Scenic, secluded and sustainable, a lighthouse stay is a unique chance to witness spectacular scenery in splendid surroundings …
As Virginia Woolf said in her 1927 novel, To the Lighthouse; “Lighthouses are endlessly suggestive signifiers of both human isolations and our ultimate connectedness to each other.” Indeed, since 2019, visitor numbers at Ireland’s lighthouses have increased due to a tourism initiative spearheaded by the Great Lighthouses of Ireland. Records show that over 384,000 people visited Irish lighthouses in 2023 (the 2024 figures are not yet available), while overnight stays at lighthouses increased by 60 per cent. Booking a stay in a lighthouse reflects the desire for more authentic and sustainable travel experiences connected to the past.
There are 80 lighthouses around the coast of Ireland, all of which are now automated; the Bailey in Co Dublin was the last to be manned until 1997. If Fanad Lighthouse, Co Donegal, has been voted one of the most beautiful lighthouses in the world, Fastnet is surely one of the most dramatic, located 13km off the Co Cork mainland. It’s been called the “Teardrop of Ireland”. There are tours from Cape Clear and Baltimore to Fastnet during the summer months when whales, dolphins and basking sharks are familiar sights.
Hook Lighthouse is the oldest intact operational lighthouse in the world (at 800-years-old) where guided tours cost from €12. After climbing up and down the 115 worn spiral steps to the tower, the on-site cafe is particularly restorative! During National Heritage Week in August, many lighthouses including Loop Head, Co Clare and Wicklow Head, Co Wicklow host open days. At the latter, House Manager Brendan Conway shares his insights with visitors. He grew up on Wicklow Head lighthouse in the late 1960s and early 1970s which he recounts in his memoir, The Boy Who Built Lighthouses (€10, CreateSpace).
Galley Head Lighthouse, Co Cork
When Galley Head Lighthouse was built in 1875, during the heyday of lighthouse building, it boasted the most powerful lighthouse light in the world. The lighthouse’s lantern, dome and 21-metre tower are still painted white, just as they were in the 19th century. (It was featured as the backdrop to the music video To The Lighthouse by Patrick Wolf). Now it comprises two keeper’s houses that can sleep four to six people, which are linked by a joining door for bigger groups and have adjoining walled lawns. Close to Clonakilty, local attractions include the West Cork Surf School, a Model Railway Village and the spa at Inchydoney Island Lodge. Look out for dolphin and whales during a stay, and pack M L Stedman’s novel The Light Between Oceans to further channel life on a remote lighthouse – it was made into a film staring Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander and Rachel Weisz. From €486 for two nights. www.irishlandmark.com
Wicklow Head, Co Wicklow
One of eight lighthouses in Ireland that can be rented for short stays, lighthouse keeper Brendan Conway says guests book for different experiences. Some use it as a cool base to explore Co Wicklow, others as a quiet location to write, while many want to experience what it’s like to live inside. “I had some guests a few years ago who checked in for four days and never left the tower once. It has stunning sea views on three sides and land on the fourth side. Even though guests are only a few kilometres from Wicklow Town, they’re remote enough to feel like they’re in a different world. There’s a beautiful cliff walk nearby and a seal colony along the route.” Rates for a minimum stay of two nights cost from €636. www.irishlandmark.com
Clare Island Lighthouse, Co Clare
This 200-year-old lighthouse in Clew Bay, Co Mayo is the birthplace of the pirate queen Grace O’Malley, now part of Ireland’s Blue Book. Expect WiFi, but no TV. No matter: the setting offers endless scope for walking, swimming, hiking, cycling and birdwatching. In the evening, curl up beside a turf fire and catch up on some reading, or write the first draft of your novel. Inside the completely restored listed building with five bedrooms, a drawing room, library and kitchen, the décor is understated yet comfortable. It can be rented on a bed and breakfast basis or as self-catering for groups of up to 14. A maximum two-night stay applies, from €490. Blue Book vouchers are accepted at this property. www.clareislandlighthouse.com
Blackhead Lighthouse, Co Antrim
Once the guardian of Belfast’s glory days of shipping, Blackhead guided many great ships on their journey, including the Titanic. Perched on the edge of a cliff, Blackhead offers a wild, windswept retreat with panoramic views over Belfast Lough. A coastal path in front of the lighthouse leads to the Victorian town of Whitehead (only 40 minutes by train from Belfast city centre). Fully restored to their former glory, the light keepers’ houses sleep five people, with antique furniture, an open fire and lots of maritime memorabilia. From £412stg. www.irishlandmark.com
St John’s Point Sloop, Co Down
You can’t miss St John’s Point Lighthouse; its strikingly tall tower is marked with vibrant bands of yellow and black. These vivid colours, which distinguish it from other lighthouses, are known as its daymark. There are two self-catering light keepers’ cottages, Ketch and Sloop, available to book separately or together. Each sleeps four guests with a double and two single beds. They offer views to the Isle of Man on one side and the Mourne mountains on the others. It’s a great base for walking, discovering Strangford Lough and the 130-year-old Great Light in Belfast or the early Christian church in nearby Killough. I love some of the nearby beaches too. If you don’t fancy catering, order (in advance) from Hara at Home. The cottages come stocked with board and card games as well. From £326stg. www.irishlandmark.com
For further information, visit www.greatlighthouses.com www.lighthouseaccommodation.co.uk
