1835 drawing of the first Fanad Head lighthouse taken from the Ordnance Survey memoir to accompany the 1st edition OS map
I wrote a short piece on the original Fanad Head (aka Fannet Point aka Lough Swilly) lighthouse three years ago. My total sum of knowledge consisted of a short paragraph on the CIL website and a rather charming pre-1886 charcoal drawing of the lighthouse that adorns the office space at the base of the current tower.
However, I recently was able to pick up a copy of Sean Beattie's wonderful "The Book of Inishtrahull" and it really is the book that keeps on giving. In it, Sean quotes from some of the Ordnance Survey reports about the island and, emboldened by the detail therein, I managed to get a hold of a copy of "The Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland - Parishes of county Donegal Part 1 1833-35."
Basically, when the 1st Edition OS mapping was taking place, the Duke of Wellington - whom I always picture as Stephen Fry in Blackadder III - who was PM at the time, agreed that the maps should be accompanied by some explanatory text - Memoirs - that couldn't fit on the maps itself. A hugely time-consuming enterprise, it was decided to split the country into parishes and every parish should have set headings - geology, ancient topography, bogs etc. What emerges is a fantastic addition to local history that, sadly, only extends to the northern part of the country, as the next government after Wellington gave it the boot.
In addition to the drawing at the top of the page, the memoir for the parish of Clondavaddog also includes the following description of the lighthouse
(I'm assuming that "North Hall" in Dublin is a typo for "North Wall")
Another source of information on this first lighthouse, which was knocked down and rebuilt in 1886, is the replies to a circular posted to the Ballast Board in 1859, looking for answers to a number of set questions for a Trinity House Commissioners report. The ludicrous thing is that, although I have the answers, I don't have the questions!! But some of them can be worked out!
Another source of information on this first lighthouse, which was knocked down and rebuilt in 1886, is the replies to a circular posted to the Ballast Board in 1859, looking for answers to a number of set questions for a Trinity House Commissioners report. The ludicrous thing is that, although I have the answers, I don't have the questions!! But some of them can be worked out!
It appears that, in 1859, at least, Fanad was a one-family lighthouse. The names of some of the keepers of this first light are few and far between (any additions would be most welcome!):-
1857 - John Prendergast (retired, aged 71)
1857 - John Whelan
1867 - William Callaghan snr
1868 - John Young jnr
1871 - John Young jnr
1882 - Henry Redmond
1883 - Henry Redmond
1885 - James Keenan
The picture mentioned above sitting in the current lighthouse. The guard rail is one obvious difference between the old light and the new. The height of the tower is also a lot shorter
It would have been amazing to have such an explanatory record countrywide of that era Pete
ReplyDeleteIt's really incredible, all the folklore from nearly 200 years ago, going back into the 1700s and earlier the description of ruins now completely disappeared etc. That's why the work you're doing now is so important, Andrew.
DeleteInteresting to see the name Redmond on the list of keepers for Fanad light.
ReplyDeletePat Redmond was the name of the last two attendants at Dunree light. (Father and son)
Hi John, there's a lady in Canada who has spent years trying to unravel the branches of the Redmond lightkeeping dynasty! We know there were 2 brothers Hugh and Joshua who were keepers from at least 1826. Henry, above, was a grandson of Hugh. However, there were other Redmonds tending the lights or on lightships who she can't link to the two brothers.
DeleteHi Pete, love your work. Seriously.One question, is there a search facility on your blog? I've been scrolling through post that interest me but it would be nice to be able to seact for a specific point of interest.
ReplyDeleteTake care.
Hi Ricky, thanks for the compliment! I normally view the blog on the laptop, where there is a 'Search Blog' facility. Looking on the phone, you're right, there is no search facility, but if you scroll down to the very bottom and hit "Web version", the Search blog facility appears. Well, it does on my phone! Hope this helps.
DeleteThanks for the reply, that actually worked. Any chance of a blog on Ireland's least known lighthouse's? As opossed to Great Lighthouse's?
DeleteOne of my pet subjects, Ricky. The Great Lighthouses are simply those that have tourism potential. They are neither better nor worse than the likes of Boom Hall or Dunree or Inishgort. I do try to feature the lesser lights as much as possible but of course the big guns have to be represented too!!
DeleteThe Cork OS notes are not online - v frustrating. There's a north American TV game show called Jeopardy - the answer is provided and you must guess the question.
ReplyDeleteHi Finola, Sadly, there are no Cork notes, online or otherwise. They basically only did the six counties of the North and Donegal before the funding was cut. Antrim and Derry apparently have a tremendous amount of detail - the others less so, though the half of Donegal I purchased seems extremely thorough. As Andrew says above, terrible shame it couldn't have been replicated throughout the country. What a resource it would have been.
ReplyDelete