Pete's Irish Lighthouses

Due to a very fortuitous and unexpected set of circumstances, I was able to drive up to Inishowen from Dublin last Sunday on empty roads and finally get a boat to the island of Inishtrahull. It had been one of the lighthouses that had eluded me for many years and the fantastic weather only made it all the more memorable. As well, of course, the opportunity of a rare meeting up with ALK Ireland rep Rosie Drysdale and Billy. Solar panels now light the new lighthouse Inishtrahull lies six, seven or eight miles north of Malin Head (depending on your source) making it the most northerly part of Ireland, not counting the Torr Rocks that bear their jagged rocks about a half a mile to the north. There are currently three boats that do trips out there in the summer months - Inishowen Boating, True North Boating and Amazing Grace Yacht Charters. Inishowen Boating is the original boat; True North is new and a rib; and Amazing Grace is a yacht. The first two do the boat trip to the island (30 to 4...

  14th January 1923 Principal Keeper Kilcredaun Lighthouse To: The Secretary, Irish Lights Office, Dublin Dear Sir, I most respectfully beg leave to report that the station was visited at 9 o'clock last night by a party of masked and armed men who took down and carried off the telephone. They said they were sorry for giving trouble but were ordered to do this work and had to carry out their orders. I am, sir,  Your obedient servant, William Glanville William Glanville (Service no. 63) fathered at least 15 children Seriously, though, armed and masked men today could learn a thing or two from their forebears in 1923. Just because you force yourself into somebody's house doesn't mean you can't be courteous and apologetic about it. Who wouldn't love to be robbed by such utter gentlemen?  William was 58 and two years from retirement when the IRA came visiting during the great phone shortage of 1923. He would have been the sole keeper at the station with his wife serving ...

Up until 1876, Fanad Head had marked the entrance to Lough Swilly but there were no lights in the lough itself, unlike in neighbouring Lough Foyle, which had so many lights that mariners all wore sunglasses on their way to and from Derry. In 1871, there were many representations to Irish Lights to light the lough and in 1872, representatives of the Elder Brethren of Trinity House came over in their zimmer frames to assess the merits. They decided that Dunree and Buncrana pier should be lit and the Board of Trade concurred. c.1905 It was decided that the Fort was not the proper place for the lighthouse and the edifice should be erected slightly to the north of, and uphill from, it. As it would be at quite a high elevation, a one-storey building was all that would be required, with the light built into the bay-window type structure facing the lough. It was built by a Mr. McClelland from Derry under the supervision of Mr. R. Shakespeare, who arrived in the little hamlet determined to safe...

I recently came across the following article - headlined The Wexford Navy Demobbed - in the New Ross Standard of 9th April 1982. Like a lot of things these days, it seems like it is only recent history, but when you do the sums, its over 40 years old. The writer is a guy called Mervyn Moore and its a wonderful record of the end of the manned lightships around our coast. I realise it is very long and very few will get to the end but nonetheless I will reproduce it in its entirety for anybody with family who worked on the lightships around our east and south coasts. Unfortunately the photographs accompanying the article are not good enough quality to reproduce here.