Pete's Irish Lighthouses

  Eeragh from Inishmore c2019? The following article appeared in the Irish Times of Saturday August 25th 1973 and was written by Elgy Gillespie, who was, and still is, a freelance journalist. My favourite part is, when questioned about her impromptu visit, she answered that they had written for permission 'and it hadn't been denied us,' which the keepers seemed to accept! Its a very good piece and I've copied it in full. Eeragh c.1903. Note the lush vegetation

When you think of Connemara and the business of keeping lighthouses burning on its rugged coast, one family immediately springs to mind - the King family of  Keerhaunmore in Ballyconneely. As well described in Bright Lights White Water by Bill Long - taken from Michael Costeloe's writings in Beam - the road to Slyne Head lighthouse was a long one. Donkeys were used to carry bags, baggage and personnel to the little quay at 'Slackport' and then hardy rowers took over to bring them to the furthest island in the Slyne Head archipelago, whereupon the two lighthouses stood. The lights on Slyne Head were, of course, established in 1836 and it is surmised that the Kings were the first boat contractors to the lighthouse, as well as running the donkey cavalcade. Certainly, they were in charge in 1852 when Thomas King and his brother Festy and nephew (or son) John were drowned bringing an impatient keeper back to his post.  Following Thomas' demise, the Ballast Board contract w...

  The good residents of Bearna (or Barna), some five miles west of Galway city, will doubtless recognise the picture above, even though its quite some time since this P. Philips sketch was commissioned. Couples still promenade along the elegant east pier to the smaller lighthouse, gazing across at the barques and brigs and quinquiremes of Nineveh lined up along the west pier outside the magnificent Midland and Great Western Train Station. They admire the ornate gas lamps along the mile-long pier, wish passers-by 'Good morning' and maybe listen to the chatter emanating from the far quay with its passengers bound for Amerikay.  But mostly they will gaze in awe at the incredible, stately lighthouse that adorns the west pier, wondering, possibly, how the pier wall could possibly withstand such weight. Towering above the harbour like the Pharos of Alexandria, it has become one of the wonders of the modern world, worth a minimum five stars on Trip Advisor, a tourist destination in i...

Mr and Mrs White. Please note the blue sky, which is quite the rarity for this blog. Photo taken from up on the Sky Road on the other side of the channel  I've written about these two Connemara lovers before, gazing longingly at each other but I never got a picture of the two of them together. The near beacon is the White Lady. She sits at the end of the promontory that marks the southern entrance to Clifden Bay, near a lovely, quiet little harbour of Errislannan and a beach full of the most perfectly rounded stones I've ever seen. Incidentally, the name Errislannan ( Iorras Fhlannáin ) is derived from the same saint, Flannan, who gave his name to the island and lighthouse in Scotland from where three lightkeepers mysteriously disappeared at the start of the twentieth century. The White Lady's exact location is known as Fishing Point, probably because the fishing is supposed to be good there. Incidentally, one monologue from the beginning of the twentieth century calls her...

My granddaughter, Summer, and niece, Rachel, obviously enjoying one of the fourteen tidal beacons between Coney Island and the county Sligo mainland Before you ask, no, I made up the term tidal beacon . I'm not even sure that its accurate and if anyone has any better suggestions, please let me know. According to Mrs Wikipedia, there are three tidal islands in Ireland, which she lists as Omey Island in Galway, Coney Island in Sligo and Inishkeel in Donegal. I have visited all three and can confirm they can all only be walked to when the tide is low. Coney is my favourite because it has a pub. Off the top of my head, I can think of three more - Shenick Island off the coast of Skerries in county Dublin; Feenish or Finnis Island near Carna; and, a bit doubtfully, Mutton Island in county Clare, to where, I am told, it is possible to walk roughly once every twenty years at super-low tide, with the water up to your shoulders. I am sure there must be more but the top of my head is very cro...

Inishnee ( Inis  Ní ) lies across the water from Roundstone in Connemara. A bridge joins it to the mainland at its northernmost point and it had a population of 43 in 2011, most of them in the two northerly sections of the island. In fact, if water levels rise, it will turn into three separate islands, as only two very narrow strips of land are currently holding it together. The road on the island begins at the bridge and finishes about a third of the way down the southern section. It is a lovely place for a looped walk but at 7am in the morning, I was more concerned about reaching the lighthouse at the southern end of the island. I suspect that the same people who would deny Inishnee's insularity because it is connected by a bridge would also deny that it has a lighthouse because it is a concrete hut. But, as I have said many times in the past, you don't disown your children just because they are ugly. I have no idea if my early morning route to the lighthouse is the easiest ...