ON A BEAUTIFUL evening in July 2004, flat calm sea and against a beautiful sunset, I photographed Maidens Rocks off the Antrim coast. It was a perfect way to end a project that had taken me all round the Irish coastline over a ten year period since taking the first photograph of Roancarrig. My venture began in 1993, a bright idea, to make postcards of lighthouses. Every shop in every seaside town and village around Ireland would want them, and they would sell fast. Scenes of the sea, anything to do with that always had an appeal; and basically I wasn't wrong.

The main problem was I hadn't properly thought the business side of things out, and all too soon I was trying to pay the bills with not much to go on. The first postcards I made in 1994 sold very well, but the cost of making them was too much. I was advised to do a quarter of a million at once because doing them in bulk would bring the cost down. I listened to the advice, and had the Dublin printer printed them in the fashion I expected I might have made a profit. Alas, he failed me and I spent most of the next ten years trying to pay back the loan for that print run.

As a business venture it was a failure, not just because of the bad print run, but things were changing in the world. The events of 9/11 dried up the US market I had been nurturing, and then mobile phones kicked in. Holiday-makers prefer to send text messages home than be bothered to write postcards.

A person with a business sense would most likely have walked away from making these postcards, but the artist in me didn't want to do that. Ten and a half years it took me from start to finish, raising finance, waiting for the right light, making contacts, arranging transport. I really enjoyed making the lighthouse postcards and wanted to do them more than anything.

I would dream of the day when I could put on the back of each card the total in the series. The word 'complete' was something I longed for: The Complete Irish Lighthouse Series.

I realised the dream that day off the Maidens and rang Sue Hill, the driving force behind making Mizen Head signal station, who had come to my assistance in 1995. I had achieved my goal of photographing every major lighthouse in Ireland and many of the smaller ones like Copper Point and Sheeps Head; some lighthouses no longer in operation, like Clare Island and Ferris Point; a lightfloat, and the Irish Lights vessel Granuaile.

It was not easy but I had a lot of fun doing it. I have the memories of the helicopter flights, meeting the Attendants, and contacts with my friends at Irish Lights.

I wish to extend my thanks to all who helped me achieve my dream, especially those in Irish Lights and Irish Helicopters Ltd; and Tom MacSweeney of rte and Lorna Siggins of The Irish Times. The postcard series is a collection I can be proud of. It shows off the Irish coastline as well as the lighthouses, and now it's out there for people to discover. Take a tour of the Irish coastline with my cards. Switch off your mobile phone when you're on holiday and send home a lighthouse postcard.

© John Eagle, October 2005

www.JohnEaglePhotography.com
John Eagle was born in Oxford. He worked there in a car components factory for 15 years before moving to live in the south-west of Ireland, and took up photography for local newspapers. He hit on the idea of making postcards early on, first local scenes and then lighthouses. His oil paintings started to sell in 2000 and by 2002 they were supporting his lighthouse postcard project.

Special offer to Beam readers
John Eagle is offering his Complete Lighthouse Series of picture postcards to readers of Beam for €50.00 including postage. Contact details-John Eagle, Eyries, Beara, Co Cork, Ireland. 'phone 353 (0) 27 74275; e-mail john@johneaglephoto.com