Wicklow Head () is a headland near the southeast edge of the town of

Wicklow Wicklow ( ; ga, Cill Mhantáin , meaning 'church of the toothless one'; non, Víkingaló) is the county town of County Wicklow in Ireland. It is located south of Dublin on the east coast of the island. According to the 2016 census, it has a ...

in County Wicklow, approximately from the centre of the town. Geographically, it is the easternmost point on the mainland of the

Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern ...

Lighthouses

The original Wicklow Head Lighthouse was one of two lighthouses built on the headland. The original lighthouse actually consisted of two structures to differentiate between Hook Head Lighthouse to the South in

Wexford Wexford () is the county town of County Wexford, Ireland. Wexford lies on the south side of Wexford Harbour, the estuary of the River Slaney near the southeastern corner of the island of Ireland. The town is linked to Dublin by the M11/N11 ...

and Baily Lighthouse on

Howth Head Howth Head ( ; ''Ceann Bhinn Éadair'' in Irish) is a peninsula northeast of the city of Dublin in Ireland, within the governance of Fingal County Council. Entry to the headland is at Sutton while the village of Howth and the harbour are o ...

to the North in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...

. The rear tower was built as an eight-sided lantern in 1781 powered by 20

tallow Tallow is a rendered form of beef or mutton fat, primarily made up of triglycerides. In industry, tallow is not strictly defined as beef or mutton fat. In this context, tallow is animal fat that conforms to certain technical criteria, includ ...

candles reflected against a mirror. On 10 October 1836, the tower was struck by lightning, resulting in the destruction of its interior. It was decided however that the tower was to be left as a landmark that could be used during the hours of daylight. A new lighthouse was built in the 19th century lower down on the headland as it became clear the upper lighthouses were no longer effective for mariners and they were often obscured by fog or mist. On 31 March 1994, the active lighthouse was converted to automatic operation and lighthouse keepers were no longer required to operate it. File:The Rear Lighthouse, Wicklow Head - geograph.org.uk - 692427.jpg, The 'Rear Lighthouse' was one of two built in the 18th century at Wicklow Head. It is now a holiday residence of 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 charitable organization, registered charity which renovates buildin ...

. File:The Front Lighthouse, Wicklow Head. - geograph.org.uk - 692441.jpg, The 18th century 'Front Lighthouse' was rebuilt in the early 19th century. It is no longer active. File:Current Lighthouse, Wicklow Head - geograph.org.uk - 692447.jpg, The active Wicklow Head Lighthouse was built in the 19th century, and operated by the

Commissioners of Irish Lights The Commissioners of Irish Lights ( ga, Coimisinéirí Soilse na hÉireann), often shortened to Irish Lights or CIL, is the body that serves as the general lighthouse authority for Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and their adjacen ...

References

Headlands of County Wicklow Wicklow (town) {{Irish lighthouses

Lighthouses

See also

References