The North Wall Quay light house was sort of built in and around 1820. Except that the location where it sits did not exist. We are not even certain when the existing version of the lighthouse was built. Was it really in 1904? This article is also a minor celebration of the work of the great lighthouse hero Peter Goulding
There was news that brought much joy to the people of Balbriggan lighthouse. Their lighthouse had finally got its head together.
In 2019 Shane Lowry from Clara in County Offaly won the British Golf Open and underlined his international sporting superstar status. But Lowry was not the first bearded superstar from Offaly. Bindon Blood Stoney was born in County Offaly in 1828 and he would go on to be an engineering heavyweight – though without getting the same acclaim as Lowry.
The name of George Halpin seems to pop up everywhere in Ireland. And Rathlin Island did not evade his engineering pencil; he designed the lighthouse on the east end of Rathlin. Opened in 1856, it was unique by having two lights in order to improve its visibility in foggy conditions.
St. John’s Point Lighthouse, first shone its light in 1844, and was designed by George Halpin Senior – famous for his expansion of Dublin port. It is the tallest onshore lighthouse on the Irish coast (Fastnet is the tallest offshore lighthouse)
Though now the headquarters for a cruising club on Ballydorn Bay, at Strangford Lough, the LV Petrel was commissioned by the Commissioners of Irish Lights in 1913, and built by the Dublin Drydocks Company.
Dun Laoighre East Lighthouse was built in 1847. It is 17 metres and it became fully automated on 31 October 1977. This lighthouse was designed by George Halpin, that super productive engineer of the Ballast Port.
Baily was the last Irish Lighthouse to be unwatched, when during 1996-7 the lighthouse was converted to automatic operation.