Calf Rock Shore Station

The Calf Rock Shore station is near Garnish and Lacharoo, overlooking Dursey Island.

The cottages were built in the early 1860s during the construction of the Calf Rock Lighthouse. George Halpin was responsible for both the cottage and the lighthouse construction.

There was a double house and two smaller dwellings, and workers used the end of the building.

There was much debate over whether Calf or Bull Rock was more suitable for the lighthouse. Ultimately, a tower was erected on Calf Rock in August 1864. The lighthouse, made of cast iron, stood 102 feet tall. The lantern was added later and first illuminated on June 30, 1866. However, heavy seas often broke the tower’s windows, as the shutters had been installed inside the structure.

The lighthouse remained operational for two and a half years, but on January 30, 1869, a storm damaged the balcony and destroyed the supply stores. Mistaking a flag flown from the lighthouse for a distress signal, an off-duty Assistant Keeper and six local boatmen attempted to reach the lighthouse in rough seas. Though the keepers were unharmed, the rescue boat capsized on the return trip, and all seven men drowned.

James Douglass was called to inspect the damage, and repairs began, including strengthening the base and adding a cast-iron skirt to increase its diameter.

On December 27, 1881, a violent storm completely destroyed the lighthouse. The keepers and workmen, sheltered in the reinforced base, survived the storm but remained stranded for two weeks before being rescued.

Following the destruction of the Calf Rock light, a temporary light was established on Dursey Island until the Bull Rock Lighthouse was built.

In 1939, the keepers and their families were relocated from the Calf Rock Shore Station to Castletownbere, which made shops and schools more accessible.

The cottages were sold off in 1946 and again in 1994.  They have since been sold again.

The cottages are located on the southern end of Dursey Sound, visible from Calf Rock. They are near the cable car that takes visitors to Dursey Island from the mainland.

The Calf Rock Lighthouse Rescue memorial to the men lost in the 1869 storm is located close to the cottages.

Dursey Boat Trips operate boat trips out to Calf Rock and Bull Rock from nearby Garnish Pier.