Baily Lighthouse Museum (photo: Frank Pelly)

PHASE ONE of the development of an Irish Lighthouse Museum at the Baily Lighthouse was officially opened by the Chairman of the Commissioners' Inspecting Committee, Terence Johnson, during the Commissioners' inspection of the station on the 12 June 2000. This was the first step in providing a permanent exhibition of historic artefacts of Service interest which have accumulated over the years in workshops, storerooms, the office basement, and coast stations.

Those familiar with the layout of the Baily Lighthouse will remember the accommodation block which housed the Supernumerary Assistant Keepers in those halcyon days of Lighthouse Keeper recruitment and training. The building was, of course, affectionately referred to as the Baily Hilton and memories of life under its roof, good or bad, must still be fresh in the minds of many.

The bedroom accommodation on the upper floor of this block has been broken out into one large room, and the south-eastern corner has been opened into the former recreation room-the one with the balcony and fine view over Dublin Bay-making a large L shaped area of about 1,000 square feet of useable floor space. Two-thirds of this area is now functioning as a museum with over 100 artefacts on display, and it is anticipated that the remainder will be open for exhibition purposes by the early Spring 2001. It is planned eventually to include the former Watchroom, which is on the same level and a natural extension of the museum, for the display of historic communications equipment such as early radio receivers and transmitters including early VHF sets, radiobeacon equipment, semaphore bats and flags, and International Code flags. This will also be an ideal location for exhibiting first-generation telemetry equipment from the very early days of automation.

A CIRCULAR LETTER was sent to all serving and retired employees earlier in the year, requesting help in acquiring any stray artefacts, archival material, or personal items of interest to the Service such as photographs, pictures, diaries, and correspondence. This received a very positive response, and I am grateful to all those who sent items or contacted me with a view to contributing to our collection. We are continuing to accumulate a fascinating variety of early Service artefacts, domestic items, and general memorabilia, all of which are being indexed and cata-logued with the intention of putting them on display in a thematic context as soon as circumstances permit.

Occasionally an artefact carries as much interesting information on its reverse side as it does on its face. A case in point was one of those finely executed oval marquetry plaques which were traditionally fitted in the accommodation of all new tenders and lightships. This one was originally issued to the new Skua lightvessel when it was commissioned in 1959, and carried a very fine depiction of the seabird of that name. However, when the plaque was turned over it had written, in longhand, on the reverse side-

22/2/1978, overdue for 7 days,
J.S. and T.R., S.E. force 7,
South Rock L/V.

On looking up old office records, it was found that the two seamen in temporary distress were the Master, John Scanlan, and Able Seaman T. B. Roche. The story has a relatively happy ending as the records also show that the relief was carried out on the following day, 23 February 1978!

Two other items have come to hand which surely have a tale to tell. One is a little timber peg-game board in which the pegs for the holes are red coloured Rawlplugs, and the board is proudly marked eagle island games ltd, patent pending. The other is a 18 inch high celtic cross on a tiered base, the entire surface of which is cleverly overlaid with literally hundreds of matchsticks, some of which have been tinted in order to achieve maximum visual effect. Regrettably, neither of these two pieces of craft-work was signed by the maker.

The quality and quantity of artefacts received to date is surprisingly good. We have on display or in storage some 400 items, including 19th century optics and early illumination equipment which in its time burned a variety of fuels including paraffin oil, coal gas, carbide gas, and colza oil. We have fog signals, buoy lanterns, nautical instruments, surveying instruments, very early electrical equipment, pictures, photographs, and a wide variety of other items too numerous to list here.

REPRESENTATIVES from a number of maritime museums and coastal heritage centres have expressed an interest in the project and have asked to be included in a long term loan and exchange scheme which we propose to introduce in the near future in order to circulate some of the artefacts we hold which are in excess of our own immediate requirements and which could be of local interest in their particular areas.

In resuming contact with the people of these coastal communities who traditionally welcomed so many of our personnel into their midst, whether they were lightkeepers in long term residence, lightshipmen, visiting tender crews sheltering from the weather, or technicians and tradesmen who lodged ashore while tending the nearby aids to navigation, it is gratifying to know that their long affinity with the Service is not forgotten as a result of automation. Consequently we will endeavour to assist them, where and when we can, with their local heritage centre requirements.

BECAUSE OF access and parking difficulties the Baily Lighthouse Museum will not be open to the general public. However, it may be possible to permit entry to individuals, or to very small groups who have a particular interest in the material on display, provided they make a formal request well in advance.

The museum is being established with the interests of all serving and retired employees and their families very much in mind, and we feel sure it will provide an attractive window on the past in relation to the activities, technologies, and traditional practices of our predecessors in the Service. We hope to arrange occasional Open Days during which serving and retired Service personnel and their families will be welcome to come along and see a tangible slice of Irish Lights history. Advance notice of visiting arrangements will be issued when the final construction phase has been completed and all items are on display.