UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                  SCHEDULE 13G

                    Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

                               (Amendment No. 1)*

                        SkillSoft Public Limited Company
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                (Name of Issuer)

                           American Depository Shares
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                         (Title of Class of Securities)

                                    83170A206
                    ---------------------------------------
                                 (CUSIP Number)

                                December 31, 2002
             -------------------------------------------------------
             (Date of Event Which Requires Filing of this Statement)

Check the appropriate box to designate the rule pursuant to which this Schedule
                                   is filed:

                                [x]  Rule 13d-1(b)
                                [ ]  Rule 13d-1(c)
                                [ ]  Rule 13d-1(d)

*The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting person's
initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and
for any subsequent amendment containing information which would alter the
disclosures provided in a prior cover page.

The information required in the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed
to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 ("Act") or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act
but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the
Notes).

                               Page 1 of 10 pages

SEC 1745 (2/92)



CUSIP No. 83170A206                   13G                     Page 2 of 10 Pages

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 1       NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
         S.S. or I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON

                  Liberty Wanger Asset Management, L.P. 36-3820584

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 2       CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*

                  Not Applicable                                        (a) [ ]

                                                                        (b) [ ]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 3       SEC USE ONLY

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 4       CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION

                  Delaware

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    NUMBER OF     5        SOLE VOTING POWER

     SHARES                         None

  BENEFICIALLY    --------------------------------------------------------------
                  6        SHARED VOTING POWER
    OWNED BY
                                    9,030,000
      EACH
                  --------------------------------------------------------------
   REPORTING      7        SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER

  PERSON WITH                       None

                  --------------------------------------------------------------
                  8        SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER

                                    9,030,000

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 9       AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON

                  9,030,000

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10       CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*

                  Not Applicable                                            [ ]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11       PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9

                  9.1%

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12       TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*

                  IA

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



CUSIP No. 83170A206                    13G                    Page 3 of 10 Pages

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 1       NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
         S.S. or I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON

                  WAM Acquisition GP, Inc.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 2       CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*

                  Not Applicable                                        (a) [ ]

                                                                        (b) [ ]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 3       SEC USE ONLY

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 4       CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION

                  Delaware

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    NUMBER OF     5        SOLE VOTING POWER

     SHARES                         None

  BENEFICIALLY    --------------------------------------------------------------
                  6        SHARED VOTING POWER
    OWNED BY
                                    9,030,000
      EACH
                  --------------------------------------------------------------
   REPORTING      7        SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER

  PERSON WITH                       None

                  --------------------------------------------------------------
                  8        SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER

                                    9,030,000

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 9       AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON

                  9,030,000

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10       CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*

                  Not Applicable                                            [ ]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11       PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9

                  9.1%

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12       TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*

                  CO

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



CUSIP No. 83170A206                   13G                     Page 4 of 10 Pages

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 1       NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
         S.S. or I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON

                  Liberty Acorn Trust

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 2       CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*

                  Not Applicable                                        (a) [ ]

                                                                        (b) [ ]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 3         SEC USE ONLY

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 4       CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION

                  Massachusetts

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    NUMBER OF     5        SOLE VOTING POWER

     SHARES                         None

  BENEFICIALLY    --------------------------------------------------------------
                  6        SHARED VOTING POWER
    OWNED BY
                                    8,430,000
      EACH
                  --------------------------------------------------------------
   REPORTING      7        SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER

  PERSON WITH                       None

                  --------------------------------------------------------------
                  8        SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER

                                    8,430,000

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 9       AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON

                  8,430,000

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10       CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*

                  Not Applicable                                            [ ]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11       PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9

                  8.5%

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12       TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*

                  IV

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Item 1(a)         Name of Issuer:

                           SkillSoft Public Limited Company

Item 1(b)         Address of Issuer's Principal Executive Offices:

                           107 Northeastern Boulevard
                           Nashau, NH 03062

Item 2(a)         Name of Person Filing:

                           Liberty Wanger Asset Management, L.P. ("WAM")
                           WAM Acquisition GP, Inc., the general partner of WAM
                            ("WAM GP")
                           Liberty Acorn Trust ("Acorn")

Item 2(b)         Address of Principal Business Office:

                           WAM, WAM GP and Acorn are all located at:

                           227 West Monroe Street, Suite 3000
                           Chicago, Illinois  60606

Item 2(c)         Citizenship:

                           WAM is a Delaware limited partnership; WAM
                           GP is a Delaware corporation; and Acorn is a
                           Massachusetts business trust.

Item 2(d)         Title of Class of Securities:

                           American Depository Shares

Item 2(e)         CUSIP Number:

                           83170A206

Item 3            Type of Person:

                           (d)      Acorn is an Investment Company under section
                                    8 of the Investment Company Act.

                           (e)      WAM is an Investment Adviser registered
                                    under section 203 of the Investment Advisers
                                    Act of 1940; WAM GP is the General Partner
                                    of the Investment Adviser.

                               Page 5 of 10 Pages



Item 4            Ownership (at December 31, 2002):

                           (a)      Amount owned "beneficially" within the
                                    meaning of rule 13d-3:

                                    9,030,000

                           (b)      Percent of class:

                                    9.1% (based on 99,598,136 shares outstanding
                                    as of January 14, 2003).

                           (c)      Number of shares as to which such person
                                    has:

                                              (i)      sole power to vote or to
                                                       direct the vote: none

                                              (ii)     shared power to vote or
                                                       to direct the vote:
                                                       9,030,000

                                              (iii)    sole power to dispose or
                                                       to direct the disposition
                                                       of: none

                                              (iv)     shared power to dispose
                                                       or to direct disposition
                                                       of: 9,030,000

Item 5            Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class:

                           Not Applicable

Item 6            Ownership of More than Five Percent on Behalf of Another
                  Person:

                           The shares reported herein have been acquired on
                           behalf of discretionary clients of WAM, including
                           Acorn. Persons other than WAM and WAM GP are
                           entitled to receive all dividends from, and proceeds
                           from the sale of, those shares. Acorn is the only
                           such person known to be entitled to all dividends
                           from, and all proceeds from the sale of, shares
                           reported herein to the extent of more than 5% of the
                           class.

Item 7            Identification and Classification of the Subsidiary Which
                  Acquired the Security Being Reported on by the Parent Holding
                  Company:

                           Not Applicable

Item 8            Identification and Classification of Members of the Group:

                           Not Applicable

Item 9            Notice of Dissolution of Group:

                           Not Applicable


                               Page 6 of 10 Pages

Item 10           Certification:

                           By signing below I certify that, to the best of my
                  knowledge and belief, the securities referred to above were
                  acquired and are held in the ordinary course of business and
                  were not acquired and are not held for the purpose of or with
                  the effect of changing or influencing the control of the
                  issuer of the securities and were not acquired and are not
                  held in connection with or as a participant in any transaction
                  having that purpose or effect.

                               Page 7 of 10 Pages



                                    Signature

         After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I
certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and
correct.

Date:  February 4, 2003

                  The undersigned corporation, on the date above written, agrees
                  and consents to the joint filing on its behalf of this
                  Schedule 13G in connection with its beneficial ownership of
                  the security reported herein.

                                  WAM Acquisition GP, Inc.
                                    for itself and as general partner of
                                    LIBERTY WANGER ASSET
                                    MANAGEMENT, L.P.

                                  By: /s/ Bruce H. Lauer
                                      ------------------------------------------
                                          Bruce H. Lauer
                                          Senior Vice President and Secretary

                  The undersigned corporation, on the date above written, agrees
                  and consents to the joint filing on its behalf of this
                  Schedule 13G in connection with its beneficial ownership of
                  the security reported herein.

                                  LIBERTY ACORN TRUST

                                  By: /s/ Bruce H. Lauer
                                      -----------------------------------------
                                          Bruce H. Lauer
                                          Vice President, Treasurer and
                                          Secretary

                               Page 8 of 10 Pages



                                  Exhibit Index

Exhibit 1         Joint Filing Agreement dated as of February 4, 2003 by
                  and among Liberty Wanger Asset Management, L.P., WAM
                  Acquisition GP, Inc. and Liberty Acorn Trust

                               Page 9 of 10 Pages