#LighthouseFestival - Next weekend is the time... to kick start the Summer with the Great Lighthouses of Ireland May Bank Holiday Festival (29 April – 1 May).

Meet our Lighthouse StoryKeepers, enjoy all things maritime from crafts, technology, food and hear tall tales of hero feats around our coast.

From Hook to Loop, out to the islands of Rathlin, Valentia and Ballycotton to ceol agus craic at Fanad a weekend of discovery, stories and thrills await!

Light up your day at the No.1 flashiest lighthouse in the world according to Lonely Planet - Hook Head Lighthouse in Co. Wexford. Learn more about the maritime history of Irelands Ancient East at a Pirate school taught by Captain Hook and Pirate Pat. Or for the less adventurous, relax with a tour of the lighthouse and try some of lawn games.

Get to the award-winning peninsula at Loop in Co. Clare, take the tour to the top of our iconic lighthouse for unrivalled vistas and take time on the ground to taste the best local food, see the local crafts and discover its fantastic maritime heritage

Take the Rathlin Island ferry and go to the West Light ‘upside-down’ lighthouse in Co. Antrim to welcome back the puffins and the tens of thousands of visiting birds like kittiwakes and razorbills nesting around the cliffs. With lots of family fun activities planned, an unforgettable trip is on the cards.

See the stars at Valentia in Co. Kerry, home of the dark skies, and hear tales of war and conquest long before Star Wars! Capture the best memories on lighthouse photography tours at Fanad in Co. Donegal, voted one of the most beautiful lighthouses in world.

Or learn how to cook seaweed – a new family treat! Enjoy East Cork and listen to the tales and stories of Lighthouse Keeping on Ballycotton Island.

Coastal partners and organisations such as Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI) Coastguard and others will be onsite for demonstrations and talks in many of the locations Get tips on being safe and enjoying our coast this summer, explore our towers, discover their hidden secrets and much more.

With many of our Great Lighthouses along the Wild Atlantic Way: see website, Fiona Monaghan, Head of Wild Atlantic Way at Failte Ireland said: “This is the weekend to embrace the Wild Atlantic Way and discover the stories of the lighthouses and their communities. We in Failte Ireland are delighted to support this event as it encourages visitors to experience the wonders of life shaped by the sea and to meet with the people who are passionate about these unique places”

Great Lighthouses of Ireland is an exciting collaboration between many private and public organisations in coastal communities, lead and supported by Irish Lights

Welcoming the second year of Shine a Light on Summer Festival, Yvonne Shields, Chief Executive of Irish Lights, said; “This is an important event for Irish Lights. We have a long and rich history, and connection to the coast and its communities in our role in providing navigation services for nearly 250 years. As the keepers and custodians of some of the most spectacular maritime heritage properties on the Island of Ireland we are encouraging everyone to come and enjoy all that Great Lighthouses of Ireland has to offer this weekend and summer”

As Gerald Butler; Former Lighthouse Keeper & Current Lighthouse Attendant at Galley Head Lighthouse says; “It wasn’t a job – it was a way of life”

For event details and information about and booking Great Lighthouses of Ireland visit: www.greatlighthouses.com/shine-a-light