Inishtrahull Lighthouse

The first lighthouse was built in 1812 on the east end of Inishtrahull Island which lies off the north coast of Donegal. It is the most northerly Irish lighthouse and was designed by George Halpin. It was first lit on 17th March 1813.

In 1861 Halpin who was by that time the Inspector of Lighthouses for The Ballast Board wanted to replace the reflectors with a new first order dioptric in a new lantern and tower. The board would not agree a new tower but in 1862 agreement was reached to erect a new lantern and apparatus on the existing tower. Messrs Edmundson of Dublin supplied the new lantern, lantern floor, spiral stairs and balcony all made from cast iron. Chance Brothers of Smethwick near Birmingham supplied the first order revolving dioptric apparatus with a wick burner. This new light became operational on 29th September 1864 with a character of one flash every two minutes. This was changed to one flash every minute in 1873 however it was then discovered that this character was the same as Skerryvoe 61 miles north off the Scottish Coast. It was therefore changed for a third time on 1st March 1874 to one flash every 30 seconds.

In 1952 the Commissioners of Irish Lights decided the lighthouse required modernisation. In 1905 a fog signal had been built on the western end of the Island and it was eventually decided a new lighthouse would be built at the west end and the east end lighthouse would be taken out of service.

The new light was lit on 8th October 1958 and the old east light taken out of use on the same day. It was then found that the old tower was obscuring part of the new light's path and consequently the old lighthouse was demolished in the summer of 1959.

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