Hook Lighthouse
Encyclopedia
The Hook Lighthouse is a building situated at the tip of the Hook Peninsula
in County Wexford
, in Ireland
. It is one of the oldest lighthouse
s in the world, and the oldest operating lighthouse in the British Isles
. It is operated by the Commissioners of Irish Lights
, the Irish Lighthouse Authority, it marks the eastern entrance to Waterford Harbour
. The current structure has stood for almost 800 years.
following the Norman Invasion in 1169, both to establish the lighthouse and to serve as a fortress on the approaches to Waterford. More recent studies, however, have attributed construction to William Marshal in 1245. In any case, this tower, in its original form, was 8m high and roughly 8.5m in diameter, with an open fire at the top serving as the beacon. The tower and its grounds was entrusted to the monks, who by then were associated with the Priory of Saint Augustine in Ross. This arrangement continued even through the dissolution of the monasteries
under Henry VIII
.
Maintenance of the beacon was interrupted by the English Civil War
, when the monks abandoned the area. The lack of the light was felt, and in 1657 the governor of Duncannon Fort was petitioned to restore the beacon, but without success. However, in 1665 Charles II
authorized Richard Reading to build six lighthouses on the Irish coast, including the rehabilitation of the light at Hook Head. By this time the tower had been enlarged; an addition incorporating a spiral staircase had been added surrounding the old tower, and the height of the whole structure raised to 24m. What Reading did in relighting the beacon is unclear, but he may have constructed an enclosed lantern to shelter the fire, as was customary at the time. The light was returned to service in 1667 and has remained active in some form ever since.
In 1704 Queen Anne
transferred custody of the Irish lights to the Revenue Commissioners, but this transfer did not immediately affect Hook Head, as it was held in lease by Henry Loftus of Loftus Hall
. The lease passed to his son, who threatened to extinguish the light failing renewal of the lease on his terms. In the end he got his renewal, but at terms more favorable to the crown.
By the 1790s the tower was in need of repair. At this time Thomas Rogers was contracted with to maintain this and nine other lighthouses. He replaced the Reading lantern with a new one housing the Argand lamp and reflector system typical of the period. The beacon was altered in 1812 and then replaced in 1864 with a dioptric lens housed in a new lantern, which is that used today.
Subsequent changes left the structure largely unaltered but updated the light source. Coal gas replaced oil lamps in 1871, with vaporized paraffin
taking over in 1911, and electricity in 1972. A rotating third-order Fresnel lens
was also installed in 1911. A variety of fog signals were installed beginning with a bell in 1838, a cannon in 1872, an explosive charge in 1905 (altered in 1938), an air horn in 1975, and an electric horn from 1995 on. Resident keeper households were replaced by a team of six keepers in 1977, and the light was automated in 1996. The light continues to operate as an active aid to navigation. An older daymark of three red bands on a white background was altered to two black bands on white in 1938.
In 2001 the light was opened to the public as a tourist attraction after construction of an attached visitors' center. In January 2011 The Hooks fog horn was heard for the last time as all the fog horns were turned off. It was felt that seeing that the technology on modern ships were so advanced that the fog horn was no longer required. In June 2011 the structure was placed first by Lonely Planet
in its list of "Top 10 Flashiest Lighthouses"; the guide described Hook as "The great granddaddy of lighthouses".
Hook Peninsula
The Hook Peninsula is a peninsula in County Wexford, Ireland. It has been a gateway to south-east Ireland for successive waves of newcomers, including the Vikings, Anglo-Normans and the English....
in County Wexford
County Wexford
County Wexford is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wexford. In pre-Norman times it was part of the Kingdom of Uí Cheinnselaig, whose capital was at Ferns. Wexford County Council is the local...
, in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. It is one of the oldest lighthouse
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
s in the world, and the oldest operating lighthouse in the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
. It is operated by the Commissioners of Irish Lights
Commissioners of Irish Lights
The Commissioners of Irish Lights is the body that serves as the lighthouse authority for Ireland plus its adjacent seas and islands...
, the Irish Lighthouse Authority, it marks the eastern entrance to Waterford Harbour
Waterford Harbour
Waterford Harbour is a natural harbour at the mouth of the Three Sisters; the River Nore, the River Suir and the River Barrow in Ireland. It is navigable for shipping to both Waterford and New Ross. The Port of Waterford is capable of accommodating vessels up to 32,000 tons dwt...
. The current structure has stood for almost 800 years.
History
The existing tower dates from the twelfth century, though tradition states that Dubhán, a missionary to the Wexford area, established some sort of beacon as early as the fifth century. The headland is known in Irish as Rinn Dubháin, St. Dubhán's Head. According to Onomasticon Goidelicum (1910, p582) Rinn Dubáin Ailithir is mentioned in the Book of Leinster, written about 1079. However, the similar-sounding Irish word 'duán' means a fish hook, hence the English name. It is known locally as "the tower of Hook." The exact circumstance of the initial construction on the present structure are the subject of some controversy. It had been thought that the tower was constructed in 1172 by Raymond LeGrosRaymond Fitzgerald
Raymond FitzGerald , nicknamed Le Gros, was a Cambro-Norman commander during the Norman invasion of Ireland....
following the Norman Invasion in 1169, both to establish the lighthouse and to serve as a fortress on the approaches to Waterford. More recent studies, however, have attributed construction to William Marshal in 1245. In any case, this tower, in its original form, was 8m high and roughly 8.5m in diameter, with an open fire at the top serving as the beacon. The tower and its grounds was entrusted to the monks, who by then were associated with the Priory of Saint Augustine in Ross. This arrangement continued even through the dissolution of the monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
under Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
.
Maintenance of the beacon was interrupted by the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
, when the monks abandoned the area. The lack of the light was felt, and in 1657 the governor of Duncannon Fort was petitioned to restore the beacon, but without success. However, in 1665 Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
authorized Richard Reading to build six lighthouses on the Irish coast, including the rehabilitation of the light at Hook Head. By this time the tower had been enlarged; an addition incorporating a spiral staircase had been added surrounding the old tower, and the height of the whole structure raised to 24m. What Reading did in relighting the beacon is unclear, but he may have constructed an enclosed lantern to shelter the fire, as was customary at the time. The light was returned to service in 1667 and has remained active in some form ever since.
In 1704 Queen Anne
Anne of Great Britain
Anne ascended the thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland on 8 March 1702. On 1 May 1707, under the Act of Union, two of her realms, England and Scotland, were united as a single sovereign state, the Kingdom of Great Britain.Anne's Catholic father, James II and VII, was deposed during the...
transferred custody of the Irish lights to the Revenue Commissioners, but this transfer did not immediately affect Hook Head, as it was held in lease by Henry Loftus of Loftus Hall
Loftus Hall
Loftus Hall is a large mansion house on the Hook peninsula, County Wexford, Ireland that is said to have been haunted both by the devil and by the ghost of a young woman....
. The lease passed to his son, who threatened to extinguish the light failing renewal of the lease on his terms. In the end he got his renewal, but at terms more favorable to the crown.
By the 1790s the tower was in need of repair. At this time Thomas Rogers was contracted with to maintain this and nine other lighthouses. He replaced the Reading lantern with a new one housing the Argand lamp and reflector system typical of the period. The beacon was altered in 1812 and then replaced in 1864 with a dioptric lens housed in a new lantern, which is that used today.
Subsequent changes left the structure largely unaltered but updated the light source. Coal gas replaced oil lamps in 1871, with vaporized paraffin
Kerosene
Kerosene, sometimes spelled kerosine in scientific and industrial usage, also known as paraffin or paraffin oil in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Ireland and South Africa, is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid. The name is derived from Greek keros...
taking over in 1911, and electricity in 1972. A rotating third-order Fresnel lens
Fresnel lens
A Fresnel lens is a type of lens originally developed by French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel for lighthouses.The design allows the construction of lenses of large aperture and short focal length without the mass and volume of material that would be required by a lens of conventional design...
was also installed in 1911. A variety of fog signals were installed beginning with a bell in 1838, a cannon in 1872, an explosive charge in 1905 (altered in 1938), an air horn in 1975, and an electric horn from 1995 on. Resident keeper households were replaced by a team of six keepers in 1977, and the light was automated in 1996. The light continues to operate as an active aid to navigation. An older daymark of three red bands on a white background was altered to two black bands on white in 1938.
In 2001 the light was opened to the public as a tourist attraction after construction of an attached visitors' center. In January 2011 The Hooks fog horn was heard for the last time as all the fog horns were turned off. It was felt that seeing that the technology on modern ships were so advanced that the fog horn was no longer required. In June 2011 the structure was placed first by Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet is the largest travel guide book and digital media publisher in the world. The company is owned by BBC Worldwide, which bought a 75% share from the founders Maureen and Tony Wheeler in 2007 and the final 25% in February 2011...
in its list of "Top 10 Flashiest Lighthouses"; the guide described Hook as "The great granddaddy of lighthouses".