In 1870, Edward McCarron had been transferred from Dundalk lighthouse to his second station on Arranmore, as Assistant Lightkeeper to Richard Stapleton. In his book "Life in Donegal," he recounts a rescue in 1871, about which a lingering taste of bitterness still lingered.
Edward did get a reward though, as per the Nautical Magazine of 1871:
Edward McCarron and family at a later posting. Picture courtesy Gay McCarron
I enjoyed the rescue account very much. I thought Arranmore lighthouse is in Donegal but it stated that it is in Galway. What county is it in? Joyce
ReplyDeleteHi Joyce. Yes there was always a certain amount of confusion in the 19th Century between Arranmore Island - which is definitely off co Donegal!! - and Inishmore, the largest of the Aran Islands in Galway Bay. To make things more confusing, the Aran Islands were frequently spelt Arran Islands. And if that wasn't enough, to differentiate between the two groups, Arranmore was frequently called Arran North. However, more confusion ensued when a lighthouse was erected on Eeragh, on the northernmost point of the Galway Aran Islands and they named the light Arran North.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed the story. The road to the Strain lighthouse was recently redone making it a pleasant scenic walk from the ferry. A great day out.
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