Drogheda North Light

In stark contrast to my last post lamenting the dilapidation of the Passage East Spider Light, news has come out via the Drogheda Independent that the Drogheda Port Authority has commissioned a restoration of one of the three iconic lighthouses on the north bank of the River Boyne - Drogheda North Light. The work will be carried out by Fergal McGirl Architects of Dublin, who have a long history of conservation architecture.

Three lights were constructed in the 1880s in the Mornington area to guide ships past the treacherous sandbanks at the mouth of the Boyne. The three form a delightful cluster of interesting maritime archaeology which, when added to the Maiden's Tower, the Lady's Finger and the old lifeboat station, ensures a fascinating ramble at the estuary entrance.

Drogheda North Light was decommissioned in 2000 and it is much to Drogheda Port's credit that they are prepared to stump up a significant amount of money to restore it when other lights around the country are left to the elements. 

See also here for my last visit to this light.

See also here for the architects page on the project

The Lady's Finger

A few yards from The Maiden Tower (see previous post ) sits The Lady's Finger

 I quote from the same sources as in the Maiden Tower post. The nearby Lady's Finger is a 13 meter-high solid obelisk-like tower which is believed to have been constructed much later than its companion, and was also used as a shipping beacon in past times. In between the two there also sits the Victorian Lifeboat station which closed in 1926 and is now a private dwelling.

 Local legend has naturally grown up around the two buildings, adding to their history. The story goes that a young and very beautiful  local woman had a lover who left to fight in a war overseas. Before he left, he told his sweetheart that he would return to her; if he survived it was on a ship with white sails, if he was killed his ship would return without him with black sails hoisted. Each day, for weeks the woman kept her constant and lonely vigil from the top of the tower for her lover to return. Months afterwards she spotted his ship on the horizon. Straining her vision to see the colour of the sails as the vessel came closer, it became clear to her that the sails were black. Overcome with grief she is said to have thrown herself off the top of the tower to her death. An obelisk was erected nearby in her memory which became known as "The Lady's Finger" , reputedly because it represents the tragic young woman's finger bereft of her hoped-for wedding ring.

The Maiden Tower

 Not to be found in many lighthouse directories, this is the Maiden Tower in Mornington, quite conspicuous and found by walking the track between Drogheda West and Drogheda North Lights.

 I quote from "A Local Folklore Miscellany" by Frank Gallagher, O.D.S. Journal 2007 and "The Streets and Lanes of Drogheda" by James Garry, 2009

 The 60 foot high Maiden Tower was built during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (some would say hence the name 'Maiden Tower') as a beacon to aid mariners on their way into Drogheda port. It was used as a landmark to mark the mouth of the Boyne and it is said that before the river walls were constructed in 1765, when a mariner brought his ship into line with the Tower and the Lady's Finger, the course of his ship marked the precise angle necessary to cross the bar. It also served as a look-out post during the Elizabethan Wars with Spain (1585-1603) to warn of any approaching enemy ships. The tower, the top of which is reached by spiral steps, commands a most extensive look-out over land and sea. It was originally brightly coloured, making it even more conspicuous and useful to mariners.

 The picture below shows the Tower together with the Victorian lifeboat station (now a private dwelling) and the Lady's Finger behind.

Drogheda West Lighthouse

 Climb a sand dune and you get a nice close up view of Drogheda West Light. This was the rear light to be lined up behind the front (east) light when entering the Boyne.

 Built around 1880, deactivated 2000, she is a protected structure and happily her graffiti has been removed since I was last here 6 years ago

 Again, finding it is easy - follow the instructions here

Drogheda East Lighthouse

 This is another of the three sisters, built around 1880, station established 1842. This was the front range light. The idea was that ships aligned this light with the West Lighthouse and that got them up the river.

 Delighted to see that since my last visit here in 2007, the unsightly graffiti has been cleaned up and the old girl is actually looking rather well, peeping out from the sand-dunes.

 Easily found, located in Mornington, directions here

Drogheda North Lighthouse

 In among the sand-dunes and in the grounds of a private house, sits Drogheda North Light, one of three sisters built to guide ships up the river. Easily found by walking upriver from the beach at Mornington,

the last time I was here in 2007,  a large alsatian prevented me from getting out of my car.

 A light station was established here in 1842 but this light and her sisters, date from around 1880. They are no longer in use. (Deactivated 2000) I'd love to have a lighthouse in my garden.

 More here

More Boyne lights

 These lights lie in between the Maidens Tower and Drogheda (North) light, as the river curls around to the north

 Again, red lights south side, green lights north side.

South Bull Light, River Boyne

 As one enters the mouth of the river, a series of beacons and daymarks, leads you westwards towards Drogheda. The red lights are on the south side of the river, the green lights on the north side of the river.

 The stone perches seem to be fairly old, as presumably they are the ones that the Inspection Committee were complaining about in 1964 (see previous Aleria post)

 As an ornithological expert, I suggest that the bird in the photo below is a heron-type thingy.

Lyons Light

 Lyons Light marks the southern entrance of the River Boyne. Together with Aleria Lighthouse, previous post, it guards the port of Drogheda four miles up the river. Naturally it has a red light.

 Like Aleria, it is situated at the end of an unwalkable rubble breakwater. I visited at high tide, so have no notion if it is reachable from the beach at low tide.

The Tower of Lloyd

Isn't this a spectacular lighthouse? This giant Doric column was built in 1791 by skilled masons out of limestone. There's only one problem - its over 25 miles from the sea!

It is actually a faux lighthouse, built for the First Earl of Bective on top of a hill to the northwest of Kells so he could watch the hunt and horse racing on the plains of Meath. It is probable Queen Maedbh camped here on her way to capture the Tain of Cooley.

To find it, you need to get to the centre of Kells, to the big junction at the top of the hill. Take the N52 towards Mullingar but almost immediately turn right onto the road signposted for Oldcastle. Pass the round Celtic tower and carry on until you're out of town. Then watch out for the Peoples Park in 300 yards sign and take it when it comes up, though you'll have seen the tower a long way off.

Aleria (Drogheda) Lighthouse

Three years ago, I made a trip up to Drogheda to see the four lights at the mouth of the Boyne. Three of them are south side of the estuary and the other, Aleria, is on the north side. I managed to get the south side ones polished off but found the one on the north side too difficult to locate. See here.

Recently though I revisited the problem and viewed the lighthouse on Google Earth. Hmm! I thought. Looks like you'd get a much better view from the south side of the estuary. So I drove to the village of Mornington in co. Meath and just where the road bends at a right angle, I took the small road that leads down past the Range Rear and Range Front lights and parked in the little car park beyond. Fifty yards further on and there's a perfect view of Aleria, sitting at the end of her breakwater.

Built in 1936.

Drogheda North Lighthouse, co. Meath

On a track near the mouth of the Boyne estuary (south side) Light surrounded by wall within a private dwelling. This photo taken from the car as a large Alsatian prevented closer inspection!

Drogheda West Lighthouse, co. Meath

Along a track leading to the beach at Mornigton at the mouth of the Boyne estuary. Graffiti strewn. Within the grounds of a private house but good views from nearby.

Drogheda East Lighthouse, co. Meath

Along a track leading to Mornington beach on the south side of the Boyne estuary. Surrounded by a brick wall, the whole thing rather resembles an electricity power station. Views either over the wall or through the barred gate. Note Drogheda West Lighthouse in the background