Lighthouses possess a particular allure, seen as enduring symbols of hope amidst tempestuous conditions, often providing vital guidance in perilous seas. Located typically on rugged promontories, they endure the brunt of harsh weather and tumultuous waves, which add to their unique appeal and the compelling tales surrounding their keepers who once resided within.
Yet, in this modern era, with all of Ireland’s grand lighthouses now fully automated, the time-honoured profession of lighthouse keeping is part of history. The public, however, now have the opportunity to sample the seclusion, arresting views and sensations once intrinsic to the lives of those who lived in lighthouses.
The ‘Great Lighthouses of Ireland’ initiative, driven by the Irish Lights Commissioners and a myriad of local tourism and heritage organisations, made available around 19,000 overnight stays in four-star lodgings last year. The variety of lighthouses encompassed by this venture are dispersed along the shoreline, from Clare Island in County Mayo to Wicklow Head, and from Antrim through to Cork.
The Hook Head lighthouse, Ireland’s most ancient, has overseen the entrance to Waterford port for over eight centuries. The majority were built in the 19th century with many credited to George Halpin, who constructed the Baily lighthouse in Howth, County Dublin, in 1814. He was responsible for building an additional 52 lighthouses scattered around the coast, and the modernisation of 15 others.
Life for lighthouse keepers was perilous, solitary, and challenging. A remarkable narrartive from David Hare’s book, ‘The Great Lighthouses of Ireland’, recounts a violent storm in December 1894 that battered much of the western coast, notably Eagle Island, home to a lighthouse. Hare interestingly details the devastation to the dwellings, including how the storm shattered the house’s central lantern glass and recounts a story about how one startled housekeeper leapt from bed to discover herself standing in seawater up to her knees.
At St John’s Point Lighthouse in Donegal, one has the opportunity to mull over the passage of 130 vessels from the Spanish Armada that hastily sailed close by the Atlantic shoreline in 1588. Out of these, three of the most colossal were shipwrecked at Streedagh Strand, a short distance away from the lighthouse. Visitors to Galley Head in County Cork may contemplate over the ill-fated journey of the RMS Lusitania; it was ambushed by a German U-Boat on the 7th of May 1915. Despite the valiant attempts at rescuing from the dedicated crews of Galley Head and Kinsale, the ship, considered to be one of the grandest, fastest, and most indulgent of its time, sank within 18 minutes, resulting in an unfortunate loss of 1,198 lives.
Life was not easy for lighthouse keepers, however maintaining a light ship, a moving vessel which served as a beacon, presented an even greater challenge, storms being only one of them. The incident of how the Royal Mail Steamer Leinster collided into and sunk the Albatross lightship at Kish Bank amongst thick fog in September 1902 is etched in history as recalled in Hare’s book.
Over two centuries, the Commissioners of Irish Lights have entrusted generations of scientists, seamen, lighthouse keepers and sailors aboard supply ships to keep the Irish lighting system functional. This duty has seen a significant shift in the recent half century owing to the advent of automation.
Captain Dermot Gray, who heads the Irish Lights Vessel, Granuaile, fondly remembers how four supply vessels supported the community of lighthouse keepers and their families. He is the offspring of a former Irish Lights captain, Denis Gray. As per him, automation coupled with solar energy has redefined their work. A considerable portion of their work now revolves around moving buoys, transferring maintenance crews to the lighthouses, carrying out hydrographic work and contributing to scientific research through certain commercial assignments.
Category one lighthouses are subject to an annual downtime regulation of no more than 17 hours.
Yvonne Shields O’Connor, the current Chief Executive of the Commissioners of Irish Lights, takes an optimistic view of the evolving role of the institution.
The woman indicates the “authentic map” by the Marine Institute, depicting Ireland’s maritime territory -an area exceeding 10 times the size of the country’s terrestrial area. The region, which spans 880,000 square kilometers, incorporates offshore, renewable wind energy sectors, areas of scientific exploration, environmental protection, security interests, and joint initiatives like the early flood warning systems through buoy positioning in collaboration with Met Éireann.
She outlined their triple core statutory responsibilities. Their functions include operating the general aids to navigation along the coastline, which involves taking care of lights, buoys, and beacons outside the main ports and harbours. This fundamental role meets the government’s requirements under the Solas (Safety of Life at Sea) convention which mandates that lights in category one lighthouses, an essential navigational aid, can be inactive for only 17 hours annually.
Moreover, their organisation is authorised to give consent for all local navigational aids. These refer to the smaller ports, harbours, fish farms, and outfall pipes which require lighting and marking. With around 3,500 local aids along the coast, they are obliged to review and audit them biennially.
Despite the absence of lightkeepers in lighthouses and surrounding structures, Irish Lights continues to have maintenance duties for the infrastructure, including many heritage buildings. Shields O’Connor is pleased that Irish Lights has numerous local “outreach” partners to achieve this. One such example is the Old Wicklow Head Lighthouse, where the Irish Heritage Trust handles visitor accommodation.
Affirming their commitment to local communities, she said, “Over the past decade, we’ve adopted a highly strategic approach to collaborating with local communities. This is evident in initiatives like the Great Lighthouses of Ireland”.