The Galley Head Lighthouse is an active 19th century lighthouse outside of
Rosscarbery
Rosscarbery () is a village and census town in County Cork, Ireland. The village is on a shallow estuary, which opens onto Rosscarbery Bay. Rosscarbery is in the Cork South-West (Dáil Éireann) constituency, which has three seats.
History
The ...
,
County Cork
County Cork ( ga, Contae Chorcaí) is the largest and the southernmost county of Ireland, named after the city of Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. Its largest market towns are ...
, on the south coast of
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
.
The lighthouse is situated on Galley Head at the southern end of the headland known as Dundeady island at 133 feet above sea level, overlooking
St George's Channel
St George's Channel ( cy, Sianel San Siôr, ga, Muir Bhreatan) is a sea channel connecting the Irish Sea to the north and the Celtic Sea to the southwest.
Historically, the name "St George's Channel" was used interchangeably with "Irish Sea" ...
and two beaches, Red Strand to the east and the Long Strand to the west. The headland is cut off from the mainland by the ancient walls of the old Norman stronghold of Dun Deidi, an important fortress of the local O’Cowhig Clan.
History
Although the main buildings were completed in 1875, the site did not become operational until 1878. The original
light characteristic
A light characteristic is all of the properties that make a particular navigational light identifiable. Graphical and textual descriptions of navigational light sequences and colours are displayed on nautical charts and in Light Lists with the cha ...
consisted of six or seven flashes of white light within sixteen seconds every minute. This was due to the operation of a revolving octagonal optic, combined with a light powered by coal gas burners that were switched on and off every two seconds or so. With a range of in clear conditions, it was one of the most powerful lights of its time.
[
The two keeper's houses have been returned to their original symmetrical layout and are offered for holiday rental by the ]Irish Landmark Trust
The Irish Landmark Trust is an architectural conservation and educational organisation founded in Ireland in 1992. Similar to the British Landmark Trust (founded in 1965), it is a registered charity which renovates buildings of historic interest a ...
. Sleeping 4–6 people in each, they are linked by an internal door, so that larger parties (8–12) might be accommodated. Each house has a double and twin bedroom, and a fold-down sofa bed, plus bathroom, kitchen and sitting room. Both houses have adjoining walled lawns.
The station was built in 1875, during the heyday of lighthouse building, and within twenty years of its closest neighbours at Old Head of Kinsale
The Old Head of Kinsale () is a headland near Kinsale, County Cork, Ireland.
A castle has been on the headland since at least the 3rd century, with the current iteration built in 1223. An early lighthouse was established here in the 17th centur ...
and Fastnet. The Galley Head and the Fastnet have the distinction of being two of the most powerful lighthouses in Europe. The lighthouse displays an unusual landward arc of light because, it is said, the Sultan of Turkey asked to be able to see it from Castle Freke at Rosscarbery nearby on his visit there. The castle, abandoned in 1952 can be seen from Galley as a Gothic ruin.
Film and media
Galley Head Lighthouse was featured in the music video for "To The Lighthouse" by British singer-songwriter Patrick Wolf
Patrick Wolf (born Patrick Denis Apps; 30 June 1983) is an English singer-songwriter from South London. Wolf uses a wide variety of instruments in his music, most commonly the ukulele, piano, and viola. He is known for combining electronic samp ...
.
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
External links
*
Galley Head Lighthouse
''Commissioners of Irish Lights''
{{authority control
Headlands of County Cork
Lighthouses completed in 1875
Lighthouses in the Republic of Ireland
Lighthouses on the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
1875 establishments in Ireland