Rathlin West Lighthouse
| Rathlin West Lighthouse | |||
| Rathlin Island | |||
 Rathlin West Lighthouse | |||
| Location | |||
| Grid reference: | D09265176 | ||
| Location: | 55°18’3"N, 6°16’49"W | ||
| Characteristics | |||
| Height: | 59 feet | ||
| Focal height: | 203 feet | ||
| Range: | 22 nautical miles | ||
| History | |||
| Built 1916 | |||
| First lit: | 1919 | ||
| Information | |||
| Owned by: | Commissioners of Irish Lights | ||
Rathlin West Lighthouse stands on the west end of Rathlin Island.
This remarkable lighthouse is one of twelve around the coast of Ireland known as the Great Lighthouses of Ireland.
History
This is the second-built of the lighthouses of Rathlin, the first being the East Lighthouse. A proposal for a second light on Rathlin was made early in 1901, proposed for the east coast on Doone Point or Rue Point (where a lighthouse was built in the 1920s). The Inspecting Committee instead proposed a light at the west end of the island, which was finally settled on Crockantirrive in 1903. Nevertheless, it was delayed by budgets and bureaucracy until 1914. It required concrete to be poured and set against the cliff at Crockantirrive and for an inclined railway to be built at Corraghy to deliver materials. Eventually towards the end of 1916 the light and dwellings were completed. The Admiralty only replied in 1919 to a request that the light be lit. It was finally lit on 10 March 1919.
A fog signal was established on 15 July 1925 with four 1.5 second blasts every 60 seconds. On 17 April 1982 the diaphone fog signal was replaced by an electric fog signal, but in November 1995 the fog signal was permanently discontinued.
Rathlin West was converted from a manned paraffin light to an unwatched electric. On 30 November 1983 it was demanned.
See also
Outside links
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Rathlin West Lighthouse) |