Nationwide showcases how Fanad lighthouse truly benefits the community

Presenter Donal Byrne and the team of Nationwide visited one of Donegal’s most historic and iconic lighthouses in the north of the county recently.

In the programme which was broadcast on Wednesday night, the Nationwide team found that some people who come to visit Fanad lighthouse come to learn about maritime history and some people also come and stay where many lighthouse keepers did in times gone by.

Over fifty thousand people visit the remote lighthouse annually. People visit from all over the world and from all different walks of life.

Fanad lighthouse was built over two centuries ago to help mariners avoid the dangers of the sea. Donal Byrne said that the lighthouse was automated in 1983 but continued to remain a working lighthouse after that: “It is one of the country’s most visited tourist attractions.”

Eimear Ní Mhathúna who works at the lighthouse said that the rooms at the lighthouse have been sympathetically renovated and that the old original lighthouse cottages hold a real beauty and timelessness about them. Everyone who stays gets to visit the top of the tower which provides a 360 degree view of the stunning, wild and rural landscape it is situated in.

“The time to come to the lighthouse is when there is wind and rain and the waves are coming up over the wall. It is a very special experience, there is no doubt about it,” she said.

Many special occasions take place at the lighthouse. People get married at the lighthouse, the first one taking place in 2017. Organisers laid out the green carpet for the American couple who chose to get married there.

Those who are employed are from the community and everyone in the community supports the project. The lighthouse is a social enterprise run by the community.

Due to the large numbers visiting the centre, it is hoped to extend the visiting area.

Yvonne Meehan is a guide and says that people are surprised to hear all the history affiliated with the lighthouse: “It is different here everyday. We have the four seasons maybe in the one day. I love it here, this is the best job ever.”

Eamonn Mc Atteer began working at the lighthouse when it was still manned and says it is great to see the place being renovated and commended the Wild Atlantic Way for contributing to its success.

He worked in the lighthouse for twenty-five years and he recalled having to stay in the lighthouse overnight because there was a problem with the light.

Mr Mc Ateer said the job of being a lighthouse keeper was handed down from father to son and you could work up to three weeks without a break:“You had to be mentally strong, when you heard the waves crashing on the side of the tower at night.”

He said he never forgets local tragedies: “People say you forget but you don’t.”

A guide at the lighthouse, Julia Kozachenko spoke about moving to Fanad from the Ukraine and said she moved here to protect her family. Julia was forced to leave her country when war broke out. She thanks god every day for being safe in Ireland.

Fluent in three languages, she said she had heard before coming to Ireland that the Irish people had been kind and welcoming to the Ukrainians and that was one of the reasons she came to Ireland.

News from her friends in the Ukraine makes her very sad, she said: “The only thing I have at the moment is to pray sincerely for the people of Ukraine and for none of us to ever experience these terrible things.”