Lighthouses of Ireland
Lighthouse author, lighthouse tour leader, lighthouse photographer covering the Wild Atlantic Way and more. John Eagle the only photographer to make a postcard of every major lighthouse on the Irish coastline
Exhibition quality prints of Irish Lighthouses John Eagle has been making prints of Irish lighthouses since 1992 |
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| If you would like a print of one of my lighthouse shots then please choose from the list below. The map will enlarge if clicked on |
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I was lucky to be able to photograph the lighthouses when I did. I got to fly at just the right time, making postcards and aerial views for printing when it was still possible. Things have changed a good bit, the helicopter doesn't fly as often as it did to the lighthouses and so it is becoming much harder to get good aerial shots. The new l.e.d. lights might be super efficient but they don't look so magical as the George Halpin designed towers and those built by others a hundred or more years ago. My website is about those traditional lighthouses we all love. I have a Lighthouse News page for updates on Irish Lighthouses, including changes to the way they operate
A postcard of every lighthouse on the Irish Coast, 2 guide books on how to reach all of them and prints for framing from the original negative, digital image or slide, made to exhibition standard. Great care and attention is given to each order, mailed all over the World ..
Its much more fun to receive a postcard than a mobile text |
| Irish Lights helicopter, seen here on the pad at Castletownbere, EC 135 Eurocopter |
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carries 8 including the pilot, is ultra modern inside with monitors replacing the old dials the Bolkow had |
| On this site there is a complete record of all the major lighthouses on the 2,700 mile coastline of Ireland. Over 20 years of work photographing the lighthouses from helicopters, boats and from the shore using the best camera equipment known to mankind. A dedicated project to show the work that went into building these towers, in a time now when all are automated. As well as all the major lighthouses there are many of the minor ones included as well |
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Postcards |
Mix 'n Match |
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| Workshops |
Books |
Prints |
| Irish lighthouses are built like fortresses, built to withstand violent Atlantic storms. Take Eagle Island for example, which stands close to the Continental Shelf where powerful waves surge up and pound the island. A massive storm wall had to be constructed to defend the lighthouse there. There used to be two lighthouses. One of them was destroyed in a storm and to this day debris litters the ground there. On one occasion a rock was thrown up the high cliffs by a severe storm, it smashed the glass and then the tower filled up with water. (The tower is 220 feet above high water) The door had to be drilled to let the water before it could be opened. Most of the lighthouses have a protective wall, however for some like the Fastnet this is not possible. The Fastnet is protected by its hour glass shape. It might look majestic standing there on the rock 4 miles out to sea, but it was built in that fashion so as to make the waves split on impact and thereby not punch the tower and in so doing create less wear and damage. Even so the tower does tremble and shake when hit by massive Atlantic swells. Ask any lightkeeper who has served on the rock and he will tell you about the rush of the waves coming up the tower. High up on dangerous cliffs, out on lonely rocks, Irish lighthouses were built to last and most have stood for well over 150 years. A recent survey of the Fastnet has shown that the Cornish granite is standing up very well to the constant battering it receives from the Atlantic waves. You can read more about the storms that have hit Eagle Island in my books which also includes pictures of the rubble, the protecting wall and the towers. I have had 2 books published, the second by The Collins Press and it has proved so popular that it was reprinted in 2013 after only three years in print |
The Series took me over ten years to complete, a great deal of love and attention went into the project and I hope you will enjoy what I have done. You can view all the postcards I have ever made in my Catalogue
The postcards are available in one complete set, in singles or in sets per county . If you would prefer to pick an assortment from various parts of the country then please do so, and contact me for a price.
You can Mix and Match postcards, buy only what takes your fancy. Some from this county, some from that & some non lighthouse postcards as well perhaps
Click on Counties tab to choose small amounts of postcards. There you can buy the postcards of the counties, like County Cork, Antrim, Donegal and Kerry etc.
I wish to thank the Commissioners of Irish Lights and Irish Helicopters in particular for without their combined help I would not have come close to getting this project completed in the way I have done it articular the pilots Captain Mick Conneely, Capt Colm Martyn, Capt. Pete Hodges and Captain Mick Hennessy who flew me.
I very much hope you enjoy your visit to my Irish Lighthouse website....John Eagle
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All photograph © John Eagle Photography
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