Baily Lighthouse, Howth: History, Shipwrecks and Lighthouse Keepers

Origins: From Medieval Beacon to 17^th Century Light

The waters around Howth Head have always been hazardous. Submerged rocks, strong tidal streams, and sudden changes in weather made the approach to Dublin difficult, particularly before modern navigation systems.

The Green Bayly

Howth Head’s beacon has origins predating the formal lighthouse. Local lore suggests that as early as medieval times, fires were lit on the clifftop to warn sailors – the first beacon was nicknamed “The Green Bayly” and may have been simply a turf or wood fire on a stone mound. In 1912, archaeologists even found charred cinders on Howth Head, evidence of these early beacons used long before modern lighthouses. ³

The First Baily Lighthouse

The official history of Baily Lighthouse begins in the 1660s. In 1665, King Charles II granted Sir Robert Reading a patent to build six lighthouses around Ireland’s coast. Howth was chosen as one site due to the hazardous rocks at the north side of Dublin Bay. By 1667, a lighthouse was operating on the summit of Howth Head. Unlike a tall stone tower, this was a cottage-style lighthouse – essentially a sturdy house with a beacon on its roof. The light came from a coal-burning brazier set atop a short square tower attached to the cottage. Supplies of coal had to be hauled up from a special quay in Howth by horse and cart – indicating the effort needed to keep the beacon alight. ^{4 5}

This 17^thcentury lighthouse, though primitive, was among the earliest in Ireland. It marked the coast for over a century. However, its elevated position (over 170 m above sea level) meant that low clouds and fog could often obscure the light. Through the 1700s, management of Dublin’s port and its lighthouses changed hands.

Increased Demand for Guidance

During the 18^th century, as trade expanded and ship size increased, the need for improved coastal marking became urgent. Dublin’s harbour suffered from persistent silting, and vessels often struggled to reach the city quays. Efforts to improve harbour engineering, including the construction of the South Bull Wall and later the North Bull Wall, were underway. But ships still needed guidance at sea.

By the late 18^th century, the upkeep of the Howth light had fallen to a contractor, Thomas Rogers, under the Revenue Commissioners. Rogers in 1790 upgraded the original cottage light: he built a new tower with a glazed lantern and installed Argand oil lamps with polished reflectors – a cutting-edge setup for its time. This produced a steadier, brighter light than the old open fire. Even so, the location remained problematic; mariners still complained the light was literally “lost in the clouds” during foul weather. ^{6 7 8}

By 1810, the situation had become untenable. The Dublin Port authorities (the Ballast Board) took back control of the lighthouse amidst reports that Rogers had let facilities deteriorate badly. The lantern reportedly leaked rain and the staff were underpaid – a colourful anecdote suggests some keepers resorted to odd jobs like shoemaking and even distilling whiskey on the side to supplement their income! In 1811, the authorities decided that the light must be moved to a better position to serve shipping. ⁹

19^th Century: The Mail Packet Era

The early 19^th century was a transformative period for Dublin’s maritime connections. Following the 1801 Acts of Union, reliable communication between Dublin and London became politically and economically essential. When Howth Harbour was constructed between 1807 and 1813 under the supervision of engineer John Rennie, it briefly became the principal mail packet station linking Ireland and Holyhead.^{16 17}

In 1818, the inauguration of mail packet sailings via Howth was celebrated as a leap forward in communications. The Baily Lighthouse, newly relocated and upgraded, was credited in port records as a key enabler for night navigation on this route. Every mail packet ship from Holyhead depended on the Lighthouse’s beacon to find its way. By day, Howth’s headland and the lighthouse served as a landmark; by night, the steady white glow of the lighthouse marked the northern entrance to Dublin Bay. Packet skippers could gauge their position relative to the bay by keeping the Baily’s light in view. Without the Baily’s reliable light, the venture of landing mails at rocky Howth might have been far riskier. ¹⁸

Even after the dedicated mail service moved in 1834 to Kingstown harbour (now Dún Laoghaire) on the south side of Dublin Bay, the sea lanes themselves did not change, and the Baily’s light continued to be pivotal for Dublin’s maritime trade and mail routes. Although Kingstown had its own harbour lights, the Baily continued to be the primary outer lighthouse for ships heading to Kingstown harbour.

In 1821 when King George IV visited Ireland ¹⁹ via Howth, the Baily Lighthouse, then just a few years old, was noted in contemporary accounts as part of the safe passage of dignitaries and mails into Dublin. Its presence lent confidence to expanding such high-profile sea connections.

The lighthouse gave incoming packets a fixed reference point to avoid the rocks of Howth Head and line up safely for harbour. Before entering the bay, captains would watch for the Baily’s light; once sighted, they could adjust course accordingly. This was especially important at night or if running slightly off-schedule – the lighthouse ensured ships didn’t mistakenly run aground on the headland. Its presence significantly reduced the navigational hazards for the mail packet station at Howth from 1818–1834, and thereafter for ships heading to Dublin or Kingstown. Dublin Port benefited from fewer delays and accidents, meaning mail and passengers arrived more reliably. ²⁰

For postal officials and travellers, seeing the Baily Lighthouse after a rough Irish Sea crossing was a sign that Dublin was in reach. Letitia Landon’s 1834 poem “Howth Light-House” even reflects on the comfort the light provided to storm-tossed ships. ²¹

The Baily Lighthouse thus took on a symbolic importance as the first welcoming light of Ireland – much like America’s Statue of Liberty greeted immigrants in later years.

Baily Lighthouse and 19^th-Century Lighting Innovation

The latter 19^th century also saw the Baily at the forefront of lighthouse technology. By the 1860s, the new Fresnel lens design (a lens that could concentrate light far more efficiently) was revolutionising lighthouses worldwide.

In 1865, the Baily’s old oil lamps and reflectors were replaced with a state-of-the-art first-order Fresnel lens – a large refracting lens assembly – greatly intensifying the beam and improving the lighthouse’s effective range. ²⁸

That same year the Baily became a proving ground for an innovative lighting fuel: gas. Inventor John Richardson Wigham had developed a gas illumination system for lighthouses, and the Commissioners of Irish Lights allowed him to test it at the Baily in 1865. A small gas plant was built on site to produce fuel (first from oil, then shale, then coal gas). The experiment was a resounding success – the gas-powered light was much brighter than oil alone, reportedly achieving thousands of candlepower. The Baily thus became one of the first lighthouses to use gas; by the 1870s, Irish Lights converted nine other major lighthouses to gas based on Wigham’s model. This pioneering work established the Baily as one of the most advanced lighthouses of the era. ^{29 30}

Improvements at the Baily extended to fog signals as well. Having installed the bell in the 1850s, by the 1870s acoustic technology had advanced. In 1871, Baily got a new fog signal: a steam-powered Daboll trumpet. This was an early foghorn that emitted a loud droning blast by pushing heated air through a resonating horn. The trumpet proved effective, and by 1879 it was upgraded to an even louder siren tone foghorn. (For a time, the old bell was kept as a backup in case the mechanised horn failed.) These signals meant that by the late 19^th century, Baily Lighthouse could warn ships not just with light but with sound in poor visibility, significantly enhancing safety. ^{31 32}

By the turn of the 20^th century, the Baily Lighthouse had firmly established its value. It had also grown as a station: Additional keepers’ houses were built in 1892 on the hillside, providing accommodations for assistant keepers and their families. The lighthouse was an esteemed posting – its proximity to Dublin made it a comparatively comfortable assignment for lighthouse staff. The Baily Lighthouse even served as the training centre for new lightkeepers (known as Supernumerary Assistant Keepers) in the late 1800s, where recruits learned the trade before being posted to more remote stations. ^{33 34}

Baily Lighthouse Upgrade Project, 2025–2026

Irish Lights began a major upgrade project in late 2025 to modernise the lighthouse’s control, electrical, backup power and telemetry systems while retaining its historic rotating lens and familiar flash pattern.

The Baily Lighthouse Upgrade Project 2025/26 is a capital programme being delivered by the Irish lighthouse authority Commissioners of Irish Lights to ensure the navigation aids at Baily remain reliable, efficient, and sustainable for the future. As part of the project, the lighthouse’s core systems are being modernised with an emphasis on improved technology, enhanced energy efficiency, and reduced reliance on diesel power generation.

While the historic rotating Fresnel lens and familiar white flash pattern (every 15 seconds) will remain unchanged in appearance and operation, the underlying systems are being upgraded. Work includes refurbishment of the main LED lighting system, installation of full-range emergency lights with an 18-nautical-mile reach, improved automatic controls, removal of the diesel generator in favour of battery backups, and modernisation of electrical, telemetry and building systems o ensure long-term resilience and safety. During the upgrade works, the rotating light has temporarily been replaced by a flashing light to maintain safe navigation. ⁴⁷

Key elements of the project:

• Historic rotating heritage lens retained with unchanged flash pattern.
• Main LED light refurbished and new long-range emergency lights installed.
• New automatic control systems and battery backups replace diesel generation.
• Electrical, telemetry and building systems upgraded for reliability.

During the upgrade works, the Baily Lighthouse is operating temporarily as a flashing light rather than its familiar rotating beam. This change allows essential refurbishment of the historic rotating lens system to take place safely. The flashing unit now in use will remain on site afterwards as the permanent back-up to the main light.

The temporary flashing light is expected to remain in operation for around six months. Once the works are complete, the original rotating light will be reinstated and returned to normal service. Throughout the upgrade period, the lighthouse continues to meet all required standards for range, visibility, and maritime safety, ensuring vessels navigating Dublin Bay remain fully protected.