Baltimore Beacon

Baltimore Beacon stands guard at the entrance to Baltimore Habour. It looks across to Barrack Point Lighthouse on Sherkin Island, guarding the other side of the channel.

A beacon has been here since the Irish Rebellion of 1798 and is referred to locally as Lot’s Wife, a biblical woman who turned into a pillar of salt.

The current beacon, 50 feet high, was built in 1848. Commander James Wolfe reported to the Ballast Board in 1847 that the beacon on the eastern entrance to the harbour had been destroyed. Irish Lights Engineer George Halpin surveyed the site shortly after and recommended a new, taller beacon. 

The new beacon was completed in February 1849, and the proposed weather vane was later replaced with a sphere.

Sherkin Island Lighthouse can be viewed from Baltimore Beacon, a short walk from the road. Care must be taken on the rocks and cliff edges. 

Sherkin Island Ferries operate from Baltimore to Sherkin Island, taking around 10 minutes. 

Barrack Point Lighthouse is just over a mile from Harboursmouth on Sherkin Island.