Irish Lighthouses

The Poolbeg Lighthouse, one of a trio of lighthouses leading into Dublin Harbour, is painted red to indicate starboard.   The lighthouse perches on the end of the 4K long Great South Wall and if one wanted to watch the ships go by from this vantage point I am told it is a 40 minute walk.

As you may be able to see there are few people having made the walk enjoying a beautiful day and taking in the view.

Travelling south Wicklow Lighthouse's portrait is one of a variety of scenes that brighten up the side of  a warehouse on the harbour's North Quay.

Here is the real thing, built in 1884, it sits at the entrance to Wicklow Harbour on the East Pier. The cargo ship (GEC Cosmo) despite appearances it actually reversing out of the harbour after unloading timber.  People who can reverse well always impress me so I enjoyed a sit in the sunshine and watched as it smoothly left the harbour and then turned in the open sea and went on its way. While I was up on the sea wall I discovered the lighthouse had an intriguing secret when I walked around the back

The romantic "Will you Marry Me?" M.  Wouldn't we all like to know the story behind this.  

An entry to ABC Wednesday, a journey through the alphabet, this week sojourning at L here

 

Right Royal Rain

Hoods up against the rain as this little group cross Lancaster Square in Conwy. The building in the background is the local police station and the painted statue on the left is of Llwelyn ap Lorwerth, also known as Llwelyn the Great (c1172-1240) who united and ruled Wales for forty years. The statue and the ornamental fountain it stands on was unveiled in 1898 to commemorate a water supply to the town.  The square (which expands behind me) is also home to the annual Honey Fair in September which dates back more than 700 years when local bee-keepers were given the right to sell their honey within the walls of the town by the Royal Charter of Edward I.

Here is a close up of the statue of Llwelyn the Great from Wikipedia with blue sky background. The statue was created by E O Griffith and is in Llwelyn's royal colours.

More rain as we take a turn around the town and pass the traffic lights. The building is Aberconwy House a medieval merchants house and warehouse.

Tourists ignoring the rain while photographing the smallest house in Great Britain with its traditionally costumed curator.

Meanwhile down by the harbour no day sailors can be seen out on the water in the misty rain

But part of the mural by the car park underpass shows sunnier sailing days by the coast and a sunbathing crab.

An entry to ABC Wednesday, a journey through the alphabet, this week sojourning at R here

 

Wellington at Whitehaven

The instruction is clear, dismount your bike before wending your way down the slope to Whitehaven harbour on the Cumbrian coast.

Having an interest in industrial archaeology this chimney (known locally as 'The Candlestick') takes centre stage in my photograph.  Today it is just a landmark but its original purpose was as the ventilation chimney for the Wellington Mine which was sunk in 1838/40 and ran out under the sea.  Known as a what is called a "fiery pit", that is it suffered from fire damp (flammable gases), which made it a difficult pit to work and potentially dangerous with numerous accidents.  The worst disaster underground occurred in May 1910 with an explosion and  fire which took 132 lives.  There is a plaque dedicated to the men, women and children that lost their lives that day by the Candlestick.  The pit closed in 1933

 The other remnant of the mine is Wellington Lodge (seen here with the harbour light) which was the mine entrance and today the home of the coastguard.

It appears here in the artist's impression of the Wellington mine hanging outside the pub that takes its name.  

An entry to ABC Wednesday, a journey through the alphabet, this week sojourning at W