TRAVEL: Casting a light on Ireland's Ancient East
The world’s oldest lighthouse, hook Lighthouse, on the tip of the hook Peninsula in County Wexford unveiled its brand new Ireland’s Ancient east Tour experience this spring. Visitors will climb the 115 steps of the lighthouse tower and along their journey they will meet a life size figure of St Dubhan via hologram. he will tell the tale of the perishing nights that he and his fellow monks spent dedicating their lives to the safety of all of those at sea whilst keeping a beacon alight on the tip of the Peninsula in the early 5th century.
Following this encounter another life-size figure will appear, this time from the 12th century. William Marshal the first earl of Pembroke, dubbed the ‘greatest Knight that ever lived’, will regale vistors with the tale of why and how he build the tower that stands today and also of his empire in the Southeast including the ancient sites of Kilkenny Castle and Tintern Abbey amongst others. Visitors will hear how he married the daughter of Strongbow and became one of the great crusaders. This is one of Ireland’s Ancient east’s most fascinating stories.
At the final stage of the lighthouse tour will allow visitors access to the previously private Watchroom where visitors can discover more of the unique stories of hook Peninsula where they will hear stories of the 800 year old lighthouse life before automation, with real life tales of the light keepers that manned the tower saving lives at sea. With the introduction of automation, the practice of manning a lighthouse has become all but obsolete and with it, another part of history slips away.
Speaking at the unveiling Tux Tweedy, the last principal Lighthouse keeper at hook Lighthouse, said “Two of my brothers and I all served as Lightkeepers at towers around Ireland since we were teenagers, growing up and living by the sea meant it was a natural choice for us. “Today the automation of the lighthouse towers means the important work of keeping those at sea safe continues but the era and the way of life of Lightkeepers is now part of history. It is important the tales are told and this huge part of the Ireland’s maritime history is captured and passed on to future generations.
The new tour experience at the hook does just that and I’m very proud to help launch this today.” This experience is set to bring history to life, merging history and tradition with technology and narration. While the holograms and technology will add a great deal to the tours so far, hook Lighthouse General Manager Ann Water says “The tours at hook Lighthouse will also remain guided as we believe that these important stories need to be told by our dedicated tour guides who love nothing more than entrancing visitors with tales told to them first hand by the Lightkeepers themselves”.