The Bull Rock Lighthouse, is an active
aid to navigation
In international relations, aid (also known as international aid, overseas aid, foreign aid, economic aid or foreign assistance) is – from the perspective of governments – a voluntary transfer of resources from one country to another.
Ai ...
located 4km off
Dursey Island
Dursey Island ( ga, Baoi Bhéarra or ') lies at the southwestern tip of the Beara Peninsula in the west of County Cork in Ireland. Dursey Island is 6.5 kilometres long and 1.5 kilometres wide. The island is separated from the mainland by a narro ...
, Ireland.
History
The lighthouse is the second one constructed in this location. The first was built in 1866 on nearby ''Calf Rock''. That lighthouse was cast iron but was destroyed by an Atlantic storm. The second was built on ''Bull Rock'' in 1889.
The first light house was built as a result of a request to establish a light on Bull Rock. However the commissioners chose Calf Rock.
George Halpin
George Halpin (Sr.) (1779? – 8 July 1854), was a prominent civil engineer and lighthouse builder, responsible for the construction of much of the Port of Dublin, several of Dublin's bridges, and a number of lighthouses; he is considered the foun ...
designed the iron structure which was constructed by
Henry Grissell
Henry Grissell (4 July 1817 – 31 January 1883), sometimes known as "Iron Henry", was an English foundry-man who was responsible for the ironwork in a number of prestigious buildings in England, Russia, Austria, and Egypt.
Early life and educat ...
of Regent's Canal Iron Works in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
in 1861. The tower was completed in August 1864. The lantern and machinery were added and the light was turned on 30 June 1866. In 1870 additional strengthening was added to the structure. However on 27 November 1881 the lighthouse was destroyed when the tower snapped in a severe storm. The lighthouse keepers were not in the tower when it shattered but they were trapped on the Rock for two weeks before rescue was possible.
A temporary light from a ship was put into place at the west end of Dursey Island. It went into operation on 2 February 1882. After the destruction of the tower beyond the ability to be repaired the commissioners had to build the replacement on Bull Rock.
Current lighthouse
The new structure was an octagonal lighthouse tower. There were also buildings for the Keepers to live in. The building was completed in 1888 and on 1 January 1889 the light was turned on. There have been a number of changes to the original set up since. The fog warning was replaced with a siren on 1 April 1902 and discontinued on 17 May 1989. The energy source was upgraded to vapourised paraffin on 28 June 1910 and to electric power on 21 August 1974. The light was converted to automatic and the keepers removed from the Rock on 31 March 1991. The light converted to solar power on 6 October 2000.
See also
*
List of lighthouses in Ireland
This is a list of lighthouses in Ireland. The Commissioners of Irish Lights are responsible for the majority of marine navigation aids around the island though a small number are maintained by local harbour authorities. The main list identifie ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bull Rock Lighthouse
Lighthouses in Ireland
Lighthouses completed in 1888
1888 establishments in Ireland