What it is
At 40 metres, St John’s Point Lighthouse is the tallest on-shore lighthouse in Ireland. It stands at the southern tip of the Lecale Peninsula, on the point that separates Killough Harbour from Dundrum Bay, nine miles south of Downpatrick and a short walk from the fishing village of Killough. The tower is a black column cut by two yellow bands, and that daymark is the whole reason to make the drive: you cannot climb it, but the grounds are open, free, and set against a wide sweep of the Irish Sea.
The Irish Landmark Trust runs the site and has restored the two keepers’ cottages, Clipper and Schooner, which sleep up to four each and can be booked for a stay. It is one of the twelve Great Lighthouses of Ireland.
History
Killybegs merchants first asked for a light on this point in 1825. Civil engineer George Halpin Senior designed the tower, and it was first lit on 1 May 1844 as a modest 13.7-metre white structure with two keepers’ cottages, its light carrying about 12 miles. The colour changed to red in 1860, coal-gas lighting arrived in 1875, and in the late 1880s the tower was raised to its present height of around 31 metres.
The current black-and-yellow scheme dates from 1954. In 1908 a bi-form annular Fresnel lens was fitted, and it is that original rotating beam lamp locals have campaigned to keep, resisting a proposal to swap it for a static LED. The light was electrified and fully automated in 1981, ending the era of resident keepers, and the fog signal was permanently disestablished on 11 January 2011, though the light is still shown in poor daylight visibility.
Two shipping stories cling to the place. In 1846 the SS Great Britain, then the largest ship in the world, ran aground in Dundrum Bay after her captain mistook this light for the Calf Light on the Isle of Man. The tower also served as a marker during the sea trials of the RMS Titanic. And in 1950, Stephen Behan, father of the playwright Brendan Behan, was hired to repaint it. Van Morrison name-checks the lighthouse in ‘Coney Island’.
What to see and do
Walk the grounds. A level path circles the base of the tower. The lantern room is closed, but the walkways give clear views of the daymark and the seascape, and the black-and-yellow banding against the water is what draws photographers, best in early morning or late-afternoon light. The keepers’ houses themselves are occasionally opened to the public during European Heritage Open Days.
Stay the night. Clipper and Schooner keep their original stone walls and period detail alongside modern kitchens and en-suite bathrooms. A stay is a minimum of two nights; book well ahead through the Irish Landmark Trust, as these go early.
Nearby beaches and stones. Rossglass Beach is a few minutes away, and Tyrella, a Blue Flag beach good for swimming and kite-surfing, is about ten minutes off. Inland, the Neolithic circle at Ballynoe is a short drive and one of the finest stone circles in the north.
Practical information
Getting there. From the A2, a narrow rural lane runs out along the peninsula to the point. Parking is the pinch: a small lay-by holds about seven cars and there is no formal car park, so arrive early in summer or on a fine weekend.
Opening and admission. The grounds and promenade are open daily, 10am to 5pm, all year, and admission is free.
Facilities and transport. There are no shops or cafés at the lighthouse; Killough, a short walk away, has a shop, a post office and a café or two. Downpatrick, with Down Cathedral and full services, is about a 20-minute drive. Buses run to Killough from Downpatrick and Belfast, but they are infrequent, so a car is far the easiest way here.
The light. Character Q (2) W 7.5s, elevation of light 37 metres, range 25 nautical miles.
Tips
- Dogs are welcome on the grounds and paths, but not inside the holiday cottages.
- The path around the tower is level and fine for wheelchairs; the access lane is narrow and rural, so take it slowly.
- Pair the visit with the early Christian church at Killough, or a longer loop up to the Titanic exhibition in Belfast.
Come for the tower, but give yourself the walk to Killough afterwards for a coffee and the harbour, wear boots if you plan to carry on along the shore, and if the cottages tempt you, book them weeks out rather than days.