The Last Irish Lightship
by John Gore Grimes
25 February 2009 marked the withdrawal from service of the last Irish Lights' Lightfloat when the Gannet was taken off the South Rock station and replaced by a superbuoy. The newly built superbuoy had been collected from Dun Laoghaire two days previously and was ready on the deck of Granuaile awaiting the changeover. Operations commenced shortly before 7am when Granuaile's motor boat transferred the Attendant Master and Assistant Attendant Master to the lightfloat. Once secured alongside the ground chain was recovered and disconnected from the lightfloat at 90 ftms. The ground chain was fully tested and checked before it was attached to the superbuoy. At 0947 hours the new South Rock buoy was placed in her chartered position and left functioning correctly.
The Chairman, members of the Board, distinguished guests and media personnel from BBC and RTE were present on the Gannet as her moorings were raised for the last time and the Granuaile made preparations to take her in tow for her final voyage. The official brass plaque on the bridge of the Gannet was formally removed and presented to the Chairman by Sammy Clint, Attendant Master of the vessel and his Assistant, Gabriel Rogers, who was a former lightshipman. Our Chairman, John Kidney, further marked the event by making presentations to Sammy and Gabriel of crystal plates and thanked them for their service to Irish Lights and the Mariner.
The event marked the end of the lightship era which began in 1810 and at the turn of the 20th century saw eleven lightship stations around the coast of Ireland. In 1981 the last two remaining lightship stations, Coningbeg and South Rock, were de-manned and the lightships reclassified as Automated Lightfloats.
The South Rock Lightvessel was placed on station on April Fools Day 1877 just three quarters of a mile east north east of the South Rock Lighthouse. It remained on station for one hundred and twenty one years three hundred and thirty two days. It has given good service to the mariner during that time although, inevitably, wrecks did occur. Some twelve ships were lost between 1877 and 1916 and most of those came to grief in fog.
The emminent historian Jim Blaney records the following incident which took place on 10 November 1884;
A more amusing incident took place on the night of the 10th of October 1884. On that day a wedding had taken place in Ballywalter Village and in accordance with local custom a bonfire was lit in the evening. It so happened however that the fire was in line with the Long Rock, the scene of many shipwrecks, and the South Rock Lightvessel, some five miles distant. The Lightshipmen on seeing the fire concluded that the Long Rock had claimed another victim and immediately began to shoot rockets in the air and fired a gun to attract the attention of the Coastguards. This roused the inhabitants of the village and the surrounding district causing great excitement. The rockets continued until the fire died out, when the error was discovered and the firing stopped."
South Rock Lighthouse
For generations the North and South Rocks had claimed many vessels and the lives of many sailors. The Rocks are mainly covered at high water and lie about two miles offshore. This important turning point off the Ards Peninsula was greatly feared by trading captains who knew it to be a place of particular danger, especially in foggy conditions which are common in the area.
The Kilwarlin or South Rock Lighthouse stands on a rock which is just submerged at full spring tides. The Lighthouse was discontinued in 1877 when the South Rock Lightvessel was placed on station. The North Rock is less than a mile north of the South Rock and it is marked with an unlit beacon which is painted red.
In 1783 Thomas Rogers was invited by the Admiralty to build a lighthouse close to the South Rock. Rogers was primarily an optical expert and in 1788 he designed and fitted the lamps, reflectors and lenses on the Portland Bill Lighthouse. It was a remarkable achievement and Portland Bill was the world's first lighthouse which was fitted with a lens. The lens greatly increased the range of the light.
On 14 November 1783 a sum of £1,400 was granted to the Earl of Hillsborough for the purpose of building the South Rock Lighthouse. Thomas Rogers was fully occupied at the time working on building projects at Old Head of Kinsale, Loophead, Aranmore, Copeland Islands, and Howth Head.
Work eventually started on the South Rock Lighthouse in 1793. Sadly, Lord Kilwarlin died during that year. The light was first exhibited on 25 March 1797 and for the next eighty years provided a safe passage for mariners though not always successfully. By 1877 there was such concern due to the number of shipwrecks which had occurred, that it was decided to place a lightvessel further out to sea to keep passing vessels well clear of the dreaded North and South Rocks and the chain of rocks between the two.
The tower of the South Rock Lighthouse is 60 feet high. It is circular and built of granite. The entrance doorway is 20 feet above the foundations and the tower beneath the door is solid. The first floor starts at 20 feet and there are two more floors above it which were used as living accommodation for the lightkeepers and their families. Supplies were rowed out each week from what was then the New Quay at Newcastle. This arrangement was deemed unsatisfactory and circa 1820 new cottages were built for the lightkeepers' families at the New Quay in Newcastle. From that time two Lightkeepers were stationed on the South Rock Lighthouse while their families remained ashore. A third Lightkeeper stayed ashore and relieved one of his colleagues at the end of each month.
The optic on the South Rock Lighthouse was the first revolving optic to be installed in an Irish lighthouse. It was operated by a falling weight and the speed of the revolutions was controlled by a governor. It was, however, unreliable and the reports disclosed that the keepers had, from time to time, to spend long stormy winter nights revolving the lantern by hand. While Thomas Rogers was admired by some he had his detractors and when John Rennie, a well known lighthouse designer, visited the South Rock in September 1905 he wrote;
'The Lighthouse was constructed with but little judgement… unless some speedy and effectual steps are taken, I apprehend its duration would scarcely exceed the life of the architect.'
Unlike the South Rock Lighthouse, time has proven Mr Rennie's remarks to be without foundation. Our late engineer Desmond Martin inspected the South Rock Lighthouse in 1958 and reported that it was in an excellent state of repair. Unfortunately vandals struck in 1972 removing the lantern and leaving it looking like an old gentleman who has removed his top hat. The South Rock tower is the only surviving reminder of Thomas Roger's energetic lighthouse engineering.
Above the doorway is a very fine stone carved coat of arms. This is the Downshire Coat of Arms erected in honour of Lord Kilwarlin, the promoter and sponsor of the Lighthouse. The motto on the crest reads Per Deum Et Ferrum Obtinui which means By God and by my sword I have obtained.
On 25 February 2009 the diesel engines of the South Rock Lightfloat went silent and the light was switched off. It was an emotional moment for the Attendant Master Samuel Clint and his Assistant Gabriel Rogers but such is progress. Samuel and Gabriel and the countless lightshipmen who have served before them have served the mariner well in their meticulous attendance at and maintenance of the lightfloat. Their commitment to the task was exceptional. Our lights may flash red or white but they are turning green. The Superbuoy which has replaced the South Rock lightfloat is solar powered with assistance from two wave activated generators powered by the rise and fall of water in the tail tube. In Salutem Omnium indeed