Blackhead Lighthouse (County Antrim)

The first application for a lighthouse at Black Head was made by the Belfast Harbour Board in 1893. It was refused by the Commissioners of Irish Lights on the basis that the light would only benefit shipping entering Belfast and should not be financed by the general Mercantile Marine Fund. A second request was made in early 1898, this time supported by Lloyd's and the Belfast Chamber of Commerce as well as the Harbour Board, it was also refused. Further representations were made that year, including discussions in the House of Commons, until the Board of Trade and Trinity House agreed to make available funding to cover the estimated cost of £10,025 (equivalent to £1,188,054 as of 2021) for the construction of a lighthouse and fog signal.

The contract to construct the light was awarded to William Campbell and Sons in 1899 with work starting the same year. Designed by William Douglass engineer-in-chief to the CIL, the lighthouse was completed in 1902. Situated at the top of a steep cliff to guide ships into Belfast Lough and the port of Belfast, it complements the Mew Island Lighthouse on the southern side of the lough entrance, which was also designed by Douglass.

The lighthouse consists of an octagonal stone tower 16 metres (52 ft) high, with lantern and gallery painted white. The main two-storey keeper's house is built close by and linked to the tower by an enclosed walkway. There is also an adjacent detached superintendent's house. The lighthouse was electrified in 1965 and became automatic in 1975. The fog signal was suppressed in 1972.

With a focal height of 45 metres (148 ft) above the sea, the light from the first order Fresnel lens with its 400W bulb can be seen for 27 nautical miles, with a characteristic of a single white flash every 3 seconds.

On the 31st July 1975 the Lightkeepers were withdrawn from the Station and since then it has been in the care of a part-time Attendant.

On the 1st April 1992 the Radiobeacon Calibration service at Mew Island was discontinued and moved to Blackhead Antrim. In more recent times utilisation of radio direction finders by Mariners has been to a great extent superceded by more modern technology. For this reason the Commissioners discontinued their Medium Frequency Radiobeacon service on 1st February 1999.