Erris Head

Erris Head marks the northern end of the Mullet Peninsula in County Mayo. Its sea approaches faced the Atlantic, close to the rocky passages between Blacksod Bay and Broadhaven. Early nineteenth-century efforts to improve navigation in these waters produced a substantial new landmark on nearby Eagle Island.

In 1830 Coast Guard commanders Blake and Glascock requested a light on Blackrock or Inishmann Point. Inspector George Halpin instead recommended Eagle Island, and Trinity House approved the choice that November. Two stone towers were constructed with their lanterns at the same level. Seen in alignment, the lights provided a guide past coastal dangers, including the Stags. They first shone on 29 September 1835. The exposed site made construction difficult: a heavy sea swept away part of the unfinished western tower and building materials. In January 1836 a wave-borne rock broke a lantern pane and extinguished the western light, which the keepers restored within an hour. The new navigation system remained dependent on constant work against the Atlantic.