Lighthouse group meets with TDs to relay concern

Lighthouse group meets with TDs to relay concern

21 March 2018

THE campaign to retain the iconic sweeping beam at St John’s Point Lighthouse, near Killough, could become part of an all-island lobby to retain an essential part of Irish marine heritage.

The Dublin-based Commissioner of Irish Lights, which is responsible for lighthouses on both sides of the border, is behind a controversial proposal to remove the iconic sweeping beam from the local lighthouse.

Campaigners and politicians are opposed to the proposal and want the Fresnel lamp which produces the powerful beam to be allowed to remain in place and not replaced with a modern LED light.

Members of Lecale Lightkeepers — the group set up to oppose plans to replace the lamp with a modern LED light — met recently with several TDs at the Dail in Dublin to outline their concerns about the implications of such a move.

It was the group’s second meeting with TDs to discuss the campaign when members argued the St John’s beam, which is widely regarded as an integral part of the Lecale coastline’s maritime history, must be retained.

The campaigners have this week revealed they are keen to join forces with people in west Cork who are lobbying the Taoiseach and the Irish lighthouse authority to save the original Fastnet lighthouse beam which has been earmarked to be replaced with a modern LED.

Eileen Peters and Imelda Keeling, from the Lecale Lightkeepers, believe a joint campaign straddling both sides of the border to retain both the St John’s and Fastnet beams could be successful.

The duo have been heavily involved in working alongside others to retain the Killough beam, arguing it is an integral part of the Lecale coastline’s maritime history and must be retained. 

They insist the only option moving forward is to allow the current lamp to remain in place, highlighting the proposal for St John’s is vehemently opposed by local people and the fishing community.

“The character of the sweeping beams of these mercury floating lights in Killough and off the Cork coast should be recognised for their historic and navigational value,” Ms Peters said.

“In spite of advances in satellite navigation, lighthouses are needed and we know this as a Norwegian yacht, which got into difficulty off the Lecale coast two years ago, relied on the light at St John’s to make it safely into shore.”

The campaigner said the Fastnet lighthouse is known as the “tear of Ireland” as it was the last thing emigrants on their way to America saw and the first others saw while making the journey in the opposite direction.

“The Fastnet lighthouse is on a rock and is absolutely beautiful,” Eileen explained. “It has the same lens as St John’s but it could be going very soon. The lighthouse is under the same threat as the one in Killough and we cannot afford to lose part of our heritage or the character of these two lighthouses. When the beams are gone there is no prospect of them returning.”

Ms Peters said the lamp at St John’s Point lighthouse should not be altered in any way and has dismissed claims from the Irish lighthouse authority that an LED replacement would be strikingly similar to what is already in place.

“We are keen to join forces with the folks in west Cork battling to retain their Fresnel lamp. We both face similar situations. Even if LED lights were wonderful, which they are not, we believe the case for retaining both beams at these iconic lighthouses is overwhelming,” she continued.

“These lamps are prime examples of wonderful engineering and they must be retrained.”

Imelda explained while the plans to remove the lens from St John’s have been put on hold, in America, Fresnel lamps which had been perviously removed from lighthouses are being returned.

“The bottom line is that if we had not mounted our campaign, which secured widespread support, the beam would already have gone from St John’s. The fact it remains in place is down to the efforts of local people and some of our politicians.”

Ms Peters revealed that within the next few weeks, Newry, Mourne and Down councillors will be asked to formally support the retention of the St John’s beam as the cross-community campaign to preserve it for current and future generations is ramped up.

Mrs Keeling said: “There is a strong heritage case for retaining the beam and we hope the local council will support the campaign when it is asked to do so in the near future.

“The council’s number one goal is tourism and the lighthouse can play a key role attracting more visitors to the area.”

Both women say the Killough lighthouse is cheap to run, spare parts are readily available and have no doubt that had the public not reacted to the Irish lighthouse authority proposal in the manner it did, the lens would be gone.