Hook Head lighthouse arrow ceremony to revive 19th century tradition

An centuries-old tradition will be revived on New Year’s Day at the 800-year-old Hook Lighthouse as the archers, both expert and amateur, will take part in an “arrow ceremony”.

The custom dates back to 1867 when the Mayor and corporation of New Ross, Co Wexford, claimed authority over the Tower and waters by travelling to the point of the Hook and shooting an arrow in the sea from Hook Head Lighthouse.

This New Year’s Day, the Dunbrody Archers will “assist” the Mayor of New Ross in a new arrow ceremony when the mayor will cast an arrow into the sea, symbolising the port’s authority over the estuary.

The spectacle will take place at 3.30pm at the lighthouse and members of the public are welcome to go along and watch history being revived.

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Manager at Hook Lighthouse, Ann Waters, said they were to host the “taking of the waters” ceremony. “It’s an age-old tradition and a wonderful opportunity for an ancient element of history to be relived here in Ireland’s Ancient East.”

Hook Lighthouse Visitor Centre and Café re-opens on St Stephen’s Day at 11am and will remain open throughout the holidays.

The visitor centre became the first element of the Ireland’s Ancient East trail to open its doors last April, with a newly-designed tour incorporating the 115 steps to the top of the lighthouse tower, holograms illustrating the ancient history of the tower and the Hook area and spectacular views of the southern coast.

Hook is renowned as the oldest working lighthouse in the world and was first used by monks who lit fires to keep ships safe over 900 years ago.

The visitor centre opened in its initial form 15 years ago and, since then, hundreds of thousands of people have passed through its doors and climbed its many steps.

Following the receipt of funding from Fáilte Ireland under the New Ideas in Ancient Spaces grand programme, the people at Hook hope to see 600,000 extra visitors by 2020.

For further details see facebook.com/hooklighthouse