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

                                  SCHEDULE 13G


                    Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

                               (Amendment No.  4  )*
                                             -----

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

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


                                    830928107
                                 --------------
                                 (CUSIP Number)


                                December 31, 2004
             -------------------------------------------------------
             (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




-------------------                                           ------------------
CUSIP No. 830928107                    13G                    Page 2 of 10 Pages
-------------------                                           ------------------

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


        Columbia Wanger Asset Management, L.P. 04-3519872
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2    CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
                                                                        (a)  [_]
                                                                        (b)  [_]
        Not Applicable
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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             21,799,500
               -----------------------------------------------------------------
    EACH       7    SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER

  REPORTING            None
               -----------------------------------------------------------------
   PERSON      8    SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER

    WITH               21,799,500
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9    AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON


        21,799,500
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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


        20.5%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12   TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*


        IA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




-------------------                                           ------------------
CUSIP No. 830928107                    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*
                                                                        (a)  [_]
                                                                        (b)  [_]
        Not Applicable
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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             21,799,500
               -----------------------------------------------------------------
    EACH       7    SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER

  REPORTING            None
               -----------------------------------------------------------------
   PERSON      8    SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER

    WITH               21,799,500
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9    AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON


        21,799,500
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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


        20.5%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12   TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*


        CO
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




-------------------                                           ------------------
CUSIP No. 830928107                    13G                    Page 4 of 10 Pages
-------------------                                           ------------------

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


        Columbia Acorn Trust                        
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2    CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
                                                                        (a)  [_]
                                                                        (b)  [_]
        Not Applicable
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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             18,125,900
               -----------------------------------------------------------------
    EACH       7    SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER

  REPORTING            None
               -----------------------------------------------------------------
   PERSON      8    SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER

    WITH               18,125,900
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9    AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON


        18,125,900
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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


        17.1%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
               Nashua, New Hampshire 03062
            --------------------------------------------------------------------

Item 2(a)   Name of Person Filing:

               Columbia Wanger Asset Management, L.P. ("WAM") 
               WAM Acquisition GP, Inc., the general partner of WAM ("WAM GP")
               Columbia 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:

               Common Stock
            --------------------------------------------------------------------

Item 2(e)   CUSIP Number:

               830928107
            --------------------------------------------------------------------

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, 2004):

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

                    21,799,500
               -----------------------------------------------------------------

               (b)  Percent of class:

                    20.5% (based on 106,172,756 shares outstanding as of
                    November 30, 2004, based on Form 10-Q filed on December 10,
                    2004)
               -----------------------------------------------------------------

               (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:
                             21,799,500
                                    
                      (iii)  sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition
                             of: none
                                    
                       (iv)  shared power to dispose or to direct disposition 
                             of: 21,799,500
               -----------------------------------------------------------------

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 7, 2005


            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
                                        COLUMBIA WANGER ASSET MANAGEMENT, L.P.


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


            The undersigned trust, 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.


                                      COLUMBIA 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 7, 2005 by and among
               Columbia Wanger Asset Management, L.P., WAM Acquisition GP, Inc. 
               and Columbia Acorn Trust.

                               Page 9 of 10 pages




                                                                       EXHIBIT 1

                             JOINT FILING AGREEMENT

      The undersigned hereby agree to the joint filing of the Schedule 13G to
which this Agreement is attached.


                     Dated: February 7, 2005


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


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


                                      COLUMBIA ACORN TRUST


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