Categories
Locations

Youghal lighthouse keeper’s cottage

The Irish Examiner has an article on the restoration of a lighthouse keepers cottage adjacent to the lighthouse at Youghal, Co. Cork.

Categories
History

Commissioners of Irish Lights looking for decorators

Many decades ago, the playwright Brendan Behan was employed by the Commissioners of Irish Lights – the all Ireland body responsible for lighthouses – as a painter. This was a role he didn’t appear to be good at – the keeper of St. John’s Point lighthouse in Co. Down writing to Head Office to complain about Behan’s work ethic (or lack of!).

Many years ago, the IHAI visited the lighthouse museum at the Bailey lighthouse on Howth Head and the original letter is on display there.

Behan is long dead (1964) so he is unavailable to respond to the Commissioners’ tender request for lighthouse painting services.