Nestled in the heart of Hook Lighthouse in southwest Co Wexford, our tour guide Jon Pearce overflows with information and tales, revealing his deep enthusiasm for this location. On a bleak Thursday, he shares that the lighthouse at Hook holds the distinction of being the oldest and still actively functioning globally. “This 800-year-old tower we’re about to ascend has seen constant use, although a beacon has been burning on the Hook peninsula since the 5th century. That original flame was kindled by monks, particularly Dubhán, who journeyed from Wales with the intention of safeguarding this area for mariners.”
Many individuals from southern Wexford spent Sunday afternoons visiting “the Hook” during their childhood. Nevertheless, the origin’s name did not often cross their minds. Pearce explains, “If you trace the meaning of St Dubhán’s name from ancient Irish back to English, it translates roughly into ‘fishing hook’ or hook’s tip, and thus we have the Hook peninsula’s name.”
The lighthouse tower, standing 36m tall with a white façade and two unique black bands, has three-meter-thick walls or more. Its robust construction is crucial for withstanding the harsh conditions associated with its exposure to the turbulent waters where the Celtic Sea, St George’s Channel, and the Atlantic Ocean converge at the Waterford Harbour estuary and collide with the outflow of the ‘three sisters’ rivers – Nore, Suir and Barrow.
Our guide elaborates that, compounded by fierce winds, unpredictable weather, fog, and occasional storms, this locale “suddenly morphs into one of the most perilous areas for sailing globally”. He continues, “Only two locations surpass Hook lighthouse in danger – the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa and Cape Horn in Chile.”
He proceeds to substantiate his statement with historical data. “From Hook lighthouse stretching to Kilmore Quay and Saltee Islands, this entire coastline is ominously referred to as ‘The Graveyard of 1,000 Ships’. As daunting as that sounds, the actual count of wrecked vessels exceeds that figure.”
Emerging from the efforts of St Dubhán and his companions, who began the practice of lighting fires around 1,500 years ago, the goal of shielding individuals from dangers persists. The value of the beacon spotted by the Vikings was acknowledged, and they surprisingly did not interfere with the monks during their movements as they founded the Waterford city in the tenth century. In the early 1200s, the region was under the control of William Marshal, a feudal lord of Leinster, and Anglo-Norman nobility Strongbow’s son-in-law, as monks utilised the peninsula’s limestone to construct an existing tower aiming at enhancing the safeguarding of what has gradually transformed into a critical shipping channel.
In the 1670s, glass was placed around the coal fire to augment the protection of the caution light, following multiple shipwrecks. The beacon started being lit by a lamp operating on whale oil in 1791. It was soon after that soldiers from the nearby Duncannon Fort stationed the lighthouse during the rebellion staged in 1798. The management of the system became somewhat official afterwards, with the selection of lighthouse keepers in an orderly manner. Daniel Kirwan, listed in an honour roll displayed inside, was titled the inaugural in 1810.
A drastic shift occurred from utilising oil to gas power for the lighthouse in 1871. A decade later, a mechanism was integrated that allowed the beacon to vary from a steady to a pulsating light. In the early 1970s, electricity was introduced, and despite being referred to as “electrickery” by sceptics, it was embraced. The last primary keeper, Thomas “Tucks” Tweedy, who had his father’s and brother’s names also listed on the honour roll, made way when the system was entirely automated in 1996.
Uttering his appreciation for those responsible for managing the lighthouse for over 170 years, Pearce touched upon their duty of ensuring the safety of our ancestors embarking upon voyages to foreign lands, showing a uniform once adorned by the lighthouse keepers. He mentioned his connection with these people was his partner, Fiona, who had served16 years in the lifeboat service. He also acknowledged the contribution of countless named and unnamed individuals, who would throw their weight behind any emergency, a distinctly Irish characteristic. According to him, the relentless search these individuals made, both in the day and at night, even for seemingly hopeless situations, cannot be overstated.
During the past, the value of a hero was gauged by how many lives they were able to save. Anyone who donned the uniform is revered as a hero in my eyes,” says Rory McGee, who manages operations and engineering at The Commissioners of Irish Lights, an organisation responsible for monitoring the maritime navigation network of Ireland.
Despite technological advancements, McGee comments that the 60 lighthouses, including Hook, spread across the coastline still execute the same primary role they have always performed. With today’s electronic navigation, the lighthouses stand as a form of comforting backup to offer guidance when things inevitably do not go according to plan.
McGee observed that amidst the various things evolving with time, the lighthouse network is also on a path of modernisation, looking to shift to a more eco-friendly model. At Hook, LED lights have replaced traditional ones as they illuminate the Fresnel lens inside the beacon, which signals once every three seconds throughout the night and has a range of 29 kilometres; its unique hallmark.
Less manual operation has allowed the lighthouses across Ireland to accommodate more visitors. The former residences of the keepers at Hook have been converted into a visitor centre, augmenting services with a restaurant and a gift shop. This initiative seems to be a success, given the cars and buses in the car park, hailing from different countries including the UK, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands.
A visitor’s book at the centre records entries from tourists from all across the globe, including a couple from the United States marvelling at the 800 years of history they got to witness. Over two hundred thousand individuals visited last year alone, with the majority of them being local Irish residents, according to Elaine Wallace, part of the management team at the centre.
An essential part of the project aims to generate employment opportunities for inhabitants of distant communities, where safeguarding the coastline through tourism and fishing is of notable importance. One resident, Pearce, living in the Hook Peninsula, states his profound attachment to the lighthouse, terming it “its significance immense.” He elaborates how the lighthouse serves as a guiding symbol for his partner Fiona, a local angler, reassuring her that she’s safe at sea, making the lighthouse much more than just a structure to them.
“Upon earning a windfall of £3 million lottery prize, abandoning my house and leaving Hook wouldn’t strike my mind, as the very thought of severing ties with this place leaves a tinge of melancholy. The absence of familiar glitter will disrupt my well-being. Being a beacon, symbolising familial bond, a guiding light, it stands as a significant part of our heritage, making the proximity to the Hook lighthouse a sheer delight.
As per schedule, Arthur Beesley is set to drop in at the Fanad Head lighthouse situated on the northern edges of Co Donegal this Monday.”