The lighthouse at the pierhead of Wicklow Harbour’s east pier, is where a small group of people gathered shortly after first light on Monday, to watch a crane raise into position the original copper dome and lantern.
The copper dome reports The Irish Times, which were part of the lighthouse when built in 1884, have been restored after almost half a century. According to locals, the dome was blown away in a storm which they recalled took place in 1976 and that fishing crews from the area had rescued the dome and taken it to a boatyard across the harbour.
The boatyard however closed about three decades ago and so the whereabouts of the dome complete with lighthouse weather vane had become uncertain.
A replacement of the dome in the form of a flatter, lighter roof had been built and this structure survived until March as a particularly violent gust swept it clean off the top of the lighthouse tower.
After the weather related incident earlier this year, the remains of the original dome have since been fortunately discovered in a shed. The dome was in a flattened-out state, however the port which Wicklow County Council operate (with ships trading cargoes of timber, glass and scrap metal), contacted the boat-building and repair company, Arklow Marine Services to see if the rediscovered dome could be restored and put back in position.
John Tyrrell of Arklow Marine Services said “We were doubtful at first if it was feasible,” but another member of staff in the boat-building yard “said he would give it a go”.
A month after the violent gust took place, the upper part of the lighthouse, the lantern, which features the curved windows surrounding the light itself, was removed to Arklow to be reunited with the original domed roof.
Having been without its lantern since April, the work to restore this part of the lighthouse was carried out by Arklow Marine Services, noting the neighbouring port is where Afloat highlights a rare call of an Arklow Shipping cargoship took place in recent years.
The newspaper which has more including photos also has a comment from retired Wicklow postman, Pat Davis, who has spent his spare time painting and restoring 57 ‘mostly merchant ships’ murals as Afloat visited the port’s east pier wall.
Among the murals of vessels and ships that have called to Wicklow Port is the Naval Service CPV, L.E. Orla which after 30 years was decommissioned in 2022, the general cargo ship Patricia, once owned by an Irish shipowner which are a rare breed!
In addition to further rare calls to the port by the world famous Scottish paddle steamer P.S. Waverley which visited Warrenpoint in May.
