Lighthouses of Eastern Ireland (Leinster)

Ireland is traditionally divided into four provinces: Leinster in the east, Munster in the southwest, Connacht in the west, and Ulster in the north. These regions have no administrative function, but they remain convenient divisions of the island. This page covers lighthouses of Leinster, including the counties of Louth, Meath, Fingal, Dublin City, Dun Laoghaire–Rathdown, Wicklow, and Wexford.

Shipping is heavy along this coast, which faces England and Wales across St. George's Channel and the Irish Sea. The coast is guarded by a series of historic and well-known lighthouses maintained by the Commissioners of Irish Lights. Founded in 1786 by the Irish Parliament, the Commissioners maintain lighthouses in both Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic. Much less well known are a number of harbor lighthouses, including several rare screwpile lighthouses.

The Irish language is spoken commonly as a first or second language in Ireland. The Irish phrase for a lighthouse is teach solais (plural tithe solais). Oileán (plural oileáin) is an island, rinn is a cape, and cuan is a harbor.

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. CIL numbers are from the light list of the Commissioners of Irish Lights. Admiralty numbers are from Volume A of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA numbers are from Publication 114.

General Sources
Commissioners of Irish Lights - Aids to Navigation
An interactive map leads to pages for each of the CIL lighthouses.
Online List of Lights - Ireland
Photos of Irish lights by various photographers posted by Alex Trabas.
Lighthouses in Ireland
Aerial photos posted by Marinas.com.
Pete's Irish Lighthouses
Peter Goulding's informative blog on the lighthouses of Ireland.
Lights of Ireland
Photos by John Eagle posted by Bill Britten on his Lighthouse Getaway site.
Majaky - Irsko
Photos by Anna Jenšíková.
Lighthouses in Ireland
Photos available from Wikimedia; many of these photos were first posted on Geograph.org.uk.
Lightships in Ireland
Current information from Iris Klempau.
Britische Leuchttürme auf historischen Postkarten
Historic postcard images posted by Klaus Huelse. Irish lighthouses are at the bottom of the page.


Hook Head Light, Waterford, September 2006
Flickr Creative Commons photo by artur231
County Louth Lighthouses
* Greenore
1830. Inactive since 1986. Approx. 11 m (36 ft) round stone tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white, gallery rail red. Aubrey Dale's photo is at right, Goulding has photos, and Google has a satellite view. This abandoned lighthouse is deteriorating and endangered by lack of maintenance. Located off Euston Street near the former ferry terminal on the Greenore waterfront, on the south side of Carlingford Lough. Site and tower closed, but the lighthouse can be viewed from outside the wall. Owner/ site manager: unknown. ARLHS IRE-037.
Dundalk
1855 (Alexander Mitchell). Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); flash every 15 s, white or red depending on direction; a green light occulting once every 5 s is shown over a narrow sector to the southeast from a focal plane of 8 m (26 ft). 10 m (33 ft) lantern and watch room mounted on an octagonal platform supported by piles. Lantern painted white, pilings painted red. Fog horn (3 blasts every 60 s). Trabas has a distant photo. One of only three pile lighthouses still in service in the British Isles, Spit Bank Light at Cork being one of the others (see the Southwestern Ireland page). A new solar-powered light with reduced range was installed in June 2011. Located at the entrance to Dundalk Harbour from Dundalk Bay. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Operator: Commissioners of Irish Lights. ARLHS IRE-094; CIL-1000; Admiralty A5920; NGA 6696.
* #Clogherhead (1)
Date unknown. Demolished in 2007. Light formerly mounted on a 2-story concrete and metal pier building. No photo available. Construction of a new harbor eliminated this light; it was replaced by a light (two red flashes every 9 s, one short and one long) on a short red pole. A photo of the new pier is available, and Google has a satellite view of the harbor. Located on the waterfront of Port Oriel, the fishing port of Clogherhead, about 13 km (8 mi) northeast of Drogheda. Site open, tower closed. Operator: unknown. Admiralty A5919.

Greenore Light, Greenore, May 2006
Geograph Creative Commons photo by Aubrey Dale
* Aleria (Drogheda)
1936. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); quick-flashing green light. 10 m (33 ft) concrete pedestal atop a round solid stone beacon. The stone is unpainted; the pedestal is white. Trabas has a photo showing restoration of the stonework in progress, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of a rubblestone jetty on the north side of the entrance to the River Boyne about 7 km (4.5 mi) east of Drogheda. Site open, tower closed. Operator: Drogheda Port Company. ARLHS IRE-136; Admiralty A5912; NGA 6692.

County Meath Lighthouses
* Drogheda North (2)
About 1880 (station established 1842). Recently inactive. 7 m (23 ft) octagonal pyramidal cast iron tower with lantern and gallery. Lantern painted white, skeletal tower black. 1-story keeper's house and other light station buildings. Goulding has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. The three Drogheda lighthouses were built to guide ships entering the River Boyne and the port of Drogheda. The surrounding area is being developed, but the lighthouse sites have been set aside as special protected areas. Located on the south side of the river entrance near Mornington, about 6 km (4 mi) east of Drogheda. Site and tower closed (private property), but the lighthouse can be viewed from nearby. Operator: Drogheda Port Company. ARLHS IRE-103; ex-Admiralty A5911.
* Drogheda West (Range Rear) (2)
About 1880 (station established 1842). Inactive since 2000. 8 m (26 ft) octagonal cylindrical cast iron tower with lantern and gallery. Lantern painted white, skeletal tower black. 1-story keeper's house. Goulding has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. The three Drogheda lighthouses were built to guide ships entering the River Boyne and the port of Drogheda, and the two range lights were built on rails so that their position could be adjusted to fit changes in the entrance channel. The surrounding area is being developed, but the lighthouse sites have been set aside as special protected areas. Located 85 m (280 ft) west of the front light. Site and tower closed (private property), but the lighthouse can be viewed from nearby. Owner/site manager: unknown. ARLHS IRE-025; ex-Admiralty A5910.1.
* Drogheda East (Range Front) (2)
About 1880 (station established 1842). Inactive since 2000. 7 m (23 ft) octagonal pyramidal cast iron tower with lantern and gallery, painted black. A brick wall surrounds the lighthouse. Kieran Campbell's photo is at right, Goulding has photos, and Google has a satellite view. The three Drogheda lighthouses were built to guide ships entering the River Boyne and the port of Drogheda, and the two range lights were built on rails so that their position could be adjusted to fit changes in the entrance channel. The surrounding area is being developed, but the lighthouse sites have been set aside as special protected areas. Located at the end of Coney Hall Road, on the south side of the river entrance near Mornington, about 6 km (4 mi) east of Drogheda. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: unknown. ARLHS IRE-024; ex-Admiralty A5910.
Drogheda East Light
Drogheda East Light, Drogheda, September 2007
Geograph Creative Commons photo by Kieran Campbell

County Fingal Lighthouses
* Balbriggan
1769. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); directional light: three flashes every 20 s, white, red, or green depending on direction. 11 m (36 ft) round stone tower with gallery, attached to 1-story keeper's house. Lantern removed around 1960; the light is displayed from a short mast atop the capped tower. Lighthouse painted white. William Murphy's photo is at right, Trabas has a closeup photo by John Eagle, Goulding has closeup photos, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view. Huelse has a historic postcard view showing the original appearance of the lighthouse. This is Ireland's second oldest active lighthouse, after Hook Head; it was built by a local nobleman, Baron George Hamilton, to promote commercial development of the port. Fingal County Council is working to restore the lighthouse and replace the lantern. Located at the end of Lighthouse Quay in Balbriggan; accessible by walking the short quay. Site open, tower closed. Operator: Dublin Port Company. ARLHS IRE-004; Admiralty A5908; NGA 6672.
* Skerries Bay Pierhead
Date unknown (station established 1878). Active; focal plane 7 m (23 ft); red light occulting once every 6 s. 7 m (26 ft) square equipment room, painted white, mounted atop the concrete pier; the light is displayed through a window. Trabas has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of the breakwater pier in Skerries. Site open, tower closed. Operator: unknown. ARLHS IRE-138; Admiralty A5906; NGA 6668.
Rockabill
1860. Active; focal plane 45 m (148 ft); flash every 12 s, white toward the sea and red toward the land. 32 m (105 ft) round granite and limestone tower with lantern and gallery, painted white with one broad black horizontal band. Fog horn (4 blasts every 60 s); light is shown when the horn is operating during the day. 2-story keeper's house and other buildings. A 2007 photo is available, Marinas.com has good aerial photos, Trabas also has an aerial photo by John Eagle, Goulding has distant views, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a good satellite view. Located on the larger of two small rocky islands about 5 km (3 mi) east of Skerries, northeast of Dublin. Accessible only by boat or helicopter; there are distant views from Skerries. Site and tower closed. Operator: Commissioners of Irish Lights. ARLHS IRE-062; CIL-0960; Admiralty A5904; NGA 6664.
Balbriggan Light
Balbriggan Light, Balbriggan, June 2007
Flickr Creative Commons photo by William Murphy
* Howth Harbour (1)
1818 (John Rennie). Inactive since 1982. 10 m (33 ft) round stone tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a 2-story stone keeper's house. Tower unpainted; lantern painted white, gallery rail red. The station is partly surrounded by a semicircular stone sea wall, which formerly protected an artillery position. A photo is at right, Goulding has a page with good photos, a nice 2006 photo and a 2008 photo are available, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse continues to be well maintained as a daybeacon. This is one of a pair of lighthouses designed by John Rennie to guide packets boats sailing beween Howth Harbour and Holyhead Harbour, Anglesey (see Wales for the twin lighthouse). Located at the end of the east pier at Howth Harbour; Howth is accessible by a bridge from the foot of Watermill Road, Dublin. Site appears open, tower closed. Site manager: Commissioners of Irish Lights. ARLHS IRE-126.
* Howth Harbour (2)
1982 (station established 1818). Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); two flashes every 7.5 s, white shown southeastward over the harbor entrance and red in other directions. 10 m (33 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with gallery; light displayed from a short mast. The tower is white; gallery rail painted red. Trabas has a photo, a photo showing both lighthouses is available, Goulding has a closeup photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a spur of the Howth East Pier, near the old lighthouse. Site open, tower closed. Operator: Dublin Port Company. ARLHS IRE-039; CIL-0900; Admiralty A5900; NGA 6656.
* Baily
1814. Active; focal plane 41 m (134 ft); white flash every 15 s. 13 m (42 ft) round granite tower with lantern and gallery. Tower unpainted; lantern painted white, gallery rail red. 375 mm lens; the 1st order Fresnel lens used 1902-1972 is on display at the National Maritime Museum of Ireland in Dún Laoghaire. Trabas has a closeup, Tom Cosgrave has a photo, Marinas.com has aerial photos, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. This historic and famous light station, often called simply "The Baily," replaced a 1667 cottage-style lighthouse high atop Howth Head. The lighthouse is surrounded by buildings, including a 2-story principal keeper's house built in 1953 (occupied by a resident attendent), two 1892 assistant keeper's houses (sold as private residences in 1995) and a 3-story building used as a school for supernumerary assistant lightkeepers from 1973 to 1995. The lighthouse was the last in Ireland to be automated, in 1997. The station is the helicopter base for Kish Bank and Rockabill Lights and has radar and communications equipment operated by the Dublin Port Company for port control. In 2012, the former lightkeepers school was leased by Decisions [D4H], a company producing software for emergency response team management. Located at the southeastern tip of the Howth Peninsula, which juts into the north side of Dublin Bay. Accessible by road. Site open, tower closed. Operator: Commissioners of Irish Lights. ARLHS IRE-040; CIL-0890; Admiralty A5898; NGA 6652.
Howth Harbour Light
1818 Howth Harbour Light, Dublin, April 2005
Flickr Creative Commons photo by jaqian

County Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown and Dublin City Lighthouses
* Lightship Kittiwake (South Rock)
1959. Decommissioned 2007. 40.8 (134 ft) steel lightship; hexagonal skeletal light tower with lantern and gallery amidships. Entire ship painted red. Fog horn (3 blasts every 45 s). Google has a satellite view. Marinas.com has aerial photos of the ship on station. Formerly located about 1.2 km (3/4 mi) east of the South Rock lighthouse in Northern Ireland. Kittywake was decommissioned in 2007 and sold to a private owner in Dublin, Harry Crosbie. Goulding has photos of the ship moored on the north side of the Liffey in October 2008. William Murphey has a February 2009 photo and reported that the ship was once again for sale. In August 2011, Crosbie's plan to raise the ship onto the North Quay and convert it to a café and bar was rejected. In September 2012, Crosbie sold the ship to the Dublin Port Company, as reported in a comment on Goulding's blog. At last report, DPC has not announced its plans for the vessel. Moored at the North Wall Quay just west of the East-Link Bridge. Site open, vessel closed. ARLHS NTI-027; Admiralty A5966; NGA 6772.
* North Wall Quay (Dublin Port) (2)
1904 (station established 1820). Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); quick white flash every 2 s. 12 m (39 ft) round cylindrical cast iron tower with lantern and gallery, painted black with two white horizontal bands. Trabas has an excellent photo, Goulding has photos, Gerald England has a view from the sea, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of the North Wall Quay on the north side of the River Liffey in Dublin. Site open, tower closed. Operator: Dublin Port Company. ARLHS IRE-109; Admiralty A5894; NGA 6648.
#Alexandra Basin East Breakwater
1886. Deactivated and demolished in 2004. Formerly a 16 m (52 ft) square cylindrical brick tower with lantern and gallery, located at the end of the breakwater quay on the north side of the entrance to the River Liffey in Dublin. ARLHS IRE-099; ex-Admiralty A5888.
North Bank
1882. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); green light, 7 s on, 1 s off. 11 m (36 ft) square cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery, mounted on concrete piles. Tower painted green, lantern white. A fog bell, hanging from the gallery, is not in use. Trabas has a good photo by Douglas Cameron, C.W. Bash also has a photo, Goulding has a distant view, Marinas.com has aerial photos, Eirian Evans has an aerial photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the north side of the River Liffey entrance channel about 1.5 km (1 mi) west of North Bull Light. Accessible only by boat, but there are views from the South Wall. Site and tower closed. Operator: Dublin Port Company. ARLHS IRE-108; Admiralty A5886; NGA 6632.
North Bull
1880. Active; focal plane 15 m (50 ft); three green flashes every 10 s. 15 m (49 ft) round stone tower, painted green with white trim. Lantern removed; the light is displayed from a short mast atop the capped tower. Trabas has a closeup photo, Eirian Evans has a good aerial photo, Goulding has photos taken from the Poolbeg lighthouse, Marinas.com also has aerial photos, and Google has a fuzzy satelllite view. The entrance to the River Liffey is constrained between the South Wall and the North Bull Wall, but the northern wall is designed so that the section leading to the lighthouse is only exposed at low water; the effect of this is that scouring by the ebb tide tends to keep the channel open. Located at the end of the North Bull Wall, opposite Poolbeg Light. Accessible only by boat, but there is an excellent view from Poolbeg Light on the South Wall. Site and tower closed. Operator: Dublin Port Company. ARLHS IRE-054; Admiralty A5884; NGA 6628.
* Poolbeg (2)
1820 (station established 1768). Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); red light, 8 s on, 4 s off, 4 s on, 4 s off. 20 m (66 ft) round stone tower with lantern and gallery. Entire structure painted red. Gerald O'Sullivan's photo is at right, Trabas has a great closeup photo, Goulding has a page with photos, a 2007 closeup is available, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a fuzzy satellite view. Located at the end of the South Wall, a long breakwater that protects the entrance to the River Liffey and Dublin's inner harbor from shoaling. Accessible in good weather by walking the breakwater, a round trip of about 4 km (2.4 mi). Site open, tower closed. Operator: Dublin Port Company. ARLHS IRE-057; Admiralty A5882; NGA 6620.
Poolbeg Light
Poolbeg Light, Dublin, June 2007
Flickr Creative Commons photo by Gerald O'Sullivan
* Dún Laoghaire West
1852. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); three green flashes every 7.5 s. 9 m (29 ft) round stone tower with lantern and gallery. Tower unpainted; lantern and gallery painted green with a white horizontal band. Andrew Wilkinson's photo is at right, Nick Huggins has a good 2007 photo, Trabas has a closeup photo, and Google has a satellite view. The lantern was painted green in 1996. Lighthouse located at the end of the west pier, a large stone structure. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. Operator: Commissioners of Irish Lights. ARLHS IRE-027; Admiralty A5874; NGA 6604.
* Carlisle Pier (Mailboat Pier)
Date unknown (station established 1908). Active; focal plane 9 m (30 ft); red flash every 3 s. Light mounted atop the second story of a 3-story building, which appears abandoned in Trabas's photo. The Carlisle Pier is on the Dún Laoghaire waterfront near the foot of the East Breakwater. Site open, tower closed. Operator: unknown. Admiralty A5876; NGA 6608.
* Dún Laoghaire East
1847. Active; focal plane 16 m (53 ft); two red flashes every 10 s. 12.5 m (41 ft) round stone tower with lantern and gallery. Tower unpainted; lantern and gallery rail painted red. Two keeper's houses built on the pier. Fog horn (blast every 30 s). Trabas has a fine photo, William Murphy has a good closeup, the light is in the background of Andrew Wilkinson's photo at right, and Google has a satellite view. The red trim color was added to the lighthouse in 1996, the year after the Carters took their photo. Dún Laoghaire, formerly called Kingstown, is a port at the south entrance to Dublin Bay; it is also the headquarters of the Commissioners of Irish Lights. Lighthouse located at the end of the east pier, a large stone structure. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. Operator: Commissioners of Irish Lights. ARLHS IRE-026; Admiralty A5872; NGA 6600.
Muglins
1880 (lighted since 1906). Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); white flash every 5 s. 9 m (30 ft) round conical solid stone tower, painted white with one red horizontal band. Access to the light atop the tower is by an external ladder. Trabas has an excellent photo, Goulding has a closeup and a distant view, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a rock off Dalkey, southeast of Dublin. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Operator: Commissioners of Irish Lights. ARLHS IRE-088; CIL-0800; Admiralty A5868; NGA 6596.
Dun Laoghaire Lighthouses
Dún Laoghaire West (foreground) and East Lights
Dún Laoghaire, August 2008
Flickr Creative Commons photo by Andrew Wilkinson
Kish Bank
1965 (lightship station established 1811). Active; focal plane 29 m (94 ft); two white flashes every 20 s. 31 m (100 ft) round concrete and steel tower incorporating keeper's quarters, with lantern and four galleries, topped by a large helipad. Lighthouse painted white with one broad horizontal red band. Fog horn (2 blasts every 30 s). Marinas.com has excellent aerial photos, a nice closeup is available, and Trabas has a photo by John Eagle. The construction of this offshore lighthouse was an engineering triumph. Designed by Christiani & Nielsen Ltd., the entire lighthouse was prefabricated so that it fit into its own caisson. After the caisson was sunk into place, the telescoped sections of the tower were raised, and the lighthouse was completed in a little over three months. Located on a notorious rocky shoal southeast of Dublin. Accessible only by helicopter. Site and tower closed. Operator: Commissioners of Irish Lights. ARLHS IRE-048; CIL-0850; Admiralty A5865; NGA 6592.

County Wicklow Lighthouses
* Wicklow East Pier
1884. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); flash every 5 s, white or red depending on direction. 7 m (23 ft) round cast iron tower with lantern, painted white with a red horizontal band at the base. 5th order (?) Fresnel lens in use. Trabas has a great closeup photo, Aubrey Dale has an excellent photo, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view. Davida De La Harpe's 2006 photo shows the lighthouse freshly painted. Located at the end of the east pier at Wicklow. Site status unknown; may be accessible by walking the pier. Operator: Wicklow Harbour Commissioners. ARLHS IRE-113; Admiralty A5854; NGA 6576.
* Wicklow Head High (1)
1781 (John Trail). Inactive since 1818. 31 m (100 ft) octagonal granite tower; lantern replaced with a brick dome. David Quinn's photo is at right, Davida De La Harpe has a photo of both lighthouses, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse and its accompanying low light were discontinued because they were too high to be seen in poor weather. The low light was demolished. Lightning struck this tower in 1863, causing a fire that gutted the interior. Because the tower was useful as a daybeacon, it was preserved in 1866 by being capped with a brick dome. In 1996 the Irish Landmark Trust leased the lighthouse, restored the interior of the 6-floor building and made it available for vacation housing. Located about 4 km (2.5 mi) southeast of Wicklow. Accessible by road. Site open, tower open only to paying guests. Site manager: Irish Landmark Trust. ARLHS IRE-084.
* Wicklow Head High (2)
1818 (station established 1781) (George Halpin). Inactive since 1865. Approx. 20 m (66 ft) round stone tower with gallery; lantern removed. Lighthouse originally painted white, but only traces of the paint remain. David Quinn has a fine photo, Davida De La Harpe has a photo of both lighthouses, and Google has a satellite view. This tower occupies nearly the same location as the original (1781) low light. A photo is at right. Located about 4 km (2.5 mi) southeast of Wicklow. Accessible by road. Site open, tower closed. Site manager: Commissioners of Irish Lights. ARLHS IRE-083.
* Wicklow Head Low (2)
1818 (station established 1781) (George Halpin). Active; focal plane 37 m (121 ft); three white flashes, separated by 2.3 s, every 15 s. 14 m (46 ft) round stone tower with lantern and gallery, painted white; gallery rail painted red. 4th order (?) Fresnel lens. Two 2-story keeper's houses. Trabas has a closeup photo of the lighthouse, Goulding has a page with good photos, David Quinn has an excellent photo, Marinas.com has aerial photos, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse was built much lower than its predecessors, which required placing it in a notch cut into the cliff. Site and tower closed, but the lighthouse can be viewed from above. Operator: Commissioners of Irish Lights. ARLHS IRE-079; CIL-0700; Admiralty A5850; NGA 6572.
* Lightship Albatross (light tower and lantern)
1925 (H. Robb Ltd, Leith). Decommissioned 1970. 31 m (102 ft) steel lightship; light shown from a round lantern on a slender mast amidships. In 2000 the ship was sold to James Tyrrell and moved to Arklow. The light tower was removed and restored and is displayed on the North Quay. Goulding has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. The rest of the ship was returned to Dublin, but in 2011 it was towed to the Medway, off the Thames below London, where it was for sale. Leith Shipyards has a page for the ship. Site open, tower closed.
Old Wicklow High Light
1781 Wicklow High Light, Wicklow, February 2008
Geograph Creative Commons photo by David Quinn
#Lightship Skua
1960. Decommissioned 2004. 36.3 m (119 ft) steel lightship; hexagonal skeletal light tower with lantern and gallery amidships. Entire ship painted red. The ship was converted to an automated lightfloat in 1982. It served alternately on the South Rock and Coningbeg stations, but in later years it was moored at Dún Laoghaire as CIL's reserve lightfloat. The Carters have a photo of the ship in harbor at Dún Laoghaire in 1995. In December 2004, Skua was declared redundant and listed for sale. It was purchased by Arklow Shipping, and in June 2005 the ship was towed to Arklow. However, in January 2006 the ship was once again for sale for £50,000. The ship was apparently sold in the summer of 2007. Goulding has photos of the ship still moored at Arklow on 29 June 2008, another photo shows it there in March 2009, Clem Mason has a 2011 photo, and Google has a satellite view. Sadly, in October 2012, the lightship was in the process of being scrapped. The lantern was saved for future display at a site not yet known. Formerly moored on the North Quay at Arklow. ARLHS IRE-122.
* Roadstone Jetty (Arklow Head)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 9 m (30 ft); red light, 8 s on, 2 s off. Light mounted atop a 7 m (23 ft) 2-story corrugated iron building. Trabas has a photo of what might be Ireland's ugliest lighthouse, and Google has a satellite view. The Roadstone Jetty serves a large rock quarry at Arklow Head, about 2 km (1.25 mi) south of Arklow Harbour. Located at the end of the jetty. Site open, tower closed. Operator: unknown. Admiralty A5847; NGA 6560.

County Wexford Lighthouses
* Rosslare Pierhead (2)
1906 (station established 1881). Active; focal plane 15 m (50 ft); directional light: white, red, or green depending on direction, occulting once every 5 s. Approx. 7.5 m (25 ft) round cast iron tower with lantern and gallery, painted red with white trim. Linda Bailey has a photo, Trabas has a good photo by John Eagle, another photo is available, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. The first pier light was replaced when a new pier was built in 1906. Rosslare was then, and still is, a major port of entry to Ireland for ferries from Wales, England, and France; a 2007 photo shows a Stena Line ferry moored behind the lighthouse. Located at the end of the main pier in Rosslare Harbour. Site status unknown; may be accessible by walking the pier. Operator: Irish Rail (Rosslare Europort). ARLHS IRE-064; Admiralty A5842; NGA 6544.
Tuskar Rock
1815. Active; focal plane 33 m (108 ft); two quick white flashes every 7.5 s. 34 m (111 ft) round granite tower with lantern and gallery attached to 2-story keeper's house. Buildings painted white; gallery rail painted red. Fog horn (4 blasts every 45 s). Blair Kelly's photo is at right, Trabas has a nice photo by John Eagle, and Marinas.com has excellent aerial photos of the station. There was a shore station at Rosslare, but the keeper's houses there were sold in 1973. Located on an isolated rocky islet 11 km (7 mi) off the southeastern corner of Ireland, marking the entrance to St. George's Channel. Accessible only by helicopter, but there are distant views from ferries arriving at or departing from Rosslare. Site and tower closed. Operator: Commissioners of Irish Lights. ARLHS IRE-076; CIL-0470; Admiralty A5838; NGA 6540.
**** Lightship Guillemot
1923. Decommissioned 1968. 31 m (101 ft) single-masted steel lightship; the light was shown from a large lantern atop the mainmast. Entire ship painted red. Malcolm McGrath has a 2007 photo, Goulding has August 2008 photos, and Google has a somewhat fuzzy satellite view. After its retirement the ship was sold to the Wexford Maritime Committee, and since 1974 it has been displayed on land at Kilmore Quay as a maritime museum. Since the ship was sold with all its original furniture and fittings, it appears in historically accurate condition. Site open, ship open daily June through September. Site manager: Kilmore Quay Maritime Heritage Centre. ARLHS IRE-114.
Tuskar Rock Light
Tuskar Rock Light, Irish Sea, August 2004
Flickr Creative Commons photo by Blair Kelly
**** Hook Head
About 1172, though much altered over the centuries. Active; focal plane 46 m (152 ft); quick white flash every 3 s. 35 m (115 ft) round broadly cylindrical stone tower topped by a 19th century watch room lantern and a second gallery. Tower painted with black and white horizontal bands; watch room and lantern painted white; gallery rail painted red. Keeper's house and other buildings. Fog horn (two blasts every 45 s). A photo is at the top of this page, Trabas has a fine photo, Goulding has a photo, Wikimedia has several good photos, Marinas.com has aerial photos, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a good satellite view. One of the oldest active lighthouses in the world. The original tower, 18 m (60 ft) tall, was begun by Raymond LeGros, a Norman noble, and completed in the early 1200s by William Marshal, Earl of Pembrokeshire. At some later time (little is known about the early history of the light), the tower was enclosed by a larger tower, 24 m (80 ft) tall, with a spiral stairway between the older and newer outer walls. The lighthouse displayed a fire tended by Augustine monks until the outbreak of the English Civil War in 1641. The light was extinguished until 1667, when it was renewed by Sir Richard Reading. The open fires were finally replaced by a lantern in the 1790s; the present lantern and Fresnel lens were installed in 1864. After being automated in 1996, the station became a well-known historic attraction. In 2012, a €150,000 grant improved visitor facilities. Located at the end of a narrow peninsula at the eastern entrance to Waterford Harbour. Accessible by road; parking provided. Site open, tower and visitor facilities open daily all year; tower access is by guided tours only. Operator: Commissioners of Irish Lights. Site manager: Hook Heritage, Ltd. ARLHS IRE-038; CIL-0380; Admiralty A5798; NGA 6460.
Duncannon Fort (Range Front)
Date unknown (before 1838; station established 1774). Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); directional light: white, red, or green depending on direction, 3 s on, 1 s off. 7.5 m (25 ft) round white tower mounted on the walls of Duncannon Fort. Trabas has a closeup photo, Marinas.com has good aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view. Until fairly recently this lighthouse was the front light of a range, the Duncannon North Light being the rear light. Parts of the fort date to the 15th century, and it remained in military use until 1986. Ownership of the fort was transferred to the Wexford County Council in 1993. Located at Duncannon on the east side of Waterford Harbour about 20 km (12.5 mi) north of Hook Head. Fort open for tours daily June through August, but the area around the tower is closed. Operator: Port of Waterford. Site manager: Wexford County Council. ARLHS IRE-081; Admiralty A5806; NGA 6476.
* Duncannon North (Range Rear)
1838. Inactive since 2006 (an unofficial light may be displayed). 10.5 m (35 ft) round stone tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. 1-story keeper's house and other buildings enclosed by a stone wall. Entire lighthouse painted white. Frank Peters's photo is at right, Joe Cashin also has a good photo, Goulding has a page with photos, and Google has a satellite view. This is the original (1817) Roche's Point Light (see Southwest Ireland), dismantled and rebuilt at Duncannon in 1838 in order to create a range with the existing Duncannon Fort Light. When Goulding visited in 2008 he found that the light had been reactivated, but there is no mention of this in Admiralty Notices to Mariners. The range was still active when the Carters visited this site in 1995. Now used as a vacation home, the property was sold at auction in 2011 for €300,000. Located about 1 km (0.6 mi) north of Duncannon Fort. Site and tower closed, although there are views of the lighthouse from nearby. Owner/site manager: private. ARLHS IRE-028; ex-Admiralty A5806.1.
Duncannon North Light
Duncannon North Light, Duncannon, October 2005
Flickr Creative Commons photo by Frank Peters

Information available on lost lighthouses:

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Notable faux lighthouses:

  • "Dunmore Harbour", a tower at Dunmore East, is included as a lighthouse by Marinas.com. It is in fact a former Coast Watch tower.  
  • Tower of Lloyd (1791) near Kells, County Meath, is not near navigable water. It is a spectacular example of an eighteenth century architectural "folly." Anna Jenšíková also has a good photo.

Adjoining pages: North: Northern Ireland | South: Southwestern Ireland

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Posted December 28, 2004. Checked and revised October 13, 2012. Lighthouses: 33. Lightships: 4. Site copyright 2012 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.