How Irish lighthouses became 2024’s cool travel destination

The popularity of lighthouse tourism reflects their special and universal appeal. Social media, of course, has also increased the appreciation for lighthouses’ photogenic qualities, and booking a stay in a lighthouse reflects the desire for more authentic and sustainable travel experiences connected to the past.

There are 80 lighthouses around the coast of Ireland, all of which are now automated; the Bailey in Co Dublin was the last to be manned, until 1997. If Fanad Lighthouse in Co Donegal has been voted one of the most beautiful lighthouses in the world, Fastnet is surely one of the most dramatic, located on Fastnet Rock, 13km off the Co Cork mainland.

Fastnet, which is known as the “Teardrop of Ireland”, has been photographed by the Kinsale-based photographer Giles Norman. “At the risk of sounding biased, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more beautiful lighthouse,” Norman says. “I got the opportunity to photograph this awe-inspiring construction several years ago. Thankfully the weather and clouds all aligned, allowing me to capture my iconic Fastnet image.”

There are tours from Cape Clear and Baltimore to Fastnet during the summer months when whales, dolphins and basking sharks are familiar sights. The Dublin-born plein air artist Gerard Byrne has captured lighthouses on summer holidays, including Hook Lighthouse in Co Wexford and Dingle Lighthouse in Co Kerry. His interest is professional as well as artistic. As a former electrician his final employment in the trade before following his passion for art was with the Commissioners of Irish Lights. As a lighthouse technician he worked at Kish Bank in Dublin, Inisheer in Co Galway and Rathlin West in Co Antrim, among others.

“The older I get the more nostalgic I feel about this part of my life; I recall many memorable experiences and intriguing lighthouse ghost stories. I think of the generations of Irishmen who managed these lighthouses and the efforts to keep them functioning,” he says. “There’s a sense of sadness that they have been replaced by modern technology.”

Byrne is now considering a future body of work inspired by these proud, graceful structures. A few years ago he hosted a plein air painting masterclass at Hook Lighthouse. This summer visiting hours to the lighthouse, the oldest intact operational lighthouse in the world (800 years old), have been extended due to its popularity. Guided tours cost from €12. After the climb up and down the 115 worn spiral steps to the tower, the café is particularly restorative.

• Stay at this windblown beacon of bliss on the edge of the world

During National Heritage Week from August 17-25, many lighthouses, including Loop Head in Co Clare and Wicklow Head in Co Wicklow, are hosting open days. At the latter the house manager Brendan Conway will share his insights with visitors. He grew up on Wicklow Head in the late 1960s and early 1970s when his father was stationed there as an assistant keeper. “It’s in the blood. I love the remoteness of lighthouses,” he says.

Conway worked as a temporary keeper in the 1980s, stationed on Fastnet, Tuskar Rock in Co Wexford, Skellig in Co Kerry, Bull Rock in Co Cork and Rockabill and Baily, both in Co Dublin.

The plein air artist Gerard Byrne, a former lighthouse technician, captures Dingle Lighthouse in Come in Closer

“I also holidayed at Barleycove beach when my dad was stationed at Mizen Head. I was fortunate to see some of the old ways before automation.”

In his memoir, The Boy Who Built Lighthouses (€10, CreateSpace), Conway recounts further experiences. These include spending Christmas on Skellig Michael with his father, who was the principal keeper in 1985, as well as cooking his meals at the top of Fastnet.

Wicklow Head is one of eight lighthouses in Ireland that can be rented for short stays. Conway says guests book for different experiences. Some use it as a base to explore Co Wicklow, others use it as a quiet location to write, many want to experience what it’s like to live inside.

“I had some guests a few years ago who checked in for four days and never left the tower once. They had a great view — it has stunning sea views on three sides and land on the fourth side. Even though guests are only a few kilometres from Wicklow town, they’re remote enough to feel they’re in a different world. There is a beautiful cliff walk nearby and a seal colony along the route.”

The iconic image of Fastnet Lighthouse by the photographer Giles Norman

Patrick and Joy Tubby, a UK-based husband-and-wife team, are also committed pharophiles. Joy is the author of the comprehensive book Lighthouse Accommodation Britain and Worldwide. Last summer the Tubbys visited Ireland.

“We stayed at Galley Head Lighthouse and saw all the lighthouses along the coastline, from Rosslare to Bull Rock off Dursey Island,” Joy says. “We had boat trips to Ballycotton Lighthouse, Bull Rock, Castletownbere Harbour and Fastnet Lighthouse with Gerald Butler, who was keeper at the Fastnet during the 1979 storm.”

Butler is now house manager at Galley Head, Co Cork, a place he calls home. He worked for 21 years as a lighthouse keeper all around Ireland and featured in the RTE series Great Lighthouses of Ireland, which triggered a huge response from the public. Butler especially enjoys the diversity of people he meets at Galley Head and says that lighthouse tourism often becomes addictive once it has been tried.

“I’ve met physicians from New York to couples from Bombay who are all captivated by the lighthouse. Guests enjoy the contrast to their daily life; the isolation often cements relationships. What’s more, it doesn’t matter about the weather: most guests want to experience a mild storm.”

As Virginia Woolf said in her 1927 novel To the Lighthouse: “Lighthouses are endlessly suggestive signifiers of both human isolation and our ultimate connectedness to each other.” Maybe this summer it’s time to visit one.

Where to Stay

Clare Island Lighthouse, Co Mayo
This 200-year-old lighthouse in Clew Bay is the birthplace of the pirate queen Grace O’Malley, now part of Ireland’s Blue Book. There is wi-fi but no TV. No matter: the setting offers endless scope for walking, swimming, hiking, cycling and bird-watching. In the evening curl up beside a turf fire and catch up on some reading, or write the first draft of your novel. The decor inside the completely restored listed building — which has five bedrooms, a drawing room, library and kitchen — is understated but very comfortable. Managed by Roie McCann, it can be rented on a bed and breakfast basis from €260 per night, or on a self-catering basis for groups of up to 14 (a maximum two-night stay applies). Blue Book vouchers are accepted at this property. clareislandlighthouse.com

Galley Head Lighthouse, Co Cork
When Galley Head Lighthouse was built in 1875, during the heyday of lighthouse building, it had the most powerful light in the world. The lighthouse’s lantern, dome and 21m tower are still painted white, just as they were in the 19th century. (It was featured as the backdrop to the music video To the Lighthouse by Patrick Wolf.) Now it comprises two keepers’ houses, which can sleep four to six people, are linked by a joining door for bigger groups and have adjoining walled lawns. Most guests leave feeling invigorated by the views and restored by the surroundings. It’s close to Clonakilty; local attractions include a surf school, a model railway village, and the spa at Inchydoney Island Lodge. Look out for dolphins and whales during a stay. From €500 for two nights. irishlandmark.com

The Isle of Man can be seen from St John’s Point Lighthouse

St John’s Point Lighthouse, Co Down
You can’t miss St John’s Point Lighthouse: its strikingly tall tower is marked with vibrant bands of yellow and black. These vivid colours, which distinguish it from other lighthouses, are known as its daymark. There are two self-catering keepers’ cottages, Ketch and Sloop, available to book separately or together. Each has a double and two single beds and sleeps four guests. They offer views to the Isle of Man on one side and the Mourne mountains on the others. It’s a great base for walking, discovering Strangford Lough and the 130-year-old Great Light in Belfast or the early Christian church in nearby Killough. I love some of the nearby beaches too. The cottages come stocked with board and card games. From £326 for two nights (per house). irishlandmark.com

Blackhead Lighthouse, Co Antrim
Once the guardian of Belfast’s glory days of shipping, Blackhead guided many great ships on their journey, including the Titanic. Perched on the edge of a cliff, it offers a wild, windswept retreat with panoramic views over Belfast Lough. A coastal path in front of the lighthouse leads to the Victorian village of Whitehead (only about 40 minutes by train from Belfast). Fully restored to their former glory, the keepers’ houses — which sleep five people — feature bright rooms with antique furniture, an open fire and lots of maritime memorabilia. From £367 for two nights. irishlandmark.com

For further information visit greatlighthouses.com; lighthouseaccommodation.co.uk