Andrew McGonagle of Owey Island

This jolly-looking individual is Andrew Seimsi McGonagle, a nineteenth century lightkeeper, and probably the only one of his profession who hailed from Owey Island.

Owey Island (sadly, I can never get the Owey, owey, owey, we're tellin' Joey rhyme out of my head) lies just to the north of Aranmore Island, a wonderfully undulating island off the northwest coast of Cruit Island. An island devoted to farming and fishing (and, allegedly, poteen making), it supported a population of around 120 when Andrew was born there around 1856. At that time, of course, the nearby light on Arranmore Island was dark - it was only to be relit in 1865 - but the light from Tory Island would have shone out to the north.

I have been unable to find out why, where and when Andrew started his lightkeeping career, as his period of service does not coincide with any of the Irish Lights 'census years' of 1871, 1899, 1901, 1911, 1912 and 1918.

Photo from eOceanic

Our first recording of him is in fact a petition signed by 99% of Irish Lights keepers looking for parity of pay with their English and Scottish counterparts. Here, in 1884, he is recorded as being the AK on Skellig Michael under PK Thomas Kerley. He was still there in August the following year, when he (along with several others) sent a remittance to a meeting of the Council of the Gaelic Union for the Preservation and Cultivation of the Irish language in the Mansion House in Dublin.

He appears right up the other end of the country on Rathlin Island when he was married in October 1886. He wasn't married there but in the chapel in Kincasslagh near his island home. Bridget O'Donnell was also from Owey. Andrew's father, Seamie, was listed as deceased.

Their first child James Joseph, was born on Owey in November 1888, though Andrew is listed as being a keeper on Rathlin at the time.

The West light and Rue Point light on Rathlin hadn't been built at the time, so Andrew would have served at what is now the East light. It is somewhat of a mystery why Andrew should be known on Owey as the Rathlin Island keeper, when his tenure there was not particularly long.

Their second child, Frances (Fannie), was born in Dungloe while Andrew was a keeper in 'co.Wexford.' This was probably Hook Head, as son, John was born in Churchtown in 1891, as was Bridget in 1893.

The unmistakable Hook Head

By 9th June 1894, when Maryann, was born, the family were living at the Baily in Howth, another land station. Daughter Margaret (Gretta) arrived the following year. At this time, Andrew was still an assistant keeper, working under another Donegal man, Edward McCarron, whose book, Life in Donegal, is the seminal account of lightkeeping in the nineteenth century. Unfortunately, McCarron's book stops well before that!

Andrew found a body on the little beach near the Baily, reported the Freeman's Journal on the 3rd June 1895. He examined it through glasses and, seeing that it was the body of a man, he entered the lighthouse and telephoned the police, he told the inquest. (Presumably, if it had been the body of a woman, he would have left it there) Judging by the state of the tide, the body would have been on the beach for two hours.

The Baily lighthouse c.1900

The McGonagle's next child, Anne, was born on Owey on the last day of March 1898, the father's occupation being recorded as Ex-lightkeeper. 

What had happened? He was only in his early forties, after all. Had he become disillusioned with being passed over for promotion? Had he been told he was being sent to another rock station? Was his wife Bridget showing the first signs of illness that would do for her seven years later. Or did he simply miss home?

By 1900, when their final child, Grace (Grainne) was born, he had got the lighthouses out of his system. He was a farmer now and would be on the 1901 census.

The colourful Bridget McGonagle

Bridget died of tuberculosis at Leagbarrow on Arranmore Island in September 1905. Presumably, medical attendance was better for her there than on Owey. Her eleven-year-old daughter, Mary, was the informant on the death certificate.

26 years later, Mary was also the informant on her father's death certificate. He died of a stroke on his beloved Owey, aged 76 years. There had been no medical attendance.