commissionersofirishlights

Congratulation for your beautiful Album.

There were 4 lighthouses on Wicklow Head: "Two lighthouses, one on Long Hill, the other on the saddle of the head, were built by the Revenue Commissioners to the design of John Trail their engineer, who previously had been involved with the Grand Canal Company between 1769 and 1777. The two lights were established on 1st September 1781. They not only marked the headland but prevented mariners from confusing Wicklow Head with Howth and Hook Head, both of which had single lights. " "Approval to build two new lighthouses was obtained from Trinity House and the Lord Lieutenant in 1816, and work commenced before the end of the year. Mr George Halpin, the Board's Inspector of Works, designed and supervised the building of the lighthouses which was carried out by the Board's tradesmen. Both towers were erected on the same bearing as the 1781 towers, with the new upper lighthouse close to the old front tower and the new front lighthouse tower down the cliff, 37 metres above high water level." From here.

Google photosphere of this one, the upper 1818 lighthouse. Reverse view showing one of the 1781 lighthouses behind. The lower 1818 lighthouse.

Sharon Corbet The GeoHive 6" from the 1830s shows this as the Upper lighthouse, by the time of the 1908 25" survey, it was disused.

From Sharon Corbet's link :Coinciding with the discontinuance of the upper light in June 1865, the lower light was improved; , so this light was inactive for the entire span 1865-1914.

As a tour guide on the Skelligs in the early '90s I used to love climbing over the wall into the lighthouse and exploring. It was a fabulous place to live I am sure, although remote. Whenever Richard Foran, one of the ex-keepers, would come out to do maintenance a visit to the light was a must, not only to climb up the tower but to hear Richards stories of times gone by over a mug of tea, as must have happened many a time in that house. They were the best two summers of my life working on the rock, 3 weeks on and 1 off with no electricity, no running water, a VHF for communication. It would appear, though, that the Star Wars attraction has overcome the real meaning of visiting the rock, which is to experience what it must have been like for the monks many years ago and the keepers in more modern times to live there.

I watched a fantastic documentary series called Great Lighthouses of Ireland recently. Here is a promotional video which is really worth a look. Great Lighthouses of Ireland | RTÉ One

Mike Grimes How lucky were you, Mike?! (even with the no lecky/no water)

I second the recommendation of the recent RTE series!

Fantastic stuff! This history - www.irishlights.ie/tourism/our-lighthouses/skelligs-rock.... - says "... The dwellings were semi-detached (one house for the Principal Keeper and one for the Assistant) the lower was two-storey, the upper single. Each had attic rooms. The pitched roof of the lower house was flattened circa 1910. Each house had its own cast iron porch and all four are still in situ. ..." The photo on page 38 (see sliding thingy) shows the house with a pitched roof and dated "June 1908" - catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000284024#page/38/mode/1up So after June 1908 at least ?

Effing fabulous pharos photo!

It gives me the willies as well 😀😩!!

Previously ...

Mr Ball must have been on the old lighthouse (on the left above) to look down on the new one growing.

beachcomber australia That makes sense! I had an image of him at the top of a mast trying to take the shot as the ship rocked back and forth!