A century after its extraordinary construction offshore, the Fastnet Lighthouse off the west Cork coast celebrated its 100th birthday in style yesterday.
It took seven years of dangerous, determined effort involving 2,000 pieces of granite to build the lighthouse which has saved the lives of so many over the century.
The guest of honour at celebrations in Crookhaven yesterday was Mr James Kavanagh, the grandson of the stonemason and foreman on the ambitious project.
Sadly, his grandfather died during the final stages of the job, which started in 1896 and cost over £70,000.
The plan to build the granite "finger of light" was initiated in 1891, when there was considerable fear about the safety of the existing cast iron lighthouse.
The first Fastnet lighthouse had been built between 1849 and 1853, after 90 people lost their lives on an American liner, Stephen Whitney, which sank near Schull, Co Cork.
However, the first tower couldn't stand the might of the Atlantic storms. The sturdier replacement was built with 2,074 granite blocks weighing 4,300 tonnes cut to precise specifications in Cornwall.
A specially designed steamer, Ierne, shipped the granite blocks to the Fastnet rock, and the foreman, Mr James Kavanagh, lived on the Fastnet (or Fastness Rock as it was originally known ) with his workers for 10 to 12 months of every year from August 1896 to June 1903.
Mr Kavanagh set every stone with his own hands, and had just put the 89th and last granite course in place when he became ill and had to be brought ashore in late June of 1903. He died of apoplexy on July 6th.
The Fastnet Lighthouse has saved many lives over the century, and has also been associated with several dramatic events.
In 1979, 15 sailors competing in the biennial Fastnet yacht race from Cowes lost their lives in a summer storm close to the Fastnet Rock.
Yesterday, a commemorative plaque to mark the efforts of all those who built the lighthouse was unveiled by Mr Terence Johnson, chairman of the Commissioners of Irish Lights, at Crookhaven Sailing Club.
The Commissioners of Irish Lights also announced the winners of an art competition, held as part of the centenary celebrations among the pupils of Lissagriffin and Goleen national schools.
The two winners, their parents and teachers are to be invited to take a trip around the Fastnet on the Irish Lights' tender, Granuaile.
