Blacksod Lighthouse

1866

1864

Eire

Trinity House

3rd order

Inactive

Fl(2) WR 7.5s

Required to be painted white but no evidence to prove it was. It is a square blocked building 13m high with a small conical lantern section on top of it which is painted white.

A lighthouse at the southern extremity of the Mullet was first mentioned in 1841, the result of a letter from Lieutenant Nugent of the Coast Guard stationed in Belmullet and forwarded to the Board by Mr James Dombrain, Inspector General of the Coast Guard. The letter from Lieutenant Nugent requested a lighthouse to be placed on Blackrock but in Inspector George Halpin's report to the Board, he disapproved of a light on Blackrock as a general sea light but stated that it would be a useful light to lead vessels into Blacksod Bay with a light also on Blacksod Point, the Mullet's southern extremity. The subject was postponed until 1857 when it was brought up again by the Inspecting Committee. Blackrock received sanction this time to go ahead but Blacksod Point was not mentioned and had to wait a further four years. In June 1861 the Inspecting Committee recommended placing a light on Blacksod Point which would, in conjunction with Blackrock, make Blacksod Bay a safe anchorage The Inspecting Committee reiterated their remarks again in their Inspection report June 1862. These together with another letter from the Coast Guard and a report from the Board's Inspector, Captain E. F. Roberts were all sent to Trinity House in August 1862. The Elder Brethren replied in November stating they would defer coming to any decision on Blacksod Point or Inishtearaght, which was also being considered at that time, until they had an opportunity of visiting the localities in the spring of 1863. This inspection took place on the 8th and 9th June, Inishtearaght and Blacksod respectively, there and then it was agreed that Blacksod Lighthouse should be near Blacksod Point pier, locally called Termon pier (not the actual Blacksod Point which was about 1.6km to the south west previously mentioned) with a fixed white light and red shade over Ardelly Point. The following month Trinity House and the Board of Trade sanctioned Blacksod Lighthouse and they again emphasised that the light was to be positioned on Blacksod Point pier as far seaward as practicable and should not be seen by vessels entering the bay until they can prudently haul up to anchorage. Also, they agreed to the placing of a buoy at the end of the spit off Blacksod pier. Plans were submitted in September 1863 by Mr J. S. Sloan, the Board's Superintendent of Works and Foreman, and were sent to Mr C. P. Cotton, the Board's Consulting Engineer who approved the design. The Board of Trade's approval was obtained in October subject to a slight modification, they suggested an octagonal lantern instead of a square lantern as shown on top of the square tower; the plans were altered but retained the two masonry sides of the square lantern and introduced a semi-circular eight sided glazed lantern seaward over the bay. In November the Secretary, Mr Lees was instructed by the Board to apply to the proper quarter to obtain land and by December the Reverend W. Palmer's offer to grant one statute acre of land for £1 per annum for lighthouse premises was approved. During May the following year, 1864, the reverend gentleman who also owned and worked the local granite quarries kept his eye to business and wrote to the Board offering granite for building at a sum of £100 to be paid for at the commencement of the works. The Board informed him his letter would be referred to the contractor when declared.

Four tenders were received for building the lighthouse dwelling, which were opened in June 1864 and considered by the Board who selected Mr Bryan Carey's tender for £2,100. With the Board of Trade's sanction which was received in late July, Carey must have commenced building in August or September, because payment of the first instalment was made in October and the contract was sealed in November. When the Board opened the two tenders in May 1865 for the 3rd Order Dioptric Apparatus, one from Messrs. Chance Brothers, the other from Messrs. Wilkins & Co. they found that the quotations were identical, £340, so the Board agreed to draw lots! The result gave a preference to Chance Brothers. In March 1866 a Notice to Mariners was issued stating that the fixed light showing white from 210º to 018º (168º) and red over Ardelly Point 189º to 210º (21º) would be exhibited on the night of 30th June 1866. The Inspecting Committee on Tour in 1923 recommended making a number of stations unwatched, Blacksod being one of them. Approval for unwatching was granted, but Blacksod was postponed. The question of unwatching came up again in 1929 and it was agreed to make provision in the Estimates for 1930-31, as an unwatched acetylene station. The optic remained but the character changed from fixed white and red to group flash (2) white and red every 7.5 seconds on 23rd December 1931. Blacksod, was converted to electric on 31st May 1967.

Commissioners of Irish Lights

Open

Open

54°05′55″N 10°03′38″W

https://www.irishlights.ie/tourism/our-lighthouses/blacksod.aspx https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blacksod_Lighthouse

During the last war American and British meteorologists used to look out of their respective windows and very rarely came up with the same weather forecast. Obviously, an accurate forecast was essential for the D-day landings in France in 1944. The Americans predicted bad weather for the whole week, the British agreed, with a break for the better mid-week. The Allies also listened to the German forecast; that lined up with the American prediction, so much so that Field Marshal Rommel left the front to visit Berlin. The weather report, which made up the minds of the British to prove they were correct and recommend invading came from the Blacksod Point Meteorological Station!