Scattery Island lighthouse

 

Scattery Island lighthouse

Back in September, I wrote a post about my visit to Scattery Island and the renovation of the keepers' cottage thereon. I also promised to write about the lighthouse itself and then promptly forgot. Being over sixty, I now can blame all inaction on the febrile tendrils of my mind - one of the perks of getting old.
Scattery Island (Inis Cathaigh) was the bailiwick of St. Senan, who, like St Kevin of Glendalough, was one of Ireland's great misogynistic saints. It lies off Kilrush at the mouth of the Shannon estuary and for many years was the headquarters of the river pilot industry on the Shannon. 

Lightkeeper Don Scanlan, himself a Scattery man, wrote in his wonderful book "Memories of an Islander" how the pilots had originally operated from Pilot's Hill in Kilbaha, close to Loop Head, but after a tragedy in which five of them were drowned, they moved to Scattery. Near the summit of the only real hill in the centre of Scattery, they used to light fires at night to guide the ships in and then row out in their gandalows to guide them down to Foynes, Kildysart, Kilrush, Ballylongford, Cappa, Tarbert and, of course, Limerick.

The south-facing view from the island summit where the first fires were lit by the river pilots

The Scattery pilots spawned many a lightkeeper and a lightshipman and the island became a place synonymous with maritime industries, along with the Faythe in Wexford and Moville in Donegal.

If we count the fires on the hill as the first lighthouse, then the second lighthouse was officially sanctioned by the Ballast Board / Irish Lights in 1866. It had a short but unusual existence. Located at the very southern tip of the island, where it commanded a grand view of all boats passing up and down the estuary, it was located in the grounds of the military battery there. (The battery is still there and would be a great addition to tourism on the island, if one could clear the hawthorn and blackberry bushes away from it) The lighthouse, which was begun in 1868, consisted of an iron framework with a lantern room from which the light would shine in all its brilliance. Even more brilliant was the fact that they built on the firing range but unfazed by this minor detail, they built it on rails, so it could be wheeled out of the way when the gallant soldiers wanted to let fly at imaginary enemies. It must have therefore looked something like the lighthouses at the mouth of the Boyne estuary which were also built on rails.

Sadly, a storm sent the whole shebang flying into the Shannon. All that was left apparently was one stanchion which still remains, just south of the present light. Unfortunately, "just south of the present light" is in the centre of a copse of 20 feet high brambles, impenetrable to a Disney prince come to rescue the princess and even more so to this puny specimen of manhood.

Lighthouse from the battery 

Rather than resurrect a failed project, they decided to erect a more conventional lighthouse closer to the cottage. To do this, they built a pier next to the house on the seafront to land building materials. It was certainly better than landing at the regular pier and then carting it to the end of the island. The pier is still visible though nearly obscured by rocks and shingle.

Irish Lights pier

The contract for the keeper's dwelling went to a Mr. Morrisy of Kilrush; while the tower was built by Messrs. D. Crowe and Sons, Dublin. The lighting apparatus, first lit in 1872, went to another Dublin company, Edmundsons. The station cost a miserly £1625 6s 8d.

The light was converted from oil to acetylene in 1933 when the keeper was withdrawn. It was later converted to propane and since 2002 has been solar powered. The light which served for 130 years can now be seen in the small OPW centre on the island.

Scattery Island was repopulated in the 1670s (women were allowed onto it by then!) and reached its highest population in 1881, when 141 people were listed on the census. The last residents departed in 1969.

Scattery Island Tours offer morning and afternoon trips to Scattery during the season from Kilrush marina.

Lighthouse with dwellings, county Kerry behind

Lighthouse, dwelling and battery