Kish Bank Lighthouse (Ireland)
Kish Lighthouse: A Brief History
The Kish Lighthouse marks the entrance to Dublin Port, 11 kilometers east from the mouth of the Liffey. It is situated on the shallow Kish sandbank, which is a shipping hazard when entering the Dublin Bay.
The history of the Kish Lighthouse dates to the early 19th century. In August 1810, the Corporation for preserving and Improving the Port of Dublin (the Ballast Board), later to become the Commissioners of Irish Lights decided that it would be possible to maintain a floating light on the Kish Bank.
In 1811, the Kish Bank was first marked by a floating light on a manned vessel named the Galliot Veronia Gesina. These lightships had a crew but no means of propulsion. Therefore, the effect of wind and tide could lead to a lot of rolling in the sea and uncomfortable working conditions for the crew. The light was first exhibited on November 16, 1811.
In 1842 the first attempt at construction failed. The engineer’s used screw piles , a recent innovation, as means of securing the lighthouse foundation to the seabed. However, these got damaged due to severe weather and the project was subsequently abandoned.
In September 1902, in dense fog a collision occurred between the Royal Mail Steamer Leinster and the “Albaross” lightship. The “Albatross” quickly sank, but fortunately her crew could save themselves and no lives were lost.
In 1949, a radio beacon was installed. The newly commissioned “Gannet” lightship was designed to be the first all-electric light vessel in Ireland and became active in 1954.
After the International Lighthouse Conference in 1960 in Washington the Commissioners of Irish Lights investigated the feasibility of using a steel platform like those used as oil rigs for lighthouses purposes and they asked engineering firms to submit design tenders. However, the winning design was for a concrete construction with a life-span of 75 years submitted by Messrs Christiani & Nielsen Ltd.
The construction began in 1963 inside the harbour in Dun Laoghaire. The lighthouse was built in as an outer circular caisson with a internal lighthouse tower inside. It was towed from Dun Laoghaire Harbour to the Kish Bank in June 1965 by tugboats. Due to adverse weather conditions it could not be towed to its intended location. After several attempts, the lighthouse was placed at its intended location on 14th July 1965.
Here the caisson was flooded with seawater which lifted the inner tower upwards to its full height of 100 feet on July 27, 1965. After pumping out the water the caisson was filled with sand and concrete. The tower was fitted out with the lantern, keepers’ quarters, storage, generators and radio equipment. After completion the lighthouse weighed 6500 tons.
The Kish Lighthouse sits directly on the seabed. Samples of sand were taken from the location to verify the stability of the design. The lighthouse was designed to withstand conditions in the Irish sea and maximum wave height of 54 feet. To counteract erosion, a 15-meter-wide layer of rocks was placed around the base of the Kish.
The new lighthouse took over from the previous light vessel on November 9, 1965. From the seabed to the top, it measures 55m. The old lightship was retired on the same day.
Photo © David Dixon (cc-by-sa/2.0)
The equipment of the lighthouse consists of a catopric lantern with a 2 million candlepower beam that can be increased to 3 million candlepower in foggy conditions. A responding radar beacon (RACON) was added in 1968, which identifies the lighthouse on radars of shipping traffic. In 1974, the fog signal was changed from an explosive sound to a foghorn sounding twice every 30 seconds.
Compared with other Irish lighthouses, the accommodation and amenities were modern and comfortable. The lighthouse has a hydraulic crane to aid resupply of stores.
The Kish lighthouse was converted to automatic operation on April 7, 1992, and on-site lighthouse keepers were not required any longer. The RACON was discontinued. The state and the operation of the lights is operated by telemetry for the Irish lights headquarter in Dun Laoghaire.
In 2011 the auditory fog signal was discontinued.
The Kish continues to be a significant navigational aid for vessels passing through Dublin Bay.