The lightkeepers at Duncannon

 

Duncannon Fort light from the wonderful beach below

Following on from the previous post about the lighthouses at Duncannon, it is important not to forget that the people who manned the lights are every inch as important as the towers of brick and concrete themselves. Irish Lights did not keep regular lists of keepers at stations prior to 1919, so any further information / corrections are very welcome

The Duncannon Fort light having been established in 1791 and probably even earlier, it naturally follows that it needed a keeper to take care of it.

Unfortunately, none of the names of any of those early keepers, who came to light the light, have come to light. During a Trinity House inspection cruise in 1859, though, it was reported that the keeper at the Fort at the time succeeded his father in the job. This was probably George Brownell and his son, as Sarah Brownell, George’s daughter, married a soldier from the Fort in 1852. As the keeper at the Fort was not required during the hours of daylight, his pay was only £21 per year, compared to his counterpart at Duncannon North, who raked in £46 per year. Makes you wonder what the Duncannon North keeper did during the day!

Duncannon North (photo NBHS)

The lightkeeper at Duncannon Fort in 1871 was one John Redmond who served there as Assistant Keeper, although, it being a one-keeper station, he assisted nobody except himself. Through the years, the two Duncannon lights, with others such as Donaghadee, Dungarvan and Broadhaven, were regarded as handy numbers. Not for them the isolation of the rock stations, the relief in mountainous seas and the life without medicine or religion. As such, it was often regarded as a nice, pre-pension station, a reward for those who had spent their years battling the elements of inhospitable cliff faces.
The further complication of having two keepers in Duncannon, each managing one of the lights, means that very often we do not know who was at the Fort and who was at the North light. Maybe when, or should I say if, Irish Lights ever get around to publishing their archives, we should get a better idea. But until then, there’s a lot of either / ors.
For example, a newspaper report from 1889 reports that one of the keepers, Hugh Duggan, fell down the stairs of his house and was killed. His young son went and found the other keeper, Timothy O’Leary, who was later called as a witness at the inquest.

Sir Robert Ball pic of Duncannon Fort light from the North light c 1905

The following is a very incomplete list of keepers who served at Duncannon. Where the station is known, I have marked them F or N.

1847-1867 – Thomas Stephens F
1852 – George Brownell – son’s birth at Duncannon
1854 – 1867 – William Legge N – previously a builder
1866-1867 – Anne Jane Lovell N (daughter of above)
1871 – John Redmond F – Irish Lights Insurance list
1871 – Henry Williams N – Irish Lights Insurance List
1874 – Joseph Williams and McCarthy – JW of Duncannon, a keeper, married Henrietta McCarthy of Duncannon who gives her occupation as Lighthouse keeper’s sister
1886 – John Kennedy and Timothy O’Leary – compiling bird reports for Barrington
1889 - Hugh Dugan and Timothy O’Leary – Dugan was the keeper ashore during the Calf Rock disaster in 1881
1892 and 1895 – John Keeffe – children’s birth census
1897 and 1898 – Richard Cunniam (69)– sons’ birth certs
1901 – William Dunne, William Lyons (89), John Joseph O’Reilly – Census returns. I have no idea why there should be three keepers
1911 – Richard Cunniam (69) – Census return (Richard retired in 1912 after “a long service at the light”) Again, why was there only one keeper? Maybe Timothy Leary (‘retired Irish Lights’) was still keeping his wick trimmed?
1921 – F.R. Duffy N – Reported robbery of telescope during the War of Independence
21/5/26 – Murtagh Byrne (100) N - Irish Lights retirement list
10/7/29 – PJ O’Donnell (118) F Retired 1932 “keeper for many years” – Irish Lights retirement list
5/6/31 – J.J. Sweeney (142) N - Irish Lights retirement list
17/10/32 – MJ Healy (149) F Retired 1934 – Irish Lights retirement list
5/2/1934 – JJ Duggan (164) F – Irish Lights retirement list
26/10/1934 – James McMinn (140) F – retired 1937 – Irish Lights retirement list
22/2/35 – J.J. James Gillespie (154) N - Irish Lights retirement list
30/10/36 – A. Rohu (184) N - Irish Lights retirement list

 
Automation 1937 – From hereon, the attendant managed the two lights
12/03/1938 – Alphonsus O’Leary (193)– Retired in 1947 – Irish Lights retirement list – may have been a son of Tim
Martin Kennedy snr– death notice 1975
Bob White – keeper of the two lights for many years – ref Richard M. Taylor The Lighthouses of Ireland
Martin Kennedy jnr – 1978-91

Duncannon North (NBHS)