Eagle Island, County Mayo
Encyclopedia
Eagle Island lies off the Mullet Peninsula in Erris
off the north west County Mayo
Atlantic Ocean
coast in Ireland.
Two lighthouses were commissioned in 1830 in response to requests from the Coastguards who were concerned at the sea conditions at Blackrock
, further south. The Board inspector however, ruled in favour of locating the new lighthouses on Eagle Island, one in the east and the other in the west with 132 yards between them at a cost of almost £40,000 (roughly £4,000,000 today). Their lights were aligned at a height of 220 feet above sea level and could be seen to the east as far as Broadhaven Bay
and to the south as far as Blacksod Bay
. The lighthouses became operational in September 1835.
Eagle Island is located close to the edge of the Continental Shelf
and is constantly pounded by powerful waves from the Atlantic. When the lighthouses were first built in the 19th century there were two lighthouses and seven dwelling houses on Eagle Island, according to the 1841 census
. By the 1911 census there was only one dwelling house listed on the island. Despite the erection of a massive storm wall to protect the lighthouses, one of the lighthouses was destroyed by the severe storms and its remains still litter the ground it used to stand on.
Although the lighthouse sites sits almost 61 m (200 feet) above the high water mark
, during a severe storm on 17 January 1836, a rock was thrown up the cliffs and smashed the glass in a window 26 m (87 feet) high up in the tower building. On 11 March 1861 at midday the light room of the East tower was struck by the sea smashing 23 panes, washing some of the lamps down the stairs, and damaging the reflectors with broken glass beyond repair. The light was restored the following night with a reduced number of lamps and reflectors. So much water cascaded down the tower in the incident that it was impossible for the Keepers to open the door at the base, and they had to drill holes in it to let the water out.
Storms constantly batter the lighthouse at Eagle Island since and gradually it was realised that Eagle Island was not well suited to human habitation. The families on the island were rehoused near to Corclough on the mainland at the end of the 19th century, although lighthouse keepers remained resident. On 31 March 1988 the lighthouse was made automatic and there have been no lighthouse keepers resident on the island since.
Erris
Erris is a barony in northwestern County Mayo in Ireland consisting of over , much of which is mountainous blanket bog. It has extensive sea coasts along its west and north boundaries. The main towns are Belmullet and Bangor Erris. The name Erris derives from the Irish 'Iar Ros' meaning 'western...
off the north west County Mayo
County Mayo
County Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...
Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
coast in Ireland.
Two lighthouses were commissioned in 1830 in response to requests from the Coastguards who were concerned at the sea conditions at Blackrock
Blacksod Lighthouse
Blacksod Lighthouse is situated at the southern end of the Mullet Peninsula, Erris, County Mayo. The lighthouse was built in 1864 by one of the leading merchants in Belmullet at that time, Bryan Carey....
, further south. The Board inspector however, ruled in favour of locating the new lighthouses on Eagle Island, one in the east and the other in the west with 132 yards between them at a cost of almost £40,000 (roughly £4,000,000 today). Their lights were aligned at a height of 220 feet above sea level and could be seen to the east as far as Broadhaven Bay
Broadhaven Bay
Broadhaven Bay is a natural bay of the Atlantic Ocean situated on the northwestern coast of County Mayo, Ireland. The opening of the bay faces northward, stretching between Erris Head on the west side and Kid Island on the east side with approximately 8.6 km between the two sides.It borders...
and to the south as far as Blacksod Bay
Blacksod Bay
Blacksod Bay is a bay of the Atlantic Ocean in Erris, North County Mayo, Ireland. The bay is bounded on its western side by the Mullet Peninsula and to its eastern side by the coastline of Kiltane Parish where it extends southwards from Belmullet towards Gweesalia and Doohoma...
. The lighthouses became operational in September 1835.
Eagle Island is located close to the edge of the Continental Shelf
Continental shelf
The continental shelf is the extended perimeter of each continent and associated coastal plain. Much of the shelf was exposed during glacial periods, but is now submerged under relatively shallow seas and gulfs, and was similarly submerged during other interglacial periods. The continental margin,...
and is constantly pounded by powerful waves from the Atlantic. When the lighthouses were first built in the 19th century there were two lighthouses and seven dwelling houses on Eagle Island, according to the 1841 census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
. By the 1911 census there was only one dwelling house listed on the island. Despite the erection of a massive storm wall to protect the lighthouses, one of the lighthouses was destroyed by the severe storms and its remains still litter the ground it used to stand on.
Although the lighthouse sites sits almost 61 m (200 feet) above the high water mark
High water mark
High water mark may refer to:*Ordinary high water mark, a landscape marking such as floodwater staining left by the highest level of water...
, during a severe storm on 17 January 1836, a rock was thrown up the cliffs and smashed the glass in a window 26 m (87 feet) high up in the tower building. On 11 March 1861 at midday the light room of the East tower was struck by the sea smashing 23 panes, washing some of the lamps down the stairs, and damaging the reflectors with broken glass beyond repair. The light was restored the following night with a reduced number of lamps and reflectors. So much water cascaded down the tower in the incident that it was impossible for the Keepers to open the door at the base, and they had to drill holes in it to let the water out.
Storms constantly batter the lighthouse at Eagle Island since and gradually it was realised that Eagle Island was not well suited to human habitation. The families on the island were rehoused near to Corclough on the mainland at the end of the 19th century, although lighthouse keepers remained resident. On 31 March 1988 the lighthouse was made automatic and there have been no lighthouse keepers resident on the island since.
External links
- http://www.commissionersofirishlights.com/cil/aids-to-navigation/lighthouses/eagle-island.aspx
- http://www.flickriver.com/photos/ruthann/4543431649/
- http://www.lighthousesrus.org/.../EagleIsland.jpg