The United States Lighthouse Society Tour of
Northern Ireland 2009

Click on any photo to see the full size image.

Society members pose for a group photo in front of the Mutton Island Lighthouse

Exterior Trinity College

St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin

Cindy & Mike in front of St. Patrick's

Getting ready to tour the Guinness factory in Dublin

Learning how to taste Guinness correctly

The road to Baily lighthouse

The Baily Lighthouse outside the village of Howth - this light features a Commissioners of Irish Lights Museum - the light was established in 1814

Barbier and Benard Third Order Dioptric Fresnel lens on display at the Baily lighthouse museum - originally located at the Kingstown East Light

Baily Lighthouse

Skip and Mary Lee on the exterior deck of the Baily Lighthouse

View of the cliffs from the Baily Lighthouse

Phil and Glen walking back after the visit to the Baily Lighthouse

Sea lion in Howth harbor posing for the camera

Howth Harbor lighthouse

Lighthouse Society inspecting the Kittiwake lightship moored on the River Liffey in Dublin

Betty on the beach near the Balbriggan Lighthouse

Janis and Glen enjoying some time in the sun

Phyllis and Dave in Balbriggan

Joan and Jim sipping a pint at a local pub

The mummified head of Saint Oliver Plunkett located in Drogheda Cathedral - a martyr in the fight against Oliver Cromwell's invasion

Sumptuous feast at the Scholar's Inn in Drogheda

Cindy and her new friend at the Battle of the Boyne historic battlefield

Society members tour the ancient tombs at Knowth and Newgrange

The River Boyne

Celtic dancing lessons in Newgrange

Greenore Lighthouse

Newry River rear range light

Newry River front range light

Newry River rear & front range light

Bob & Bobby in Newry

Halbowline Lighthouse

Sandy, Janis, Skip and Mary Lee on their way to St. John's Lighthouse

Phil gets a demonstration on how to operate the original fog signal machinery by the attendant at St. John's Lighthouse

St. John's Lighthouse, established 1844

Carol peeking out the exterior deck door at the top of St. John's Lighthouse

view out the exterior deck door at the top of St. John's Lighthouse

Skip traversing a narrow ocean wall at St. John's Lighthouse (anything for a photo)

Unique Chance Brothers first order bi-form fresnel lens at the top of St. John's Lighthouse

Mercury warning installed at the top of St. John's Lighthouse in brass

Attendant of St. John's Lighthouse check the bulb of the lower fixed light (5th order fresnel lens)

Ardglass Pier Lighthouse with a group of fisherman waiting to board their vessel

Donaghadee Lighthouse set in the beautiful harbor of Donaghadee

Kathy & John in front of Stormont Castle, Belfast

Bill and Paula with the City of Belfast in the background

The Petrel Lightship near Belfast

Petrel Lightship preservationist talking to the group about deck restoration efforts

Having a drink aboard the Petrel, the interior has been converted into a pub

Skip and John exiting Daft Eddy's

Outside Carrickfergus Castle

Dave and Darlene dueling as part of the tour at Carrickfergus Castle

With Skip out on the deck of the lantern room, the great size of the lens becomes apparent

Blackhead Lighthouse

First Order fresnel lens inside Blackhead Lighthouse

View from exterior deck at Blackhead Lighthouse

Inside the lantern housing of Blackhead Light

Chaine Tower built in memory of James Chaine who represented the local area in Parliament, now used as a lighthouse

Humphrey the Camel examining the lens at the top of Chaine Tower

Society members making their way to the Rathlin East Lighthouse

Close up of the lantern of Rathlin East Lighthouse

View from the exterior deck of Rathlin East Lighthouse

Don at the top of Rathlin East Lighthouse

Phil climbing the cliffs to get a great photo of Rathlin East Lighthouse

Society members on their way to the Rathlin West Lighthouse

Rathlin West Lighthouse also known as "the upside down light", established 1919

Joan peeking out the observation window at Rathlin West Lighthouse

Mary peeking out the observation window at Rathlin West Lighthouse

Mary hopping a fence for a photo at Rathlin West Lighthouse

Barbara and Janis at the Giant's Causeway

Patrick and Dolores at the Giant's Causeway

Panoramic view of Inishowen Head Lighthouse, established 1837

Fourth Order fixed fresnel lens at the top of Inishowen Head Lighthouse

View of the now defunct front light at Inishowen Head, from the exterior deck of the rear light

Roger on the exterior deck at the top of Inishowen Head with the beautiful sandy beach in the background

Close up of lantern housing at Dunree Head Lighthouse

Dunree Head Lighthouse

Carol and John at Dunree Head Lighthouse

Panoramic view of Fanad Head Lighthouse, established 1817

Commissioners of Irish Lights flag as seen from inside the Fanad Head lantern room

Fixed fresnel lens at the top of Fanad Head Lighthouse

Old Commissioners of Irish Lights keeper library at Fanad Head Lighthouse

Oyster Island Lighthouse off Sligo Bay

Metal Man Lighthouse in Sligo Bay

Bob and Don on the way to Blackrock Lighthouse

View of cliffs from boat in Sligo Bay

Blackrock Lighthouse

Barbara setting up for a photo of Blackrock Lighthouse

On the way back into shore from Sligo Bay, two of the three boats carrying Society members are aligned perfectly with Metal Man and Oyster Island light

Swans in Sligo Bay estuary

Panoramic view of Blacksod Point Lighthouse, established 1866. The keeper at this light played a critical role alerting allied forces to weather patterns that may have adversely affected the D-Day invasion during WWII

The fixed fresnel lens at the top of Blacksod Point Lighthouse