Lighthouses and other navigational aids have been recorded as far back as the 5th century, when the monks of Rinn Dubháin in Co. Wexford (now known as Hook Head) lit a beacon to warn shipping away from dangerous rocks. In 1207, William Marshal ordered the building of a lighthouse here to guide boats up the river to his thriving town of New Ross. He enrolled the monks as the first lighthouse keepers and they remained as custodians for several centuries. Hook Lighthouse is one of the oldest working lighthouses in the world. Most lighthouses you see have been built within the last 200 years. The Commissioners of Irish Lights operate over 70 of them and although no longer manned, still play a vital role in maritime safety.
Fanad Head Lighthouse, Fanad Head. County Donegal 1817
emmet2023-10-05T16:06:17+00:00One of the most beautiful lighthouses in the world Fanad Head Lighthouse is located at the mouth of Lough Swilly on one of the wildest and most dramatic headlands in Ireland. The landscape [...]