Old Head of Kinsale Fog Station

Three cannons were installed and established as a fog signal at the Old Head of Kinsale on 1st February 1893. Two successive reports were fired every ten minutes. A third keeper or fog signal man was appointed to the station who was at first in lodgings until another dwelling was built for him in 1895. A new light and fog signal were established on 17th December 1907. William Spence of Dublin supplied the lantern, fog signal jibs and apparatus
The character of the explosive fog signal was changed to one report every five minutes from 1st June 1934. From 1971 each explosive report of the fig signal fired during the hours of darkness was accompanied by a brilliant flash of light. When all explosive fog signals around the coast were discontinued in 1972, (due to a threat of terrorist attacks) Old Head acquired the siren fog signal from the discontinued Poer Head fog signal station (1970) with a character of three blasts every forty-five seconds. The siren was replaced by an electric horn with the same character in December 1985 and controlled by a videograph fog detector, obviously in anticipation of making the station unwatched.

The fog signal, together with any remaining around the Irish coast was discontinued in 2011.