Angus Rock Lighthouse

Angus rock Lighthouse or beacon is located on a low rocky islet off the Narrows, the entrance to Strangford Lough which boasts the fastest tidal stream in Ireland running at up to 8 knots during spring tides The tower was built as a daymark, probably in the 19th century. It is mentioned as early as 1885.

Many ships have been wrecked and lives lost in and around Strangford including The Eagles Wing, the first officially recorded wreck on the Irish coast, which foundered in October 1715 near Strangford Bar with a loss of 76 lives.

Today  Strangford has little or no commercial traffic but this was not the case in the past when a considerable amount of the agricultural produce of the area around the lough was exported via sea. From the 15th century to the end

of the nineteenth and even at times as late as the 1940’s the sight of trading schooners and ketches would have been a common sight in and around Strangford. The Angus Tower was affectionately referred to by these sailors as ‘The Rocking Goose’.

In October 1978 the Inspector recommended to the Board that, subject to Down County Council establishing the five lights for which they had received Statutory Sanction, the Board would approve the establishing of a light at Angus Rock Tower, and in order to complete the effective lighting of the Strangford Lough entrance that the unlighted Bar Pladdy buoy be replaced by a lighted buoy. The tower remained unlit for a considerable period of time, it was not until  April 1983 that a light was eventually established on the rock.

In July 2000 the light was converted to solar power with a character of flashing red every 5 second in hours of darkness only. It is now in the care of an attendant and monitored via a telemetry link from Irish Lights in Dún Laoghaire.

The island is noted for it seals and from it on a clear day, you can see across to the Isle of Mann and the Lake District beyond.

Location:    54°19.8′ North, 5°31.5′ West.

Elevation:   74 m

Character:  Fl (4) W 20s. Shown through 24 hours

Range:        48 km.