Balbriggan Lighthouse
As the Green Party's spokesperson on the Marine and a resident of the fishing town of Balbriggan, I frequently am asked if there is any possibility that the top of Balbriggan Harbour Lighthouse (which was removed in 1960) can be restored. Reading through your excellent journal I see again and again lighthouse lanterns similar to the one appearing in pictures of Balbriggan Harbour Lighthouse before it was decapitated.

I would appeal for suggestions from any of your readers or assistance in having the lighthouse in Balbriggan Harbour restored, as it is the most notable landmark in the town and Balbriggan Football Club has adopted it as a crest, as well as many other businesses who display it on their letterheads.

Restoration work is taking place in the harbour courtesy of Dublin Port, and the restoration of the lighthouse which served so many seafarers from the 18th century onwards would contribute to this new dawn for Balbriggan Harbour.

Le gach dea-ghuí,
Trevor Sargent, TD

Editor's Note: Balbriggan Lighthouse is of benefit only to mariners using Balbriggan Harbour rather than to mariners in general navigation. For this reason responsibility for Balbriggan Lighthouse was tranferred from the Commissioners of Irish lights to the Dublin Port & Docks Board (now Dublin Port Company) in 1989, under Section 58 of the Harbous Act 1946. The cost of maintaining Balbriggan Lighthouse is now met by Dublin Port Company

 

More recollections of Isolda
Arising from 'Isolda sinking recalled' on page three of Beam Volume 27, you may be interested in the enclosed picture of the Isolda taken at Bangor, Co Down about two weeks before the '39 war. Being on holidays there with my late brother Ernest, we hired a rowing boat. We rowed out to where the Isolda was anchored, and this is the way the conversation went:

'Can we come on board'?
'No' replied the big burly seaman on watch.
'Where do you come from'? we then asked.
'From Dublin' came the reply.
'So do we' we replied.
'Do you know the Brian Boru pub' the seaman shouted.
'It's at the top of the road we live on' we replied.
'Come on board' then answered the seaman, and thereupon he spent about an hour showing us all over his very interesting ship.

The Brian Boru pub is almost facing Lindsay Road, Glasnevin, where we were all born and reared.

On page 21 you mention one Gregory Meehan. About 1948 whilst on holiday in Howth with my sailing partner, the late Charlie Richardson, we were at the end of the pier in Howth. Disgusted, we were, because the wind was too strong for our little Water Wag.

Then the boatman approached us: would we help Alec Kay to sail his Howth 17 footer over to Dun Laoghaire. Delighted, we jumped at the offer. But how to get word to the B & B that we would not be back in time for the usual high tea?

And then we saw schoolboy Gregory, son of the Lighthouse Keeper. He accepted our bribe and cycled half way up Howth Hill to tell Miss Wall that we would not be in till late.

The former dreary day turned out to be one of the best sailing trips that we ever did. The sea was quite rough, especially off the Baily, and the wind was force 6-7, but not only did we arrive safely but were treated to a super slap-up meal in the Hotel Pierre.

Your Volume 27 certainly tickled up my memory cells.

Arthur Allshire

Corish Connections
I recently asked to be put on the mailing list for Beam. Very promptly you sent me the 1997-8 and 1998-9 editions which I was delighted to receive. I read both from cover to cover in record time. They were so interesting. What lovely magazines!

I was so excited to see on page 24 of the 1997-8 edition news of my great grandfather, Peter Corish, who was a Keeper on the South Rock Lighthouse. On the same page his son-in-law, Nicholas Murphy, was mentioned. I can barely remember Uncle Nick-in the twilight of his life he lived on St John's Road, Wexford, where we lived. I am speaking about the 1940s. My late father, Bill Ryan, would collect Uncle Nick each Sunday and bring him to Mass. Nick would usually come to our house afterwards and give me half a crown (2s/6d). What a man!

My late mother, Anna (née Corish) was a grand-daughter of Peter Corish and daughter of Patrick Corish who retired from Irish Lights in 1921. My mother was born at Broadhaven in 1908.

Many, many thanks for these magazines. Very shortly they will be on their way to a first cousin, Mary Mulhall (née Corish) in Vancouver. Her husband, Gerry, is trying to do a Corish family tree.

Mrs Mary Vahey

Jack Finn
This is to request the assistance of your readers in locating information on my great-great-grandfather John Finn and his wife, Nellie Driscoll Finn. 'Jack' Finn was a Lighthouse Keeper in or near Cobh, County Cork, after the American Civil War and before the turn of the century. I have reason to believe that his son, John Finn Jr, was the same John Finn who was a Lighthouse Keeper at Baily in 1902 and transferred to Bull Rock in 1904. My great grandmother Ellen Finn was born in the lighthouse where her father worked.

Are there any Beam readers with an interest in the histories of these lights during this period, who might have records of the Lighthouse Keepers? If you can tell me anything about John Finn Sr and his wife, or their son John Jr, you'd be helping me keep the family name and heritage alive.

Anyone with information is requested to write to me.

Mark W. DeLawyer,
550 So. Clinton Street, Syracuse,
NY, 13202 USA.