Inisheer Lighthouse

Located on one of the three Aran Islands, Co Galway, Ireland. Inis Oirr (Inisheer) the closest of the three islands is accessible by boat from Doolin (shout out to the Rainbow Hostel!)  A short trip of 30 minutes (felt like a  lifetime) 

Actually, the most memorable moment about this journey was the boat trip. As with many of my lighthouse journeys at the time, bicycle was the chosen transport; However a boat needed to take us to the island. Unfortunately for me, the sea was rough and I fell very ill very quickly. I'm not proud to say I got sick and (considerately may I add) leaned over the side of the boat. What I wasn't expecting (and wasn't even aware was happening at the time) was that the wind took what I expelled and carried it directly on to a young boy standing a few feet away from me. Much to the amusement of his team mates (they were going to the island for a football match) I felt like death coming off the boat. With my head down in shame, I managed to stumble into the nearest pub, and ordered a Sprite. If my memory serves me right some guy at the bar was coming onto me with some horrendous lines. I mumbled something about having puke in my hair and wandered off to collapse in the grass...and he still persisted! Facing a hilly bike ride I started to think we were never going to get to the lighthouse. After about 30 minutes face down in the grass (valuable time lost as the last ferry was leaving shortly) we ventured off. I can't remember much about the ride, the scenery was probably lovely?

The lighthouse came into view finally! A two mile (hilly!) journey from the pier.  As with most lighthouses there was a gate and keep out signs. The gates were far too high to climb, even for me. We climbed a total of four walls to get into the lighthouse, settled ourselves and prepared to picnic. A short while later, a father and son arrived at the gate. I started to walk towards them to explain the complicated wall climbing entry, when the father just opened the gate and they walked in! 

So, the lighthouse! Cool looking isn’t it? The houses and the tower were designed and constructed by George Halpin. They were built from local (and very hard!) chrystaline rock. The first of the three Aran Islands to get a lighthouse was Inishmore. I feel like I write this in every blog post... but the bloody tower was built too high, and the light was often masked by the fog! So, requests were made to build on the other two islands. And there was a bit of fighting about which one (isn’t there always!) and it was finally agreed that both Inisheer and Ereagh would have lighthouses built and establish at the same time December 1857)