The unique construction of the Kish floating lighthouse in Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin.
Crowds gather in Dun Loaghaire Harbour to witness this feat of engineering. Lighthouse designer Mr. Hearst describes the uniqueness of the construction of this lighthouse, the preparations that were made to the sea bed and the use of radioactive isotopes to test samples.
The lighthouse was designed by Messrs Christiani & Nielsen Ltd, and was based on models previously used in Sweden. Construction of the lighthouse began in 1963 in Dun Laoghaire. In June 1965 the lighthouse was towed from Dun Laoghaire Harbour to Kish Bank. The operation of raising the tower was carried out on 27 July 1965. The Kish lighthouse was manned until 1992 when it was converted to automatic operation.
This report shows the lighthouse in Dun Laoghaire Harbour as it is being prepared to be towed out to sea and put in place on the Kish Bank. There has been a beacon of one form or another on the Kish sandbank since 1811. The Kish Bank is the first in a series of banks extending 80 miles down the east coast.
This episode of Newsbeat was broadcast on 30 June 1965.
