A BRIEF HISTORY OF IRISH LIGHTS
The oldest operational lighthouse in Ireland and the British Isles is at
Hook Head. The tower, with additions and modifications, dates from the Norman
times, 12th Century, and is reputed to be built on the site where the monks
of St. Dubhan established a fire beacon in the 5th Century.
Another Norman Lighthouse at Youghal was in the hands of local nuns attached
to St. Anne's Convent, but the tower fell out of use around Cromwell's time and
was replaced by the present tower in 1852.
The Commissioners of Irish Lights are the statutory Lighthouse Authority for
Ireland. Originally, lighthouses were m private hands and in 1665 King Charles
II granted letters patent to Sir Robert Reading to erect six lighthouses on the
coast of Ireland, two of which were placed on Howth, one to mark the land, the
other to lead over the bar. The others were at Old Head of Kinsale,
Barry Oge's castle (now Charlesfort, near Kinsale), Hook Head and Isle of Magee,
near Carrickfergus.
Of the six light s, two were short lived - the Howth bar light and Isle of
Magee. The latter was re-established later on the Lesser Copeland Island.
All these lights had a coal fire on each of their roofs.
Due mainly to mismanagement, these lighthouses were transferred into the hands
of certain commissioners set up by Queen Anne in 1704. These commissioners were
not constituted in the same way as the present Commissioners of Irish Lights.
In 1717 during the reign of George I, the lands on which barracks and
lighthouses were built were vested in the Crown at a price ascertained by
special commissioners. These powers were transferred to the Commissioners for
Barracks in 1767.
In 1708, Dublin Corporation, through Parliament, set up a Committee known as
the Ballast Board. This in turn was succeeded in 1786 by the Corporation for
preserving and improving the Port of Dublin.
The constitution of this Board is that of the present Commissioners of Irish
Lights.
H.M. Revenue Commissioners were given power in 1796, to erect lighthouses on
the coasts of Wexford, Mayo and Galway. Further acts between 1800 and 1806
were passed in connection with lighthouses, dues and purchasing land for
lighthouses. In 1810, powers given to the Commissioners for Barracks and
others between 1767 and 1806 were all vested in the Corporation for preserving
and improving the Port of Dublin or the Ballast Board.
This Board took over the general lighting and marking of the coast when
fourteen lighthouses were transferred to it -
South Rock, Old Head, Wicklow (2), Howth, Copeland, Hook, Cranfield, Loophead,
Aranmore, Clare Island, Balbriggan, Duncannon Fort an d Charlesfort.
The Merchant Shipping Act of 1854 divided the Corporation or Ballast Board into
two distinct corporate bodies, identical in personnel and constitution, namely
the Corporation for preserving and improving the Port of Dublin for Dublin
port, and the Port of Dublin Corporation for lighthouses, lightships, buoys and
beacons around the coast of Ireland.
The severance begun in 1854 was completed by the Dublin Port Act of 1867,
the Corporation for preserving and improving the Port of Dublin became the
Dublin Port and Docks Board and the Port of Dublin Corporation became the
Commissioners of Irish Lights.
IMS\Hayes\History\13rief. his April 1996
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