# Lightvessels in Ireland

Lightvessels in Ireland describes any lightvessel or light float previously stationed off the coast of Ireland. The Commissioners of Irish Lights are responsible for the majority of marine navigation aids around the whole of the island of Ireland.

## Lightvessels

* Guillemot: built 1921/23 – sold 1968 – set in concrete as the Kilmore Quay Maritime Museum retains much original equipment and fittings. Scrapped during 2011. http://www.wexfordcameraclub.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1300478453 Archived 30 August 2012 at the Wayback Machine
* Kittiwake: built 1955 – Currently sold and docked in Dublin. There is a superbuoy in its place. It was removed from station in 2009.
* Osprey: built 1953/55 – sold 1975 – now known as Le Batofar, a nightclub/pub moored on the Seine in Paris
* Petrel: built 1913/15 – sold 1968 – club house for Down Cruising Club in Ballydorn
* Puffin Lightvessel, Roche's Point, Cork – washed away in 1896
| Name | Built | By | Where | Length | Breadth | Depth | Frame | Decks | Cost £ | Withdrawn | Fate | Notes |
| Palmer's Light | 1735 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1768 | | Replaced by Poolbeg Lighthouse |
| Richmond | 1806 | — | — | — | — | — | Oak | Oak, teak and elm | 1,500 | 1826 | Broken up | |
| Seagull | 1824 | W. Roberts | Milford Haven | 67 | 20 | 9½ | Oak | Oak, teak and elm | 1,659 | 1864 | Sold | First purpose-built lightvessel |
| Star | 1825 | W. Roberts | Milford Haven | 67 | 20 | 9 | Oak | Oak, teak and elm | 1,841 | 1855 | sold | |
| Relief | 1826 | W. Roberts | Milford Haven | 67 | 20 | 9½ | Oak | Oak, teak and elm | 1,841 | 1867 | Sold | |
| Brilliant | 1832 | Brady's | Dublin | 67 | 20 | 9½ | Oak | Oak, teak and elm | 1,983 | 1867 | Sold | |
| Seagull II | 1853 | Charles Hill & Sons | Bristol | 82 | 21 | 11 | Oak | Oak, teak and elm | 3,651 | 1867 | Sold. | |
| Petrel | 1854 | Charles Hill & Sons | Bristol | 82 | 21 | 11 | Oak | Oak, teak and elm | 3,800 | 1867 | Sold. | |
| Brilliant II | 1856 | Wheeler | Cork | 82 | 21 | 11 | Oak | Oak, teak and elm | 3,200 | 1913 | Sold. | |
| Star II | 1857 | Wheeler | Cork | 82 | 21 | 11 | Oak | Oak, teak and elm | 3,200 | 1862 | Sold. | |
| Star III | 1862 | Charles Hill & Sons | Bristol | 91 | 21 | 10 | Oak | Oak, teak and elm | 4,189 | 1911 | Sold and scrapped. | |
| Relief II | 1863 | Charles Hill & Sons | Bristol | 91 | 21 | 10 | Oak | Oak, teak and elm | 4,189 | 1925 | Sold. | |
| Gannet | 1865 | Charles Hill & Sons | Bristol | 91 | 21 | 10 | Oak | Oak, teak and elm | 4,189 | 1928 | Sold and scrapped. | when stationed at DAUNT, run into by Largo Bay, in 1884 |
| Comet | 1867 | J & W Dudgeon | Cubitt Town, London | 91 | 21 | 10 | Composite ship Wrought iron | Teak | 5,750 | 1905 | Sold and scrapped. | |
| Shamrock | 1867 | Walpole, Webb & Bewley | Dublin | 96 | 21 | 10 | Oak | Oak, teak and elm sheathed with muntz metal. | 5,125 | 1936 | Sold | day markers were introduced |
| Osprey | 1868 | Walpole, Webb & Bewley | Dublin | 96 | 21 | 10 | Wood | Wood | 5,125 | 1915 | Sold. | |
| Albatross | 1875 | Fletcher & Farnall, Millwall | London | 91 | 21 | 10 | Wood | Wood | 5,625 | 8 September 1902 | Salvaged and sold. | Run down and sunk on Kish by RMS Leinster. |
| Cormorant | 1878 | Victoria Shipbuilding Co | Passage West, Cork | 91 | 21 | 11 | Iron | Two thicknesses of 3-inch teak, sheathed with muntz metal | 7,500 | 1942 | Salvaged and sold. | Renamed Lady December and moored at Hoo, Near Rochester, Kent. |
| Torch | 1881 | Milford Haven Co | Milford Haven | 91 | 21 | 11 | Iron | Two thicknesses of 3-inch teak, sheathed with muntz metal | 8,100 | 1945 | Sold and scrapped. | |
| Puffin | 1887 | Schlesinger Davis & Co | Wallsend | 91 | 21 | 11¼ | composite | composite | 6,000 | 8 October 1896 | Salvaged, beached at Rushbrooke, scrapped on beach. | Sank during storm on Daunt, 8 October 1896, crew of 7 lost. |
| Shearwater | 1894 | Allsup & Sons | Preston | 96 | 22⅔ | 11¾ | Steel sheathed with teak | Teak sheathed with muntz metal; | 7,900 | 1955 | Sold and scrapped. | watertight bulkhead |
| Guillemot | 1894 | Allsup & Sons | Preston | 96 | 22⅔ | 11¾ | Steel sheathed with teak | Teak sheathed with muntz metal; | 7,900 | 28 March 1917 | Sunk by a German submarine | crew survived |
| Kittiwake | 1898 | Allsup & Sons | Preston | 96 | 24 | 12 | Steel sheathed with teak | Teak sheathed with muntz metal; | 7,900 | 1956 | Sold and scrapped. | first to have an engine to work the windlass and the first fitted with oil engines for the siren |
| Seagull | 1901 | Allsup & Sons | Preston | 96 | 24 | 12 | Steel sheathed with teak | Teak sheathed with muntz metal; | 7,900 | 28 March 1917 | Sunk by a German submarine | Crew survived |
| Fulmar | 1904 | J. Reid | Glasgow | 96 | 23 | 12¼ | Steel | Iron | 6,600 | 1964 | Sold for scrap | Five watertight bulkheads |
| Comet II | 1904 | J. Reid | Glasgow | 96 | 23 | 12¼ | Steel | Iron | 6,740 | 1965 | Became Radio Scotland | Crew rescued by RNLB Mary Stanford 1936 |
| Penguin | 1910 | Dublin Dockyard | Dublin | 100 | 24 | 12¼ | Steel | Iron | 7,230 | 1966 | renamed Hallowe'en, as a Youth Adventure Sea Training Vessel | 1995 Maritime Museum at Inveraray Pier |
| Tern | 1912 | L. Hawthorn & Co | Leith | 102 | 24 | 13¼ | Steel | Iron | 7,420 | 1967 | Sold and scrapped | Wireless |
| Petrel | 1915 | Dublin Dockyard | Dublin | 102 | 24 | 13¼ | Steel | Iron | 10,310 | 1968 | Club House for Down Cruising Club, Strangford Lough | now privately owned |
| Guillemot | 1923 | Cran & Somerville | Leith | 102 | 24 | 12½ | Steel | Steel | 17,700 | 1968 | now Wexford Maritime Museum | Set in concrete at Kilmore Quay. Scrapped in 2011. |
| Albatross | 1925 | H. Robb Ltd | Leith | 102 | 24 | 13¼ | Steel | Iron | 15,650 | 1970 | sold to Scouting Association of Ireland | now privately owned in Arklow |
| Gannet | 1954 | Philip and Son | Dartmouth | 134 | 25 | 15 | Steel | Steel | 95,200 | still in service | as an automatic light float | |
| Osprey | 1955 | Philip & Son | Dartmouth | 134 | 25 | 15 | Steel | Steel | 98,100 | 1975 | Sold | Moored on the Seine, Paris as the Batofar Restaurant |
| Shearwater | 1955 | Philip & Son | Dartmouth | 134 | 25 | 15 | Steel | Steel | 98,100 | 1976 | Sold for scrap | |
| Kittiwake | 1959 | Philip & Son | Dartmouth | 134 | 25 | 15 | Steel | Steel | 124,128 | 2005 | Sold | moored beside O2 (Point Depot), Dublin |
| Skua | 1960 | Philip & Son | Dartmouth | 134 | 25 | 15 | Steel | Steel | 124,128 | 2005 | Rotting at the North Quay of Arklow Harbour | The "Blue Planet" charity are seeking restoration funds |
| Cormorant | 1964 | Charles Hill & Sons | Bristol | 133 | 26½ | 19½ | Steel | Steel | 145,750 | 1983 | Sold | |

## Lightvessel stations

* Coningbeg, off the Saltee Islands, 14 km from the County Wexford coast, was established in 1824 and replaced on 26 February 2007 with a "Superbuoy"