D Irl 26567 e; Hook Head Lighthouse

The Hook Lighthouse (also known as Hook Head Lighthouse) is situated on Hook Head at the tip of the Hook Peninsula in County Wexford. It is one of the oldest lighthouses in the world and the second oldest operating lighthouse in the world, after the Tower of Hercules in Spain. The current structure has stood for over 800 years.

The tower was built by Strongbow's son-in-law William Marshall, Earl of Pembroke, who succeeded Strongbow as Lord of Leinster.

The first custodians to the light were a small group of monks whose small monastery was situated on the peninsula. The monks who lived at this monastery would have lit warning fires and beacons all through the years to warn sailors of the dangerous rocks on the peninsula.

Hook Lighthouse is one of the most fascinating examples of medieval architecture in Ireland. The tower stands four stories high with walls up to 4m thick.

Fog signals were operated at the lighthouse as a warning to seafarers during dense fog which can suddenly descend on the peninsula.

The monks left the tower and were replaced by the first lighthouse keepers in the mid-17th century. In the 1860s, three dwellings were built for the lighthouse keepers.

In March 1996, The Hook Lighthouse was converted to automatic operation, and the last light-keepers who had climbed the stairs and tended the light were permanently withdrawn from the station. (Source; Wikipedia)

Hook Head Lighthouse is very solid and impressive. It has withstood the passage of time, intact, and has been of enormous value tomarinerss in the area.The coastal rocks to the south of the lighthouse are etched into fantastic shapes by the sea.