that Skellig Michael will reportedly be back in the starring role for Episode VIII.
