Blacksod Lighthouse, Mullet Peninsula, Co May

 Blacksod Lighthouse (Gaelic: Fód Dubh) is situated at the southern end of the Mullet Peninsula, Erris, County Mayo. The lighthouse was built in 1864 by one of the leading merchants in  Belmullet at that time, Bryan Carey.

The lighthouse is made of local granite blocks which are believed to have come from close by Termon Hill which is an isolated granite outcrop of high quality granite on the peninsula. The keeper's house is a two storey square building, which has always been unpainted. It is occupied by a resident lighthousekeeper who is also responsible for Blackrock lighthouse - see below. The house at Blacksod was badly damaged by a rogue wave in 1989 but has since been repaired and is still occupied.

Blacksod is of unusual design for a lighthouse, being a square block of a building with only a small conical lantern section on top of it which is painted white. Although it is easily accessible as it is beside Blacksod Pier, it is not open to the general public.

The Maidens Lighthouse, County Antrim

The Maidens lighthouses, on the Maidens in North Channel off County Antrim in Northern Ireland, date from 1829 and were built at the request of merchants and a royal navy officer. Lighthouses were built on both rocks; the West Maiden was abandoned in 1903 and the East Maiden was automated in 1977.

By October 1977, an electric light was added to the lighthouse and by 31 October of that year, the Keepers were withdrawn as the Maidens became an automatic operation and control passed to Ferris Point. Currently, the station is monitored by an Attendant as well as from the headquarters of the Commissioners of Irish Lights at Dun Laoghaire 

This is one of just over sixty coastal lighthouses and many more harbour and estuary lights I've illustrated. I'll be posting them up each day.
The A2 poster of 16 of the most iconic lighthouses is up and ready to ship. If you're interested in a particular lighthouse they're available in A4 or A3 size. 

www.irelandposters.ie

Haulbowline Lighthouse, Carlingford Lough, Co Down

The Haulbowline Lighthouse is an active 19th century lighthouse, described as an "elegant, tapering stone tower". It is located at the entrance to Carlingford Lough, near Cranfield Point in County Down, Northern Ireland. The lighthouse was built on the eastern part of the Haulbowline rocks, one of a number of navigation hazards at the seaward end of Carlingford Lough. Construction of the 34-metre-high  stone tower has been described as "a remarkable achievement at the time", given the location "on a semi-submerged rock with fast currents running around it". Originally white in colour, the paint was removed in 1946 to reveal the stone beneath. The principal light is displayed 32m above sea level as a constant white light. A secondary light was also displayed on a balcony facing the sea, known as a half-tide light, this was lit when the state of the tide was such that there would be enough depth for ships to pass into the lough, and until 1922 a black ball was also raised on a mast above the tower during daylight hours, to indicate the same tidal conditions.

This is one of just over sixty coastal lighthouses and many more harbour and estuary lights I've illustrated. I'll be posting them up each day.
The A2 poster of 16 of the most iconic lighthouses is up and ready to ship. If you're interested in a particular lighthouse they're available in A4 or A3 size.

Clare Island Lighthouse, County Mayo

Clare Island stands guard at the entrance to Clew Bay, off Ireland’s western Atlantic coast. For almost two centuries, the island’s Lighthouse has been a nautical landmark perched high on the craggy cliffs, watching over Achill, Westport and beyond. Once a safe haven for sailors, this heritage property now offers sanctuary of a different kind. This architecturally majestic, listed building has been lovingly transformed into fully catered, luxury accommodation, complemented by magnificent sea views and an inspiring, natural environment.

The original lighthouse was built in 1806 by the Marquis of Sligo, on the isolated northern tip of Clare Island. Seven years later it was destroyed by fire due to the lighthouse keeper throwing ‘the snuffings’ of the wicks of candles into a tub which caught fire. The new lighthouse tower was built toward the end of 1818.

Clare Island Lighthouse was decommissioned in 1965 after an astonishing 159 years of service.

This is one of just over sixty coastal lighthouses and many more harbour and estuary lights I've illustrated. I'll be posting them up each day.
The A2 poster of 16 of the most iconic lighthouses is up and ready to ship. If you're interested in a particular lighthouse they're available in A4 or A3 size.
www.irelandposters.ie