Heading north from Warren Point Lighthouse (see previous post) up the coast road to Shrove and suddenly this little beauty leaps into view not very far off shore. I had no idea what it was but I learned later that it is an unlighted beacon to mark the dangerous Bluick Rocks. It is an "iron, conical, lattice beacon, with a green cone"
On 18th October 1941, a Royal Navy tug, HMS Assurance ran aground on the Bluick Rocks and became a total loss.
From a local information sign: 'The Tunns Bank is the sand pit in the centre of Lough Foyle which appeared in 1994 for the first time in over 50 years. Local legend tells a tale that the Tunns Bank is the burial ground of the Gaelic sea god, Manannan Mac Lir. The beacon is known locally as the Metal Man and marks the location of the wreck of a tug, The Assurance. At spring tide, the nose of the hull can be seen from the roadside.' There is also a scupture of Manannán mac Lir by John Sutton at Gortmore, Magilligan on the other side of the Lough.
ReplyDeleteThat's great information. Must track down that sculpture. Many thanks!
ReplyDelete