Pete's Irish Lighthouses

Dunmore East lighthouse 2014 For some strange reason that I haven't been able to fathom, my Google Newsfeed, when not telling me there's going to be some melodramatic weather ahead, keeps slipping in lighthouse articles. The World's most iconic lighthouses; Sierra Leone's most remote lighthouses; Milton Keynes' oldest lighthouses, that sort of thing. A recent one was "Ireland's prettiest lighthouses." Now I'm well aware of the saying about beauty and eyes and beholders but Poolbeg pretty? It's iconic, for sure, but pretty? I always found it rather squat and dumpy. Blackhead, county Antrim? Yes, its nice enough, but nothing to make it stand out in the prettiness stakes. The article contained most of the so-called Great Lighthouses of Ireland, most of which are pretty due to their location, rather than any prettiness in themselves. Ones that stand out for me are Donaghadee in county Down, Beeves Rock on the Shannon, Little Samphire Island in coun...

The second Irelandscapes Lighthouse History documentary by the enigmatic Nick from Holywood county Down. Gives the history of the lighthouse(s) on the Copeland Islands and interviews with local fishermen and light attendants, backdropped with some wonderful footage. Post amended 28th March 2021 in light of correction received from Joanna May (see bottom of page) Mew Island light c.1940. Note the three disused sunken gasometers behind the tower. The lighthouse only acquired its white band in 1954.  ( Copyright estate of Eileen Kates, used by permission.) Although the lighthouse at the end of Donaghadee pier was constructed in 1836, it was not until 1863 that the powers that be decided to erect a house for the keeper. To be fair, they acquired a plot of land in 1841, situated next to the Coastguards Cottage, but they promptly filled it up as a depot for stores, while the keeper lived in a rented house in the town. The house was designed by John Swan Sloane, Chief Bottlewasher of the ...

Painting of Eagle Island by Beechey in 1885. Incredible how he managed to paint in that swell. The East Lighthouse - the one destroyed - is on the right, therefore we are looking west and that could well be Blackrock in the background. On 29th December 1894, an incredible storm caused widespread destruction all over Ireland, not least all along the west coast. On Eagle Island, off the Mullet peninsula, giant waves smashed over the lantern of the East Tower, 220 feet above sea-level, causing widespread damage. The families cowered in terror in the base of the tower, and it was not until the following morning that the families in the West Tower realised their plight. The result was that the East Tower which, like its comrade, had stood since 1835 was too damaged to repair and the families were moved to newly-built lodgings on the mainland at Blacksod. The night of the storm is vividly described in a famous letter written by Polly Ryan to her sister but I recently came across some letters...