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Rockabill lies about five kilometres off the
shore in an easterly direction, and is clearly
visible from Skerries. The name comes from the
Irish name for the rock - Carraig Dá Bheola, meaning
"Two Lips Rock". The depth of the sea around Rockabill
is between 7 and 9 fathoms, and the rock was obviously
a danger to shipping, especially at night. A light
was sought for the rock by the Drogheda Harbour
Commissioners in 1837, and they stated that the
shipping which frequented Drogheda would cheerfully
pay a toll towards a light on Rockabill. The authority,
which controlled the building of lighthouses at
that time was called the Trinity Board, and in
1838 they refused to build a lighthouse on Rockabill.
However fifteen years later, in 1853, the Board
changed its mind and granted permission. Plans
were prepared for the lighthouse, and in 1855
the work began.
The builders were two brothers from Limerick,
William and James Burgess. The chief materials
used were granite from the Mourne Mountains in
Co. Down and limestone from the local quarry in
Milverton. The tower was built 83 feet high and
the total cost of all the buildings, and apparatus,
was £13,248 .The building was completed and the
light was first operated on 1st. July 1860. Coal
gas, supplied from a gas producing plant on the
rock, provided the light until 1905. Throughout
those years the lightkeepers had trouble from
the gas system, as it regularly suffered damage
from storms and corrosion.
From 1905 the light was powered by paraffin
until 1980, when it was converted to electricity.
A fog signal was established on Rockabill in 1918,
and a radio telephone was installed in 1952. The
lighthouse was relieved by a local boat from Skerries,
or by one of the vessels owned by the Trinity
Board, until 1970. From then it was relieved by
helicopter. There were a total of six lightkeepers
doing duty on the rock. Three were stationed on
the rock doing four weeks duty at a time, while
the other three had four weeks liberty. The keepers
and their families lived in houses specially built
for them in Harbour Road. These houses were sold
in 1975, and sadly the lighthouse became fully
automatic, and was demanned in March 1989.
Back to: History of Skerries
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