Fastnet Rock
Fastnet Lighthouse
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 Ireland
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| Location | southern coast of County Cork, Ireland |
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| Coordinates | 51°23′3″N 9°36′1″W / 51.38417°N 9.60028°WCoordinates: 51°23′3″N 9°36′1″W / 51.38417°N 9.60028°W |
| Year first constructed | 1854 (first) |
| Year first lit | 1904 (current) |
| Automated | 1989 |
| Construction | granite tower |
| Tower shape | tapered cylindrical tower with lantern and double gallery |
| Markings / pattern | white painted |
| Height | 54 metres (177 ft) |
| Focal height | 49 metres (161 ft) |
| Range | 27 miles (43 km) |
| Characteristic | Fl. W 5s |
| Racon | "G" (Golf) |
| Admiralty number | A5702 |
| NGA number | 6308 |
| ARLHS number | IRE-034 |
| Ireland number | CIL-0010 |
| Managing agent | Commissioners of Irish Lights |
Fastnet Rock, or simply Fastnet (possibly from Old Norse Hvasstann-ey, meaning 'sharp-tooth isle'; called Carraig Aonair, meaning "lonely rock", in Irish) is a small islet in the Atlantic Ocean and the most southerly point of Ireland. It lies 6.5 kilometres (4.0 mi) southwest of Cape Clear Island and 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) from County Cork on the Irish mainland. Due to its location, Fastnet is known as "Ireland's Teardrop", because it was the last part of Ireland that 19th century Irish emigrants saw as they sailed to North America.
Fastnet Rock is a small clay-slate islet with quartz veins. It rises to about 30 metres (98 ft) above low water mark and is separated from the much smaller southern Little Fastnet by a 10 metres (33 ft) wide channel. Fastnet also gives its name to the sea area used by the Shipping Forecasts on BBC's Radio 4. The current lighthouse is the second to be built on the rock and is the highest in Ireland.
Fastnet Rock is used as the midpoint of one of the world's classic offshore yachting races, the Fastnet Race, a 1,126 kilometres (700 mi) round trip from Cowes on the Isle of Wight, round the rock and back to Plymouth. It is also sometimes used as a mark for yacht races from local sailing centres such as Schull, Baltimore, and Crookhaven.
Construction of the first lighthouse began in 1853, and it first produced a light on 1 January 1854. The lighthouse replaced an early one built on Cape Clear Island in 1818, partly motivated by the loss of an American sailing packet, Stephen Whitney, in thick fog during November 1847 on nearby West Calf Island causing the death of 92 of her 110 passengers and crew. The new lighthouse was constructed of cast iron with an inner lining of brick and was designed by George Halpin. Costing £17,390, the tower was 63 feet 9 inches (19.43 m) high with a 27 feet 8 inches (8.43 m) high lantern structure on top, giving a total height of around 91 feet (28 m). It had an oil burning lamp of 38 kilocandelas; in contrast modern lighthouses typically produce 1,300 kilocandelas. In 1883 an explosive fog signal was installed, which electrically detonated a small charge of guncotton every five minutes.
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Wikipedia