Oidhreacht: The Little-Known Story of Bray's Lost Lighthouse

Oidhreacht Volume 01

Oidhreacht The LittleKnown Story of Bray’s Lost Lighthouse

Oidhreacht Volume 01

First published and distributed by Oidhreacht, A heritage protection campaign, Little Bray, Co. Wicklow, A96 KH79 First published 2022.

Copyright © Adam Nolan, 2022.

All rights reserved.

Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

Set in 10/15 pt Dolly Pro. Designed, typeset and edited by Adam Nolan. www.oidhreacht.ie

[i-rocked] noun An Irish word with no direct translation into English. The word encapsulates ideas of heritage, heredity and inheritance, to name just a few.

One commonality between its meanings is that they’re all ancient, even moreso than the word itself.

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The Address The Story The Interview The Storm The Future

A section of an address titled Of Heritage, Home and Healing by President Michael D. Higgins.

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The Address

Of Heritage, Home and Healing

by President Michael D. Higgins

eht derre hcihw serutpac yletaruc tliub , ti sa ,oot ,gni fo fo tcepser , suoiverp fo .erac fo ytud The Address

It was one of my privileges, as the founding Aire of An Roinn Ealíon, Cultur agus Gaeltachta, Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht, to introduce the Bill that became the Heritage Act in 1995 which, amongst other things, established the Irish Heritage Council, an Comhairle Oidhreachta, on a statutory footing. It was a matter of principle for me, when I took office as Ireland’s first Minister for Culture and the Gaeltacht in 1993, that heritage and culture would be elevated as a portfolio, given parity of esteem, as it were, within Government, strengthened, too, in terms of its resourcing so that we could identify, preserve, promote and enhance Ireland’s heritage in its widest sense, all of this considerably assisted by structural funding from the European Union.

I do recall that I felt it necessary at the time to suggest that the word ‘heritage’ had become somewhat narrowed in usage, to a dangerous point of being used as a background invoked for all too short tourist consumption, rather than an invitation to the slow, thoughtful visit to which such a people’s resource of generations deserved to receive.

This created the danger of basing policy on a clichéd image of what was assumed visitors to Ireland wanted to see.

Such a utilitarian reductionism, I believed, and I remain convinced of that belief, was both blinkered and myopic, in that it did not ascribe sufficient recognition or importance to much of the natural, built and cultural resource that constitutes the fullness of our

The President’s address was part of the larger American Conference of Irish Studies in Ulster University.

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erp syawla evah I mret hsirI a erom tseggus I uo fo ytilatot eht ovni ,larutan dna txetnoc eht ,seod dettimsnart odsiw ,erutan rof dna snoitareneg

I have always pref Irish term I suggest more ac the totality of our and natural, invok does, the context transmitted for nature, wisdom generations, and a

ferred the which ccurately captures r , built king, too, as it of of , respect m of previous a duty of care.

eht derre hcihw serutpac yletaruc tliub , ti sa ,oot ,gni fo fo tcepser , suoiverp fo .erac fo ytud

erp syawla evah I mret hsirI a erom tseggus I uo fo ytilatot eht ovni ,larutan dna txetnoc eht ,seod dettimsnart odsiw ,erutan rof dna ,snoitareneg The Address

In introducing the Heritage Act, it was my hope that we, as a nation, would re-engage with, and re-think, what heritage means as forms of identity inherited, but also achieving this in a dynamic process of continuous re-imagining, as a component of identity. Taking the word in its widest sense, “heritage” or “oidhreacht” can be said to embrace all those elements of Irish life, North and South, which we have inherited from the generations gone before us, and whose continuing survival into the future depends on the attitudes and actions of the present – the ‘samhlaíocht’ (imagination) which we can share in such a task.

The President’s address, Of Heritage, Home and Healing can be read in full online at www.president.ie.

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A historical account of Bray’s Lost Lighthouse, spanning over six decades, from the year 1847 to the year 1910.

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The Story

The Story

The Bray Lighthouse, much like its hometown, was established under the most humble of circumstances. The seaside town officially came into being when the first sod of the Waterford, Wexford, Wicklow and Dublin Railway was turned at Bray Head by the Earl of Courtown on the 25th of August 1847.

The railway, who’s construction was overseen by founding father of Bray, William Dargan, put the town on the map, so to speak. From there, Bray grew into a national (and subsequently international) Victorian holiday destination. The railway brought in tourists from near and far granting them access to amenities such as the Turkish Baths, Bray Town Hall, its accompanying markets and the pristine sandy beaches. A few decades on, with Bray being as busy as ever, it was decided that the small seaside town needed a dedicated harbour. In 1891, the Bray Harbour was built, featuring two long piers, North and South. This is where the story of Bray’s Lost Lighthouse begins. The story that will unfold over the pages of this publication is one of loss, memory, tragedy, time and, ultimately, hope.

On June 6th 1896 the body of a cast-iron lighthouse appeared on the newly constructed harbour banks. The lighthouse was to be placed at the end of the southern pier, 822 feet from Bray’s traditional shore.

Twenty days passed and the lighthouse’s cast-iron shell was set in place on the Southern pier. Now a lighthouse keeper needed to be appointed. The Town Commissioners took on the duty, electing to employ the services of one Thomas Scraggs of Duncairn Avenue, who was to double as Harbour Master as well. Scraggs was paid the princely sum of £1 per week for his labours. He was a married man, aged 37 years at the time of his appointment and he held the job at least until the 1911 Census. It would not be until October 1st of that year until the lighthouse’s standard oil lantern was finally installed. Scraggs would watch over the harbour and the light, lighting, watching over and extinguishing the lantern’s flame at dusk and

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A photo taken around the year 1900, when the people of Bray would visit the pier for strolls.

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Holiday makers set against the unassuming backdrop of Bray Lighthouse in 1952, seven years after the Second World War.

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The Story

dawn. Form followed function it seems, as the lighthouse, simple as it was in its design, would carry out a straightforward but vital duty for the town of Bray, guiding in wary ships. No significant changes were made to the lighthouse once it was constructed. The lighthouse seems to have been routinely painted a bright white. The Harbour Board flirted with the idea of installing a Kitson Light in 1902, which never happened. In 1903, the Commissioner of Irish Lights inspection tour of local lighthouses found the light “clean and in good order”.

In 1905, the humble existence of the lighthouse would be thrown into disarray. A particularly gruesome suicide was carried out on the Southern pier, near the lighthouse. One of the witnesses, a Bray native known as Andrew Molony, had passed the victim at 6.30am. Molony was on his way to “put out the light at the lighthouse,” indicating that Thomas Scraggs had occasionally outsourced some of his duties. The suicide at the lighthouse may have passed in terms of time, but the event no doubt lived on in the memories of the people of Bray, particularly those who lived and made a living in and around the harbour. The lighthouse once again carried out its purpose dutifully for many decades. It was not until the 1950s when any significant change occurred.

It seems as though the lighthouse was left unwatched. In other words, the lighthouse’s light was made automatic. Donaghadee lighthouse in County Down was the first lighthouse to go fully automatic in 1910, with the necessary advancement of light technology. Lighthouse keepers would make occasional visits to automatic lighthouses, cleaning their glass or carrying out routine checks. The Bray lighthouse henceforth, was made automatic. The lighthouse was also left occulting. This is one of three lightbeam categories known to lighthouse keepers.

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This diagram details the topogrpahy in and around Bray Harbour, a fairly flat and shallow seabed which contains fine sand, often stirred up by heavy waves.

The Bray lighthouse was positioned at the end of the south pier, raditating its light beam outwards.

Occulting light beams consist of periods of light and darkness. The flashes of light last longer than periods of darkness.

Other light beam categories include fixed (constantly shining) and flashing (periods of darkness lasting longer than light).

The walls of Bray harbour offer the river mouth protection from waves one to two metres tall on average.

The waves are known to grow to extreme sizes during seasonal storms however, often breaching the harbour wall.

An interview with an expert on Irish lighthouses and their cottages, Peter Goulding.

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This interview took place on Monday, November 29th 2021.

The Interview

Do you see lighthouses as national symbols or treasures? If so, do you think they contribute to our national identity?

Not an easy one, this! I’m not sure how much of a national symbol they are.

Every country in the world that has a coastline has lighthouses and many are very similar to each other. Didn’t help our national identity that Trinity House in London were, and still are, the overlords of our lighthouse service.

Down through the years, every large decision to build or alter a lighthouse had to be ratified by London. Scotland’s lighthouses, though run by their own board, are also under the overall control of Trinity House.

As a national treasure, yes, I believe they are. There is a wealth of diversity in the lighthouses of Ireland - the powerful rock lighthouses of the south west coast - the Fastnet, Bull Rock, Inish Tearaght are some of the greatest feats of engineering this country has ever seen; there are lighthouses on stilts at Queenstown and Dundalk; a fluted Doric column at Dunmore East; giant stone pillars at Wicklow Head, Inis Mor and Cape Clear; the oldest wave-washed lighthouse in the world at South Rock, county Down; and of course Hook Head, the oldest lighthouse in these islands. I’m not sure that most are peculiarly Irish except perhaps the Metal Man in Sligo Harbour, the Round Tower at Larne and the peculiar pile lights at the mouth of the Boyne.

What I’m saying is that, individually, they might not be considered to contribute to our national identity, but taken together as a whole, they certainly form a major part of our national maritime heritage.

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The value of the lighthouse’s heritage is increasingly recognised as a fundamental part of societal, cultural and technological history.

How do you think we should share this history and who needs to hear it the most?

Since the millennium, in an age when you’d think we were all clued in to the importance of preserving our maritime heritage, we have lost - Alexander Dock lighthouse in Dublin port; the Gun Rock lighthouse in Inishbofin; the Horse Rock lighthouse in the Shannon Estuary and the 100 year old Glenbeigh beacon in county Kerry. In addition to these, there are only two remaining lightships left in Ireland - one, thankfully used by the Sea Scouts and kept in good nick up in Strangford Lough; the other rotting away in Dublin port. Around the coast, lightkeepers cottages, as much a part of our heritage as the lighthouses, lie unused, with many of them now practically beyond repair. Now, where’s the financial sense in maintaining them. More and more, lighthouses are being replaced by LED lights. In a few years, the lighthouses will start to go the same way as the cottages. Irish Lights has turned a dozen of the stations into tourist destinations, whether accommodation or guided tours and this is a good thing but for every Fanad Point, there are ten Passage Points or Inishgorts or Maidens which will soon become empty shells unless they are actively preserved.

Many are protected buildings, but nobody is protecting them.

All around the coast, there are small communities who like to hear about their local history and come together to help to preserve their maritime heritage - not just lighthouses but Martello Towers and signal forts and old boats and old slipways, so that future generations will be able to visit them too.

It will only be when a community comes together that they will have the ear of the local councils, who, strapped for cash as they always claim to be, must learn to play a larger role in

The path to maintaining our local heritage sites leads directly to our community leaders and local government.

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The Storm

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A massive wave splits the Southern pier apart (with a viewpoint from North pier).

Bray Lighthouse and its foundation tumble into the harbour mouth at a 35° angle.

The massive wave batters the freshly exposed interior of the Southern pier’s end.

The remnants of the lighthouse’s foundation peers above the water, while onlookers gather on the North pier opposite.

What can we do to protect the heritage sites we have left?

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The Future

The Future

The story of Bray’s Lost Lighthouse is a cautionary tale, warning our communities that the wellbeing of their heritage sites are actively being put in danger. Through various insights from Pete Goulding, it is clear that there is an optimal route towards meaningful heritage protection. On this route, all roads lead to community leaders and local government. As a citizen, you have a right to voice your opinions. Overleaf, there is a template letter voicing conerns about the heritage sites of your community. Youv can recreate the letter, amend it accordingly and send it as an email or physical letter to your local governmental office.

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www.oidhreacht.ie

info@oidhreacht.ie

Bibliography

Bray Did You Know? www.facebook.com/braydidyouknow Bray Cualann Historical Society www.braycualannhistoricalsociety.ie/brays-timeline/ Pete’s Lighthouse Blog www.irishlighthouses.blogspot.com/2020/07/bray-lighthouse.html President’s Keynote Address www.president.ie/en/media-library/speeches/of-heritage-home-and-healing

The Oidhreacht Book Series

01 02 03

The Little-Known Story of Bray’s Lost Lighthouse The Firey Destruction of Dartrey Castle The Tragic Tale of the Trillick of Ballintrillick