Pete's Irish Lighthouses

When you think of Connemara and the business of keeping lighthouses burning on its rugged coast, one family immediately springs to mind - the King family of  Keerhaunmore in Ballyconneely. As well described in Bright Lights White Water by Bill Long - taken from Michael Costeloe's writings in Beam - the road to Slyne Head lighthouse was a long one. Donkeys were used to carry bags, baggage and personnel to the little quay at 'Slackport' and then hardy rowers took over to bring them to the furthest island in the Slyne Head archipelago, whereupon the two lighthouses stood. The lights on Slyne Head were, of course, established in 1836 and it is surmised that the Kings were the first boat contractors to the lighthouse, as well as running the donkey cavalcade. Certainly, they were in charge in 1852 when Thomas King and his brother Festy and nephew (or son) John were drowned bringing an impatient keeper back to his post.  Following Thomas' demise, the Ballast Board contract w...

It would be fair to say that the Stocker line of Irish lightkeepers is one of the longest in the country, dating back to at least 1818 when Edward Stocker was first sent down to the Tuskar. Henry Aquila Stocker was on Tory when the Wasp was wrecked in 1884. Former keepers may remember Stephen and Henry and Lenny Stocker, who were all cut from the same cloth. One of the later Stockers who should really have continued the lightkeeping line was Leonard Vincent Stocker, born at the Baily lighthouse in Dublin on 5th August 1944. He later went on to write a remarkable book called Born on the Edge of White Water, in which he describes his lighthouse life through the eyes of his childhood self. His father was also called Leonard, though Leonard junior was always called Vincent from the day of his birth. In fact he never realised his name wasn't Vincent until much later in life! Leonard retired from Irish Lights in 1958 and Vincent wanted to sign up when he was old enough. Unfortunately, ...

South Arklow lightvessel c.1906. The Relief was sold in 1867 (This article originally appeared in Lamp 142, Autumn 2024) Despite having boasted the world’s second ever lightship in 1736, it was not until the mid-1820s that Ireland invested in her first purpose-built lightvessel when, like the buses, three came along at once. All were wooden ships, built by W. Roberts of Milford Haven and they were named the Seagull (1824), the Star (1825) and the Relief (1826). They were destined for the existing station on the Kish Bank and the two new stations on Arklow Bank and the Coningbeg Rock. The northern and western coasts of Ireland are rocky, while the eastern and southern shores are sandy, hence the need for floating lights (later light vessels) in these latter two quadrants. Many a ship had foundered on the treacherous sandbanks between Belfast and Cork. The ship, which had been positioned on the southern end of the Arklow Bank, now drifted a mile inside the very danger she was supposed ...

Huge thanks to Joanna Doyle for sending me these photos of the best seller Telephone Directory which she found at her parents' house. Joanna, as she has mentioned once or twice, is descended from a long line of Loughrey and Ryan keepers. Tantalisingly, Joanna only sent me a few pages to whet my appetite and it certainly is rip-roaring material, though slightly too racy for my taste. Joanna estimates the book, which is now, incredibly, out of print, dates from the early 1980s. I believe it was nominated for the Booker Prize one year but lost out for reasons of length.

  Irish Lights inspection time, Clare Island c.1905 (NLI) John Gillespie was born around 1859 in that hotbed of lighthouse keepers, the north Foyle estuary. His father, Neil, had been a river pilot there and the Gillespie name would become synonymous with that body of water, with many Gillespies working as pilots, fishermen, sea captains etc. Neil had married one Ellen Loughrey - another Shrove maritime name - prior to 1857. I haven't been able to find out very much about his career as a lightkeeper. Given his age, he would probably have joined the service in the early 1880s. Certainly he was an AK at Haulbowline in 1885 and shortly thereafter rocked up to Clare Island on the boat from Roonagh to take up the position of AK there. I am surmising that it was "shortly thereafter" because John married Mary Jane Hurley on 20th April 1887 in Westport. The daughter of a farmer from Inchireagh, Dunmanway, Mary Jane was employed as a school teacher on Clare Island. A baby girl, Ma...

  From James Morrissey's wonderful 'A History of the Fastnet Lighthouse' I came across this interesting snippet in the Irish Examiner of 19th October 1883, two years after its sister lighthouse on Calf Rock was swept from its perch off Dursey Island. The 1880s seems to have been a time for gales, with damage being done to the Fastnet and maroonings, at least one of which caused severe hardship for the keepers. Isaac Notter was the head honcho down in Crookhaven, owning much of the land and, for many years, held the contract for relieving the Fastnet. He also owned several pilot cutters and had his fingewr in many pies. In 1885, he commandeered 60 police officers in an abortive attempt to seize cattle from his tenants in default of rent. As a result of this, most of his employees downed tools in protest, including the crew of the lighthouse tender. Picture courtesy Joanna Doyle The two keepers who were accidentally relieved were PK James Walsh and AK Hamilton Kennedy.  Jame...