Kilcredaune Head

I actually bagged Kilcredaune Head Lighthouse before the two at Corlis Point (previous two posts) but because lighthouse-spotting has probably come to an end for the winter, I preferred to leave this more aesthetically pleasing lighthouse up on my home page, rather than a concrete hut or skeletal tower.

To find the lighthouse, it would depend if you are coming from Kilkee or Loop Head. From Kilkee, take the road for Carrigaholt. Go through this village and keep going out the other side. After about one mile, the road bends around to the right, while a smaller road goes straight on. You need to go straight on. 

From Loop Head, when you get to Kilbaha, leave the R487 and branch left onto the L2002 to Carrigaholt. About a mile from the latter, the road bends around to the left, but you need to take the smaller road to the right.

Okay, we're both on the same road. The road gets smaller and grassier. Eventually you come to a closed red gate. I suppose you could open up the gate and drive up but I parked up and walked it. its about 300 yards to the lighthouse.

There was a Corsa parked outside so I assumed there was somebody in the keeper's cottage but though I rang and knocked, I got no reply. Your view of the tower is somewhat obscured by outhouses but if you wander around the cottage it will bring you out to the front, where a good photograph can be had. Its a bit squat but a nice looking lighthouse nonetheless. The outhouses are in poor nick. The front door of the cottage looks well worn but apart from that, everything looks okay. The light was deactivated on 3rd March 2011. 

The lighthouse here was established in 1827 and is 13 meters high. It became unwatched in 1929 and fully automatic in 1991. It had a white light flashing one second in six. The white tower is 43 feet high (about 14 meters) 

Sat nav - 52° 34.8´ N 9° 42.6´ W

Presumably this is some kind of radar?

Corlis Point Rear Leading Light

This is the rear leading light of the Corlis Point range. For the front leading light, please see here. For the CIL page, see here. 

My research was obviously a bit faulty. The sat nav reference was obviously a bit out because a half a mile from Querrin pier, it told me I was at my destination. Basically you need to drive through Querrin to the pier. At the coast turn left and its right there. I was out there and had no WIFI, so I didn't know that at the time. Besides, you'd be too close to get a good photo, I reckon. These photos were taken from the beach near the front leading light (see here, which also gives the history and reason for the lights. The rear light has the same characteristics as the front light, except there are six lights instead of four. The night light looks to be the same as the front light (visible in the top photo to the right of the six lights) And obviously, the rear light was first exhibited the same day as the front light!

The tower is a lattice structure 25 meters high and 27 meters above the high water mark.

Corlis Point Front Leading Light

Lighthouse enthusiasts who like their lighthouses to be the classically tapered variety will doubtless be disappointed with the front leading light of the Corlis Point range on the north bank of the Shannon estuary. Dedicated lighthouse lovers only need apply because it is also one of the most difficult to access. 

You will probably be driving from Kilkee, so from there head south to Querrin and Querrin Quay. This is where the rear leading light is, a large skeletal structure. From here, take the coast road, with its large area of wetland to its left. The road comes inland slightly. Shortly after a small cemetery, you reach a T-Junction, where you turn left, back towards the coast. Shortly after this, the tarmac stops and you're better off parking up and continuing on foot. The 'road' is very wet and muddy but after 200 meters, you reach the shore. (Incidentally, if you arrive during a spring tide, the path may be inaccessible!) 

At the shore, turn to the right, scale some shingle onto a small beach. At the other end of the beach, traverse some rock, then more shingle, then another small beach, then some more shingle. By now, you should see the roof of the concrete hut you're aiming for. A wet and slippy path alongside and below the field to the right leads you up to it.

Th hut is about 4 meters high and stands 9 meters above the high water mark. It is home to four large high intensity lights (third picture on this page) which shine for five seconds out of ten. At night, they are replaced by a less intensive single light with the same characteristics.

The two lights, this one and the skeletal structure at Querrin pier, help to guide vessels through the entrance to the Shannon estuary. There are rocks and sandbars at the estuary's mouth and large vessels were going to be needed to bring coal to the Moneypoint Power Station. The first idea to get these ships in was to dredge the sand, which would have cost billions. Plan B was to involve the Commissioners of Irish Lights, who, after thorough groundwork, came up with the plan of two lights which, when lined up, would guide vessels through deep water. Nowadays, coal ships of up to 175,000 tonnes dwt regularly use the channel to access Moneypoint. The record, so far, is 189,000 tonnes. The CIL page has further information.

Though I may complain about the accessibility of this light, fact is, when it was being constructed, the ground around was so wet that supplies had to be landed by helicopter. The two lights first exhibited on 20th September 1998. There does appear to be a track leading to the hut (see above)but I have no idea how to find it and it's probably private property anyway. (Checking Google Earth View, it looks like this path originates just after you turn left at the T-Junction I mentioned above)

Doonagore Castle, Doolin

Can't remember ever having visited Doolin before. Certainly I don't recall this beautiful fairytale castle sitting high on the hill overlooking the town. The original castle was built in the 14th Century, though the tower dates from the 16th Century. In 1588, a ship of the Spanish Armada was wrecked nearby and 178 survivors were hanged at the castle on the orders of the High Sheriff of Clare. It is now a private holiday home.

There is no evidence that it was ever a lighthouse but it is included here because a) it looks great and b) some sites refer to it as being used as a navigational marker for boats coming into Doolin pier. In the picture above, the small island lying just off shore is Crab Island which protects the pier from the buffeting of the waves which can be quite fierce south of the island. Seen from out to sea, there is a constant haze in the air, marking where the Atlantic smashes into Crab Island. Personally I'd have thought that any boats would be better off making for the haze than the castle but if the internet says its a navigational daymark, I need no further excuse to include it here!

Black Head Lighthouse

Eight years after we made the journey on a wild and windy February day, I retraced my steps on a glorious end of October morning. The road across the north coast of Clare was absolutely stunning in the sunlight and I actually came upon the one parking space faster than expected after leaving Ballyvaughan. Problem was, the one parking space was full! Fortunately there was another three-quarter space about 100 yards further on.

Strangely, I remembered this lighthouse as having a house and a garden attached but obviously I was thinking of another (possibly French?) lighthouse! Being located on the edge of the Burren, vegetation is somewhat sparse and you'd be hard pushed to find space to grow a turnip out here.

The lighthouse itself is comparatively knew, having been constructed in 1936 at the behest of the Galway Harbour authorities to help guide ocean-going liners through Galway Bay to the harbour, which used to be the case at that time. Being situated at the point where the southern shore of Galway Bay turns southwards, Black Head was marked out as the ideal location.

The solar powered panels (shown above) replaced the propane light in 1980 which in turn had replaced the original acetylene light. The light is a flashing white and red light every 5 seconds and the tower itself is 8 meters high, including the beacon. The light stands 20 meters above the high water mark. 

The lighthouse was built by the Commissioner of Irish Lights on the condition that a) the money would be repaid and b) that the Galway Harbour Commissioners would maintain the light. This was agreed but unfortunately after the Second World War, transatlantic traffic stopped, as did much coastal traffic, and the Harbour folk announced they were unable to continue the maintenance of the light. So it reverted back to CIL ownership in 1955.

Sat nave reference - 53°09.253' North 009°15.839' West

Black Head Lighthouse

On a wild and windy day, we rounded the north west coast of co. Clare and nearly missed it, as it is set down near the shore behind a wall, Watch out for a gate with a yellow sign marked Caution - No entry. Stone steps lead down to it. Parking space for one car opposite the gate!!

Loop Head, co. Clare

Like most of our lighthouses, only reached by a long drive down a very narrow and precipitous track. The lighthouse itself is enclosed by a whitewashed wall which prevents you getting anywhere near it.