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The story of the Fastnet Lighthouse.Light on a lonely rock.
The Economist ^ | Dec 18 2008 | The Economist

Posted on 12/21/2008 5:45:21 PM PST by GSP.FAN

On Ireland’s south-western tip, at the mouth of the Atlantic, stands a monument of man’s gift to mankind.

IT WAS a hazy night in July 1904 and the steamer Alexandra ploughed slowly through the waters of West Cork, as an extraordinary experiment took place on deck. She was a rickety vessel, “as leaky as a sprat net” in the words of Sir Robert Ball, Ireland’s most feted astronomer of the time. But he loved being aboard her. Almost every night her bespectacled old chef served him copious helpings of boiled lobster. After supper, he could climb on deck and relish two of his night-time passions: study of the gentle stars and, as scientific adviser to the Commissioners of Irish Lights, study of the illumination from lighthouses built around Ireland’s treacherous coastline.

(Excerpt) Read more at economist.com ...


TOPICS: History; Outdoors; Weather
KEYWORDS: eire; ireland; lighthouses
Great story long but very Interesting..
1 posted on 12/21/2008 5:45:22 PM PST by GSP.FAN
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To: GSP.FAN
Delightful.

And if you like that life ... you can apply ...Lighthouse Keeper Job Available - San Pablo Bay

$100K plus bennies. Sounds wonderful!

2 posted on 12/21/2008 5:52:15 PM PST by Daffynition ("Beauty is in the sty of the beholder." ~ Joe 6-pack)
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To: GSP.FAN
bttt

http://www.i-am-bored.com/bored_link.cfm?link_id=33983.

3 posted on 12/21/2008 5:52:23 PM PST by 1rudeboy
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To: GSP.FAN

Great read!


4 posted on 12/21/2008 5:54:39 PM PST by SWAMPSNIPER (THE SECOND AMENDMENT, A MATTER OF FACT, NOT A MATTER OF OPINION)
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To: SWAMPSNIPER

Thank you.
Have not figured out how to post pics but this is a nice link..
http://homepage.eircom.net/~roaringwaterbay/Fasnet.html


5 posted on 12/21/2008 6:48:32 PM PST by GSP.FAN
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To: GSP.FAN
So.....what is the purpose of a lighthouse?

Is it a welcoming beacon, or a hazard warning?

6 posted on 12/22/2008 7:19:38 AM PST by laotzu
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To: laotzu

I would say both


7 posted on 12/22/2008 7:45:31 AM PST by GSP.FAN
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