Dastardly deeds at Kilcredaun

 

14th January 1923

Principal Keeper

Kilcredaun Lighthouse

To: The Secretary,

Irish Lights Office,

Dublin

Dear Sir,

I most respectfully beg leave to report that the station was visited at 9 o'clock last night by a party of masked and armed men who took down and carried off the telephone.

They said they were sorry for giving trouble but were ordered to do this work and had to carry out their orders.

I am, sir, 

Your obedient servant,

William Glanville

William Glanville (Service no. 63) fathered at least 15 children

Seriously, though, armed and masked men today could learn a thing or two from their forebears in 1923. Just because you force yourself into somebody's house doesn't mean you can't be courteous and apologetic about it. Who wouldn't love to be robbed by such utter gentlemen? 

William was 58 and two years from retirement when the IRA came visiting during the great phone shortage of 1923. He would have been the sole keeper at the station with his wife serving as 'Female Assistant.' He had been at Kilcredaun on the Shannon estuary since 1912.

Speaking of ages, the lighthouse, picturesquely situated on the north shore of the Shannon estuary, would have been 99 years old in 1923. To save you doing the sums, this means that it will be 200 years old on 1st September 2024. Doubtless it will look back on the terrifying telephone raid of 1923 with certain nostalgia. 

Having little knowledge of telephone technology in the early 1920s, one wonders at the mechanics of stealing a phone. You would probably have to connect it up to somewhere that was connected to the phone system but presumably didn't have a phone already. And would it keep the number? 

Separated at birth, Kilcredaun and Carlingford?

 

Pictured above are Danny deVito and Arnold Schwarzenegger, twins separated at birth. Who?
Well, they are more commonly known as the Kilcredaun lighthouse in Carrigaholt, county Clare, on the northern shore of the Shannon estuary and the Haulbowline lighthouse at the entrance to Carlingford Lough.

The Kilcredaun light (spellings vary in the nineteenth century, making it somewhat tricky to research) is a relatively short tower of 43 feet, sitting on a headland overlooking the Shannon estuary, the light at a height of 133 feet above that majestic river. Until Tarbert was established in 1834, it was the only light on the Shannon with the exception of Loop Head. Until automation it was a one-family light. Sadly this beautiful light was discontinued in 2010.

Kilcredaun c.1900 National Library of Ireland

The Haulbowline, or Carlingford Lough light is much more well known. Situated on a shallow island, that only shows at the very lowest tide, it replaced a less well-placed light at Cranfield Point on the mainland. The light shows at a focal plane of 101 feet. 

Both lighthouses were designed and built by George Halpin senior. One was classed as a harbour light, the other as a sea light. Both are still standing proudly.

Haulbowline c.1906 National Library of Ireland

In actual fact, the lights were not twins, but triplets. The third child born that day was the Coningbeg Light Vessel (the Seagull) which took her place just south of the Great Saltee Island off the south Wexford coast. The longest-serving light vessel on our coastline, she served on her station until 2007 when she was replaced by a superbuoy.

I wonder which unveiling Halpin attended?

Coningbeg c 1906, National Library of Ireland

The reason I bring this up and link the events as 2024 approaches, is that they were all established on the same date - 1st September 2024 1824 - which means there are only eight months left to arrange the flamboyant 200th birthday parties, which may well include guided tours of the lighthouses, particularly for people whose forebears may have served at the light. Or indeed, for someone who might have brought this significant date to the attention of the authorities.

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

The lightkeeper's dwelling on Scattery Island

A few years ago, I came across a video on Youtube of someone who had entered the lightkeeper's cottage on Scattery Island and recorded the dereliction thereof. I was therefore not expecting very much improvement last month when I visited Inis Cathaigh courtesy of Scattery Island Tours. It was actually the day after Storm Betty and my morning trip was cancelled, but they managed to go in the afternoon and a very enjoyable experience it was too.

A short 15 minute walk down a green road lined with blackberry bushes (I should have brought a bucket) and I was at the cottage and the lighthouse beyond. The lady in the tour boat office in Kilrush had asked me not to enter the cottage as it was unsafe, but it seemed all locked up anyway. It seemed in pretty good condition. I shrugged and went on to the lighthouse, which I will cover in another post.

Returning past the cottage, there was a couple sitting in the front garden and the front door was open. We got chatting and I explained my interest in lighthouses and could I have a look around the house? Not a problem, they said. Can I take a few photographs? Not a problem. So I delightedly clicked away like I was photographing Claudia Schiffer for a photo shoot.

A very nice couple, I found out they were called Hamilton and they were doing up the cottage. I immediately assumed they were from one of the two Hamilton lightkeeping dynasties but no, Irene Hamilton's father, Brendan Griffen was a Scattery Islander and her mother had lived in that very house. (see comment from Irene at the bottom of this post, correcting this!) Irene also was the owner of the Scattery Boat Tours initiative which had brought me over. Her husband - whose name, I am ashamed to say, I cannot for the life of me remember - was a lovely chap and he very kindly showed me around and pointed out all the work already done and the work yet to be completed. The latter far outweighed the former but at least they had made the cottage watertight, so it wouldn't deteriorate any further.

The cottage basically consists of a corridor from the front door, leading down to a kitchen down the book. Off the corridor are two rooms on each side, probably used as bedrooms, though one at the front could have been a front room. Out the back were some outhouses, sheds and the remains of an outside loo. 

As you can see from the photographs, the renovation has only just started and it is certainly a project that will take a long time completing what with the problems of ferrying builders and materials to the island but at least the cottage will be preserved for posterity, unlike many of the current cottages which are slowly being left to nature.

Scattery Island was always a one-keeper station with the wife acting as assistant keeper. The lighthouse and cottage were built in 1872 and Clare County Library has thoughtfully traced some of the families who lived there.

Incidentally, behind the lighthouse is an old battery, now being overrun by brambles. There is also that very rare building, a round tower with a ground-level entrance, a plethora of ancient ruined churches and views to die for. The OPW give free tours of the tower and churches but the rest of the island is small enough to see all of it in the two hours plus you get on the island.

Goodbye, Blackberry Way

Rinalan Point, county Clare and oil rustlers

 

Photo Alexander Trabas, Online List of Lights

Not so much a lighthouse. More of a 'light beacon' as Irish Lights calls it. Yes, Irish Lights, though at this stage I suspect it has been handed over to the Shannon Port Authority. When the powers that be came to divvying up responsibility for Shannon estuary lights, it was decided that everything between Loop Head and Beeves Rock (roughly where the River Fergus empties into the Shannon) should be Irish Lights (Kilcredaun, Corlis Point, Scattery Island, Tarbert and Beeves) while every light between Beeves and Limerick (Horse Rock, Sod Rock, Spillanes Tower etc etc) would come under the auspices of the Limerick Harbour, now the Shannon Port, Authority.

Rinalan Point marks the western boundary of the Fergus estuary and is west of Beeves, so in 1903, Irish Lights was asked to place a light on Rinalan Point to help all the traffic coming down the Fergus. With a distinct lack of enthusiasm, they replied that a lighted buoy off Aughinish Spit on the south bank would do the job just as well. The Limerick Harbour Board replied that, erm, no, it wouldn't. So reluctantly, the light was erected in 1906.
The Notice to Mariners for that year said it was an unwatched occulting white light, located 350 yards east of Rinalan Point on the north bank of the Shannon between Beeves and Tarbert. The light was 30 candle power, 13 feet above the high spring tides and was visible for eight miles. It would be exhibited from the top of an iron column painted with black and white bands atop a concrete platform.

(A further Notice to  Mariners at the end of 1907 stated that well, actually, the light is only 275 yards from Rinalan Point, not 350. Sorry about that.)

The 1934 U.S. Hydrographic survey stated that the black and white tower was 23 feet tall which means that either ten feet had been added or it was a typo for 13 feet.

No, it isn't a flock of cormorants perched on the light. Its a flock of Irish Lights bigwigs on their annual inspection, checking for cobwebs and whether the steps have been polished. Photo from the National Library Ireland, which says it is a Wigham light ( a light that is made out of Wighams.) The cost of the erection of the light was roughly £200 and it took around £30 per year to run, between the oil and the attendant to administer the oil.

The first attendant, appointed on 1st April 1906 - probably the date the light was established - was Michael Cahill of the townland of Shannakea, who farmed the land around Rinalan Point. He was 38 years old at the time and he kept the light topped up with oil until he formerly handed over the job to his son Patrick on 8th April 1939, when he was 71. 
In 1979, on the instructions of the representative of the late Patrick Cahill, the 'moderately sized farm' with its 'everlasting water supply' was put up for sale, thus ending the involvement of the Cahill family with the light.

(Incidentally, the father of the infamous gangland boss the 'General,' Martin Cahill, was called Patrick Cahill and was, by all accounts, an alcoholic, but scrupulously honest lightkeeper. I have been unable to trace where Patrick worked - probably one of the Dublin lights - but he was certainly not the aforementioned Patrick Cahill of Shannakea!)

Google Street map view

All in all, the Rinalan (or Rinelon) light has led a very sedate existence. No keepers have been stranded for days, no bosun's chairs and no tidal waves. The only flutter of excitement was its leading role in the Civil War, an incident that has been scandalously ignored by Diarmuid Ferriter and the like. I quote from a letter written by M. Cahill to the Commissioner of Irish Lights on August 19th 1922.

"I beg to inform you that I ordered Pat Cahill to supply 2 barrels of oil last year.

When it landed at Kildysart Quay, it was taken away off the boat by a party of armed men on 2nd July 1922."

This brazen act of theft by (presumably) members of the Anti-Treaty faction could so easily have tipped the armed struggle in their favour. How different Ireland would have been if we had had deValera running the country for decades. Oh, wait …