Ballycotton Island and Lighthouse, east Cork
Thomas Breathnach writes:
“I thought this was pretty cool. I took a trip out to Ballycotton Lighthouse yesterday in my home of East Cork, only to realise that the tower I’ve been looking across the bay over the years is actually black….
It turns out that as far as my guide and Google know, it is one of only three black lighthouses in the world (the others are in Victoria and Texas). Why, is anyone’s guess but either way it just adds a further USP to East Cork along with Trabolgan and Darina Allen’s banana bread. Who knew?!”
There you go now.
Ballycotton Island Lighthouse Tours
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Slyne Head Lighthouse, Galway is also black
It’s so the light appears brighter.
Enlightening time-wasting / fact-finding website of the day;
World Lighthouse Directory; http://www.unc.edu/~rowlett/lighthouse/index.htm
“In 1892 to prevent any confusion with the unlit beacon on Capel Island, a broad, black band was painted round the middle of the tower and in 1902 the whole of the tower was painted black – and remains today only one of two black lighthouses in Ireland”
it was painted black in 1902 to avoid it being confused with the unlit “beacon” on Capel Island
I had always assumed Texas was landlocked…so I’ve learned something new today.
Lovely photos!
Who knew? Only the entire fucking internet it seems…
Darkhouse, surely?