Mew Island

 Mew Island is situated at the southern end of the approaches to Belfast Harbour and would have waved the Titanic on its way west a hundred years ago. The picture above was taken in Groomsport, the contour of the island obscuring its lower half.. The snaps below were from the layby mentioned in the previous post.

 The light and fog signal came into operation on 1st November 1884. The fog signal was discontinued in 1991 and the light became automatic in 1996.

It was a few miles east of Mew Island that the passenger and car ferry The Princess Victoria sank on 31st January 1953 with the loss of 132 lives.

Copeland Island (Lighthouse Island)

Driving east from Bangor, I was hoping to get a view of the former lighthouse on Copeland Island and its replacement on Mew Island. I drove up a private road in Groomsport, thinking I might get a view but unfortunately Mew Island itself obscured the lighthouse there, so I drove a mile further around the coast towards Donaghdee, where I found a layby that afforded me this view and the next one.
The lighthouse here was established in the early eighteenth century. In 1796, the coal fire light atop a cottage was replaced by a lantern in a 40ft tower. In 1810, a new 52 ft tower and lantern was erected. It served until 1884, when the new light at nearby Mew Island came into operation.
The stump of the tower can be made out by those with good eyes in between the dilapidated stone house and the modern whitewashed cottages.

From Samuel Lewis' County Down in 1833 "Lighthouse, or, as it is also called, Cross island, is about 1 mile (N. E) from Copeland island, and is one furlong in length and about half a furlong in breadth, comprising about 24 acres. The Lighthouse from which it takes its name is a square tower, 70 feet high to the lantern, which displays a light to the south-east, to guide vessels from the north and south rocks, which are 34 leagues distant, and to the north-west, to guard them from the Hulin or Maiden rocks lying between the mouths of Larne and Glenarm. The lighthouse is situated in lat.,54° 41' 15" (N) and long. 5° 31' (W), and the light is plainly seen at Portpatrick and the Mull in Galway, in Scotland, from the latter in which it is 10 leagues distant."

Bangor Pier Head Light

Not quite sure why this little baby doesn't rate a s a lighthouse in Russ Rowlett's Directory? It certainly qualifies under his terms of reference - "a lighthouse is a lightbeacon having a height of at least 4 meters (13 ft) and a cross-section, at the base, of at least 4 square meters (43 sq ft)." This feller, sitting on the end of the pier in Bangor, co Down certainly fits the bill. You can reach it by walking the pier. Alas, I could only find a parking space around the other side of the marina, so took the easy route up the private commercial pier opposite, for which I will surely pay in the fires of Hell.

East Maidens Light

 Following on from the previous post, this is the still very much active East Maidens Light with its black band on white still guarding the shoals at the entrance to Larne Harbour.

 Unveiled on the same day (5th January 1829) as the West Maidens. It was made automatic in 1977.

West Maidens Light

 From Barr's Point (see previous entry) or from the little seaside village a bit further up the coast, there are views of the two Maidens, halfway between Ireland and Scotland. The views may be distant but they're actually better than I'd expected and. short of getting the Larne - Stranraer ferry, probably the best I can hope for.

 The tower, 84 feet above seal level, was first lit on 5th January 1829, along with its sister (next post) 800 yards away. With the improvement of the range of the East Light in 1903, this light was discontinued. It was originally painted red with a white band at the top.

Barr Point Fog Signal

About half a mile north of Ferris Head, lies Barr's Point Fog Signal. I had thought that there was a way around to it via the little hamlet at the end of the headland but a local assured me that there wasn't. I had no option but to drive up to the Golf Club I had passed and ask permission to visit the signal.

The fog signal is located on the sea front next to the seventh tee. To be frank, I don't believe the Golf Club needs fear being inundated with lighthouse enthusiasts eager to glimpse this building, which looks more like your average electrical supply building..

They discontinued the fog signal on 12th June 2006. I am presuming that the little grey heads sticking out of the roof in the top picture is the foghorn apparatus but I could be wrong. The picture above shows the fog signal flanked by the two Maidens out in the Irish Sea. There had been a fog watch signal station here since at least 1906. The fog signal gun replaced the fog bell around 1928.

Assorted Larne Harbour Lights

 Four lights found in Larne Harbour