‘Safety at Sea Through War and Upheaval’ is the title of an exhibition now running at the dlr Lexicon in Dun Laoghaire, highlighting the history of Ireland’s lighthouses between the years 1911 and 1923.

Using resources from the Irish Lights archive, the exhibition – which runs till 7 January — next year explores the mission of safe navigation at sea in the context of the wider political and economic changes in Ireland at the time: independence, civil war, electrification and more.

A deeper focus on the years of the Great War is afforded by a new exhibition on the SS Hare and SS Adela in Dublin Port, which comes to dlr Lexicon this Monday (8 October) and tells the story of both ill-fated vessels during the rise of the U-boat threat from 1914 to 1918.

Keeping with the maritime theme, the late Des Branigan is the subject of a new display (opened yesterday, Friday 5 October) of archive material from photographs to books that give a rounded picture of a humble, ordinary seaman who achieved extraordinary things.

All exhibitions are open free to the public during library opening hours.

#IrishShipping - Tributes have been paid to Irish Shipping veteran Des Branigan, who died recently aged 98, as The Irish Times reports.

The Dubliner was among the first recruits of the Irish Shipping company — merchant sailors who put their lives on the line to maintain Irish imports during the ‘Emergency’ in the early 1940s.

Later, Branigan was active as a trade unionist in the seafaring sector, and as a diving enthusiast he joined the search for the Armada vessel Santa Maria de la Rosa in the 1960s.

He also played a role in the establishment of the National Maritime Museum at the mariners’ church in Dun Laoghaire.

Two years ago, Branigan joined fellow former officers and crew at the 30th anniversary of Irish Shipping’s liquidation, as previously reported on Afloat.ie.

Read the Irish Times obituary for Des Branigan HERE.