Local history: Mayo's Eagle Island has been battered by violent storms

IN the Kilmore Parish Magazine 2001/2002 a very interesting article was published on Eagle Island, situated at the north end of the Mullet peninsula in Erris.

It was opened by Patrick J. Gaughan, lighthouse attendant.

In 1830, applications were made to the ballast board by commanders Blake and Glascock of the coast guard service for a light on Blackrock or Inishmann point.

Mr. G. Halpin, the board’s inspector, however, reported in favour of Eagle Island. The board informed Admiral Paget, through whom the application was made, that Eagle Island had been selected as the most suitable station and the Trinity Board gave their sanction on November 27, 1830.

Two lighthouses were built, Eagle Island east and Eagle Island west. The base of the west tower was 196 feet above high water and during the construction a great sea swept the partly built tower, two courses high, and much of the building material clear into the sea.

The two towers were finally completed and a massive storm wall was built on the sea side of the towers.

The towers, 64 feet and 87 feet, were 132 yards apart, with their lanterns at the same level 220 feet above high water. When the two lights at night or the towers in daytime were in line they guided vessels past all dangers from Blacksod bay to Broadhaven, including the Stags.

The tower, built of cut stone from quarries on the island, was painted white and could be seen for miles in clear weather.

The cost of the whole establishment until the end of 1839 was £36,428. 10s. 1d. The works were not quite complete when the lights were first exhibited on the night of September 29, 1835.

Eagle Island seemed destined to be struck by severe storms. On the night of January 17, 1836, the lantern of the west tower was struck by a rock, shattering one of the panels of glass and extinguishing the light, but the keepers had the light working again within an hour.

The keepers' dwellings were badly damaged and in those days keepers and their families lived on the island.

Both lanterns were badly damaged by a violent gale on February 5 and 6, 1850, and the lights were not restored until the 11th by the keepers because the man sent out to reopen them could not make the passage, until the 14th, where a landing was effected and the whole story told.

On March 11, 1861, at midnight, the light room on the eastern tower was struck by the sea, smashing 24 panes, washing some of lamps down the stairs, and damaging the reflectors with broken glass beyond repair.

It was truly an incredible wave to have come up 133 feet of rock and then a further 87 feet of the lighthouse tower, to cause so much damage.

In spite of the efforts of the keepers to repair the damage it was not until the night of the 12th before the light was restored and then only with two lamps and reflectors.

Another interesting aspect of this disaster was that so much water cascaded down the tower, making it impossible for the keepers on the island to open the door to the tower. They had to drill holes in the door to let the water out.

The storm which struck Eagle Island on December 29, 1894, and indeed many other west and north coast stations, damaged the dwellings of the east station beyond repair and it also broke the lantern glass, putting out the light and damaging the protecting wall.

The families took shelter in the tower and it was not until the next day that the families at the west tower realised their friends plight. Woman and children were brought ashore and housed in Belmullet.

Shore dwellings for the keepers and their families were built at Corclough on the Termoncarragh Road, near where the keepers could swim ashore to the island. The families moved into the dwellings towards the end of 1900.

A fog signal was looked for on Eagle Island in 1910 and 1914 but it was not until 1917 that, at the expense of the Admiralty, an explosive fog signal was installed.

Although the Admiralty intimated they had no further use for the fog signal in 1920, the commissioners retained it at the station until the Free State Army removed the explosive charges in May 1923, but it was re-established in July 1924 when the charges were returned.

A new third order triple flashing catoptric lens was exhibited on February 5, 1927, and the red cuts were abolished.

January 21, 1937, saw the establishment of another navigational aid, a radio beacon. This sends out a morse signal, G.L., every six minutes in conjunction with five other radio season stations, two in Ireland, one in Scotland, one in the Scilly Islands and one in France.

Thus a continued service ova selected frequency can be picked up by a vessel and its position can be determined on a chart from two or three bearings obtained from these stations.

The shore dwellings were abandoned in 1955 and sold together with dwellings at Blackrock in October 1956.

Finally, the light was converted to electric on July 17, 1968, with the same character group flash three, while every 10 seconds, the candlepower increased to 1,400,000 and can be seen for 26 miles.

Reliefs were for a long time carried out by private contractor’s boat from Scotchport, two miles south of the island on the Mullet. However, from 1969 a helicopter took over, landing the keepers at Blackrock.

Eagle Island lighthouse was made automatic unwatched in 1988. The light and associated equipment is controlled by a computer-based monitoring system.

The attendant, with assistant attendant, visit the lighthouse every four weeks by helicopter and carry out routine work. A new solar light was exhibited on Sunday, November 4, 2001.

The light now flashes every 15 seconds.