Blackrock Island (; ga, An Tor) is a rocky island rising to a height of 70 metres above sea level and located northwest of
Achill Island approximately 12 miles west of
Blacksod Bay
Blacksod Bay ( ga, Cuan an Fhóid Duibh) is a bay of the Atlantic Ocean in Erris, north County Mayo, Ireland. The long and wide bay is bounded on its western side by the Mullet Peninsula. Its eastern side includes Kiltane Parish, which ext ...
.
Typical rainfall is 72 inches per annum, and the island is often shrouded in mist.
It is visible from near the Glosh Tower on the
Mullet Peninsula, and, with reference to the other islands in the area, is sometimes described as the "one that looks like a volcano".
There is a small rocky islet 125 m to the east with a length of 80 m. There are about five rocky islets including Fish Rock, Carrickaduff and Carrackabrown spread 1 km to 2 km in a generally westwards direction.
Toponymy
It is known locally as ''Tór Mór'', and is known as "Black Rock" by
Irish Lights.
Waters around Blackrock Island
The waters around Blackrock Island are noted for large ocean swells and waves, as evidenced by the difficulties faced in relieving the lighthouse keepers and with Rescue 116 helicopter wreckage recovery in 2017.
Water depths descend to 40 m within a kilometre of the island, with depths of 60 m and lower more typical towards
Achill Island.
The Blackrock grounds are popular with
sea anglers due to the attracting of larger fish species:
blue shark
The blue shark (''Prionace glauca''), also known as the great blue shark, is a species of requiem shark, in the family Carcharhinidae, which inhabits deep waters in the world's temperate and tropical oceans. Averaging around and preferring co ...
;
porbeagle
The porbeagle (''Lamna nasus'') is a species of mackerel shark in the family Lamnidae, distributed widely in the cold and temperate marine waters of the North Atlantic and Southern Hemisphere. In the North Pacific, its ecological equivalent is ...
;
halibut and
bluefin tuna.
Blackrock Lighthouse
The
lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways.
Lighthouses mar ...
on Blackrock Island was constructed in 1864.
It is a 50-foot-high round stone tower with lantern and gallery attached to a single storey keeper's house. The lighthouse is painted white. It is one of Ireland's most remote lighthouses and the most westerly lighthouse off the Mayo Coast. It was converted to automatic in 1974 after which the island became uninhabited. The lighthouse was converted to solar power in 1999.
The resident
lighthouse keeper of
Blacksod Lighthouse
Blacksod Lighthouse (Gaelic: ''Fód Dubh'') is a lighthouse at the southern end of the Mullet Peninsula, Erris, County Mayo, at the entrance to Blacksod Bay. It is made of local granite blocks, which are believed to have come from Termon Hill, a ...
on the mainland, which is still staffed, is also responsible for maintaining the Blackrock lighthouse. Inspection and maintenance visits are periodically made by helicopter (via a
helipad
A helipad is a landing area or platform for helicopters and powered lift aircraft.
While helicopters and powered lift aircraft are able to operate on a variety of relatively flat surfaces, a fabricated helipad provides a clearly marked hard s ...
on the island), the only way to get to the island on a regular basis. In order to accommodate work-crews on extended maintenance and repair jobs at the lighthouse, one of the old keeper's houses has been restored.
Accidents and incidents associated with the island
Loss of lighthouse keeper in 1937
In September 1937 the then lighthouse-keeper, Patrick Monaghan, was swept from the lighthouse by a freak wave. The visit of his descendants to the island is described in the
RTÉ radio documentary "Good Day at Blackrock".
Attack by German bomber in 1940
On 20 August 1940, a German bomber attacked the SS ''Macville'' which was passing close to the island and damaged several lantern panes and the roof.
A
Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor of
Kampfgeschwader 40 was claimed to have dropped two SD250 bombs and damaged a freighter southwest of Blacksod (possibly ''Macville'') on this date,
with other sources confirming damage (though no confirmed casualties) to ''Macville''.
Stranding of keepers in 1942-1943
Three lighthouse keepers were stranded on Blackrock Island in the winter of 1942-1943 during
the Emergency in World War II. Storms were particularly ferocious in this period and the landing stage and associated derricks were destroyed in the gales. The keepers, who normally expected to be supplied every 10 days, who started with reduced supplies due to being subject to rationing in the emergency, were at points critically low on supplies. Captain John Padden at considerable risk made several resupply attempts and supply baskets on a few occasions were successfully thrown to the island. On 17 February 1943, in a short lull in the weather he was able to relieve Walter Coupe (117 days) and Michael O'Conner (~ 90 days). Jack Scott, the principal keeper, remained to direct recovery operations.
Crash of Rescue 116 in 2017
On 14 March 2017 the Irish coast guard Rescue R116 helicopter impacted the island with the wreckage coming to rest in 40 m of water south west of the island with four persons lost.
The preliminary report of the
Air Accident Investigation Unit had found that (as of March 2017) Blackrock Island had been omitted or had an incorrect and significantly lower height in some
terrain and obstacle
databases.
References
External links
Commissioners of Irish Lights{{Authority control , additional=Q106162069
Islands of County Mayo
1940 in Ireland
Battle of the Atlantic
Military history of Ireland
Maritime incidents in Ireland
Lighthouses in the Republic of Ireland
Lighthouses on the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage