Tory Island (Thoraigh, Toraigh)

**Short history**
1st order Fresnel lens (1887) in use. Like Inishtrahull this lighthouse is an important landfall light for ships arriving to the north of Ireland. Tory Island, a popular tourist destination, is accessible in the summer by passenger ferry from Magheroarty and Bunbeg. Located at the western end of the island, about 4 km (2.5 mi) from the ferry landing; accessible by hiking trail. Site and tower closed, but the lighthouse can be viewed from outside the enclosure.

**About Chance Brothers**

This lighthouse, along with the Mew Island Lighthouse (see https://new.opengreenmap.org/browse/sites/62c9a255f987c50100e4296f ), is probably one of the most interesting Chance Brothers stories I know. At the moment, the lighthouse is only marked on the map and requires a detailed study of the history of one of the first largest Fresnel lenses in the world.

The exploration of the lighthouse began with the fact that in the source 'The Lighthouse Work of Sir James T. Chance' this lens is mentioned as being manufactured in 1860 (Fixed). The first mentions in other sources indicate France - Paris 1887 (Revolving, watch the video at 07:35), at the same time, the date of production in them is 1928. This raises many questions.
Video: https://www.nvtv.co.uk/shows/the-great-light/

I don't know for sure what happened to the 1860 lens, but there is a video about the later years of 1887 and later with the fascinating story of "the Great Light". This video includes the story of the Chance Brothers' involvement with the 'Tory Island' and 'Mew Island' lighthouse lenses, see the most important part of video 13:12-15:54

Video: https://www.nvtv.co.uk/shows/the-great-light/

Also here on the site, there is a large article in which this lighthouse is mentioned in the following context:

*‘In 1928………The complete lantern from the top of the original murette was rebuilt and a first order hexagonal biform dioptric Fresnel lens of 2660mm diameter installed. This lens was composed of eight panels of the lens manufactured in 1887 by F. Barbier & CTE, Constructeurs, Paris and used with the coal gas light on Tory Island. Chance Brothers of, Smethwick, near Birmingham built these magnificent panels into a new optic unit using two steel plates in each tier to provide blank panels thus providing a group four flashing character. The lens revolves in a mercury trough floating just clear of ball bearing brass rollers. At the same time an exactly similar lens was reconstructed for Tory Island.’*

Source: https://www.greatlighttq.org/about/history/the-great-light-unravelling-its-past/

Taking into account the fact that for one of this lense a whole unusual museum was created with a lens rotating in the open air, I would like to draw the attention of all project participants to the completion of research on lighthouses 'Tory Island' and 'Mew Island'.

**Optic chronology (verified via LUX Light Archive, 2026):** Chance Brothers first-order fixed optic, manufactured 1860 and installed 1862. In 1887 Tory received the world-first operational hyper-radial optic, made by Barbier & Fenestre of Paris. Chance Brothers remade that optic for Tory in 1922, and the biform 1330 mm hyper-radial arrangement has been in service since 1923; eight of the remaining 1887 panels were later reused for the Mew Island Great Light. Sources: Commissioners of Irish Lights (Tory Island); Great Light Trust, The Great Light: unravelling its past.