Rotten Island Rotten Horse

 

Rotten Island lighthouse (photo John Hamilton)

Back in the dim and distant past, it was a problem for lighthouse families at certain stations to access services such as shops and church because of their remoteness from anywhere remotely civilised. If you lived at Mine Head or Ballyglass or Mizen Head, for example, it was quite a trek to do the messages of a Saturday or attend Mass on a Sunday, so a local contractor was hired, on contract, to bring them here and there. This was often the same contractor who ferried the keepers out to the lighthouse at offshore stations.

I admit I don't know what the story was for Rotten Island in Donegal regarding dwellings and tenders. Maybe somebody can enlighten me. There were obviously dwellings on the rock in the 1800s and they were inhabited at least up to 1910, as Florence Connell, daughter of keeper JF Connell was born on the island then. But I'm assuming that some time shortly thereafter, the family moved ashore and obviously, from the letter below, not into Killybegs itself.

My own photo, as can be guessed by the greyness of the sky

The letter is written by the Secretary of Irish Lights in Dublin to one Mrs. McGill. It is dated 7th January 1926.

Mrs. McGill,

With reference to your contract to supply a suitable horse and outside car for conveying Keepers to the nearest place of worship every 3rd Sunday for the sum of 7/6 - 

You are informed that the keepers have, for some time past, complained of the unsuitability of your horse for this work. The following extract from a report dated 24/11/25 is forwarded for your information and explanation please:

A lovely blue-sky Rotten Island (photo Helen Gallagher)

The horse provided by the Contractor is in such a state of emaciation that it is unfit to travel the distance without any passengers on the car at all. It took the animal 4 hours to perform the return journey (a distance of about 7 miles) on Sunday, and then the passengers were compelled to alight when about half way home and wait until the horse was rested before attempting the latter portion of the journey. This is a great hardship on women, some of whom had been fasting from the previous night.The whole journey took from 9.30am until 4.15pm with an interval of about 45 minutes in Church.

More grey sky but, as it was taken in 1905, the sky was always grey then (NLI)

In reply to an enquiry as to whether an improvement has taken place, the Principal Keeper states, under date 5/1/26, that there is no improvement in either horse or car, except on the 2nd last trip, a borrowed horse was used, but on the occasion of the last trip, the usual difficulty was experienced.

You may remember that in June last when you were asked whether you would supply a motor car? You replied that 'you were not in fitting circumstances to do so at present.'

In replying to this letter, you will please bear in mind that if you are unable to provide a horse and car to suit the requirements of the keepers, the question of motor attendance will again have to be taken into consideration.

Looks like a young lightkeeper in the making in the gateway. John Hamilton photo in the still-grey 1950s. Who says the weather was better in the old days?

Unfortunately, I don't have Mrs. McGill's reply, nor indeed, the horse's.