South Rock Superbuoy

This is the same lighthouse that I was puzzling over here

http://irishlighthouses.blogspot.com/2009/08/near-south-rock.html

At the time, I was puzzling over what it was, as thewre was no mention of it in Trabas. I think I may have found the answer. From CIL "Monday, March 2 2009
The South Rock Lightfloat was permanently withdrawn from station and replaced by a port-hand lateral superbuoy on Wednesday 25 February 2009.A lightship was first established at the South Rock on the 1st April 1877, replacing the lighthouse which had been established in 1797. The lightship was automated and redesignated as a lightfloat, and the crew was withdrawn on 31 March 1982. The South Rock Lightfloat is the last lightfloat in the Service. "

And from http://www.cloughey.org.uk/lightship_going_69.html "The small red ship on the horizon about 3 miles East of Cloughey is to be withdrawn at end of February 2009. It will be replaced by a 'superbuoy' which will not have a fog horn, so the familiar wailing sound heard in the middle of the night will be a thing of the past."

Lightship Petrel

And so to the lightship Petrel. I didn't think I'd find this, as directions were pretty vague but it rather fell into our laps. Go into Balloo on the A22. At the Saintfield crossroads take the road signposted Whiterock. Go through Killinchy and when yo get to Whiterock, there is a sudden bend to the left. Keep following this road, ignoring a road that leads right across a causeway, and after about 3/4 mile, the lightship is on your right.
Built around 1915, decommissioned in 1968, it has been the headquarters of the Down Cruising Club since 1969. Delighted to find a lightship that has been put to some use.

Donaghdee

And so, up the coast to this very picturesque lighthouse standing smartly to attention at the end of the pier in Donaghdee. Originally erected in 1836, it was designed by the men who built the Eddystone Lighthouse off Plymouth, though substantially repaired when gutted by fire in 1900. Brendan Behan apparently painted this lighthouse, though I suspect more in a fine art way than a decorating way.

Incidentally, approaching Donaghdee from the south, I kept glimpsing what I assumed was the lighthouse at Mews Island, north east of Donaghdee. Ah, says I, I'll get a better view of it the further up the coast I go. Unfortunately between Donaghdee and the outskirts of Bangor there was no sea view at all. If I'd had time, I'd have detoured off to Groomsport where I believe it might have been possible to get a decent view, but the shops of Newry, like Danny Boy's pipes, were calling.

Near South Rock

The other object sticking up above the horizon from Cloghey is this mystery object. No mention of it in Trabas, it appears to be sitting on a rock directly east of Cloghey, maybe 2 miles out to sea, possibly less. If it isn't a light, I've no idea what it is.

South Rock (Kilwarlin) Lighthouse

Driving north from Portaferry on the A2, after about 5 miles, you finally hit the sea at Cloughey, Cloghy, Cloughy or Cloghey and lo and behold, gazing out onto the still waters, there are two objects sticking up above the horizon.
This is the more southerly of the two, the famous South Rock or Kilwarlin Lighthouse. Built by Thomas Rogers in 1797, it is the oldest waveswept lighthouse in Ireland and possibly in the world. It was replaced by the South Rock lightship in 1877.

Swan Rock (again)

Better photos than the last time - http://irishlighthouses.blogspot.com/2007/08/angus-rock-strangford.html - this little pepperpot light is situated on an island just off Strangford and very close to the route of the ferry that plies its 8 minute journey between Strangford and Portaferry on the Ards peninsular.

The Narrows, Strangford

Okay, okay! At first I thought this had to be a lighthouse, even though I could find no reference to it. I mean, what else could it be?
From Wikipedia - "SeaGen is the name given to the 1.2MW tidal energy convertor that was installed in Strangford Lough in April 2008"