Photography

The lighthouses of Ireland

I've set myself the lofty long term goal of taking a photo that incorporates every lighthouse on the island of Ireland.

White lighthouse with a red railing near the top, seen from across a narrow body of water. There are rocks in the foreground, and the sky and water are bright blue.

Now unused lighthouse at Howth harbour. July 2024

This photograph led to my inspiration for this project when I haphazardly sent it to a friend among other photos after going for short hike. When they drew my attention to the lighthouse, I began thinking about them more then I had before, and realised that they could make for an interesting series of photographs.

View across a beach of a fishing boat surrounded by gulls entering the harbour. The boat is framed in between a person taking a photograph, and a volleyball net. A squat lighthouse stands on the harbour wall.

Fishing boat entering the harbour by Balbriggan Lighthouse. July 2024.

Built in 1769, Balbriggan Lighthouse was in use as a sea light until the construction of Rockabill Lighthouse in 1860 [balbrigganhistory.com].

The River Boyne

Three lights were constructed in the 1880s in Mornington, County Louth to aid vessels bound for Drogheda entering the river Boyne. These are now inactive, having been decommissioned in the early 2000s [Wikipedia]. A fourth light, Aleria, was constructed at the mouth of the river Boyne in 1936 and remains active[Pete's Irish Lighthouses].

Photograph of a deteriorated old lighthouse, and it's reflection in a brown-tinted puddle in the foreground.

Reflection in a puddle of the Drogheda East lighthouse, July 2024.

Inactive since 2007.

View of a small white lighthouse through a chain link fence.

Drogheda West lighthouse seen through a fence, August 2024.

Inactive since 2000.

Old lighthouse next to a small house. There is a field of tall grass in the foreground.

Drogheda North lighthouse, August 2024.

Inactive since 2000.

A coastal landscape with a lighthouse and weathered poles on a sandy beach by the side of a river.

Aleria, seen from across the river Boyne, August 2024.

The Great South Wall, Dublin Bay

The Great South Wall, or South Bull Wall, is the longest sea wall in Europe to this day [Wikipedia]. Three of the lights used to guide ships entering Dublin port can be easily seen from the Great South Wall. Most notably, Poolbeg Lighthouse is situated at the seaward end.
Almost 2 kilometres from shore, the walk to Poolbeg Lighthouse takes about 25 minutes.