Roches Point Lighthouse Traditional Cache

Image of Roches Point captured by Mini-Tap

Three months later Trinity House replied stating that a light would be highly advantageous. It need not be of great magnitude but should be readily distinguishable from Old Head of Kinsale. The following month, January 1814, the Treasury in London gave their consent to building a lighthouse, and in February the Lord Lieutenant in Dublin Castle signified his approbation.
George Halpin, the Board’s Inspector Works and Inspector of Lighthouses, was instructed to make necessary enquiries relative to the ground at Roche’s Point. In March 1814 he reported to the Board stating that he agreed with Vice Admiral Thornborough for the expeditious erection of a lighthouse on Roche’s Tower which was 35 feet (10.6m) high and strong enough to support a lantern. The base of the tower was 46 feet (14.0m) above high water. The Tower belonged to Edward Roche who for some time had been living in France. Mr Halpin was informed by Roche’s agent, Mr Fitzgibbon of Cork, that Mr Roche should be returning soon. The Board ordered that their Law Agent take the necessary steps for an inquisition to ascertain the value of the Tower and one acre of land.

Early in April 1814 Mr Fitzgibbon wrote to the Board stating that he had no authority to sell or dispose of any or part of the estates of Edward Roche Esq. and Mr Roche had resided for some years as a prisoner of war in Naples, Italy. Recent political activities had however set him free and he should be back in Cork in the early summer. The Board ordered that the inquisition should be delayed.

In February 1815 Edward Roche wrote to the Corporation on the subject of converting the Tower into a lighthouse. He stated that the Tower had been built (presumably by himself or his father) as a banqueting and pleasure house. He also stated that at great expense he had refurbished the Tower so he could spend as much of his time in it as he could. However, after much haggling between the two parties, the purchase of the land and Tower was completed in January 1816 for the sum of £1,426.

Trinity House sanctioned the light on 27 June and work went ahead on a new separate lighthouse tower and Keeper’s dwelling designed by George Halpin and built under his supervision by workmen of the Board close to Roche’s Tower.

By February 1816 Inspector Halpin reported that the Keepers’ habitations were nearly completed but there seems to have been delay in supplying the light apparatus consisting of ten Argand oil lamps and ten catoptric reflectors. These did not arrive until late April 1817 but as soon as work went ahead to install them a Notice to Mariners was issued stating that the light would be established on 4th June 1817, showing red to sea and bright to the Cove of Cork. The tower was, and still is, painted white. The light was 92 feet (28.0m) above high water and the tower was 36 feet (11.0m) overall height and had an internal diameter of only 6 feet (1.8m).

This small lighthouse tower was not conducive to a major harbour of refuge and port and in 1835 it was replaced by the present larger tower which is 49 feet (15m) in height with an internal diameter of nearly 12 feet (3.6m). The original small tower was taken down and complete with lantern lamps and reflectors was carried to Duncannon in two small vessels and erected as the Duncannon North Light forming a rear leading light with Duncannon Fort Light in 1838.

On 1 April 1995 Roches Point Lighthouse was converted to automatic operation. The diaphone fog signal was replaced by an electric horn fog signal with a range of four nautical miles. The Keepers were withdrawn and the station was placed in the care of an Attendant with the aids to navigation monitored via a telemetry link from Dun Laoghaire.