GALLEY HEAD LIGHTHOUSE

The lightkeepers at Galley Head have witnessed many tragedies in their time, including the loss of the Lusitania in 1915, as well as many British and German vessels during World War I and II. An imposing 174 feet above the Atlantic Ocean, Galley Head is a gleaming white lighthouse on a picturesque headland, pointing towards mainland Europe. Built in 1875 during the heyday of lighthouse building, Galley Head was once the most powerful lighthouse in the world. A major County Cork navigational aid to this day, along with the Old Head of Kinsale and Fastnet Lighthouses, mariners still watch for its blinking light as they pass. Spend a night in one of the two lighthouse keepers' houses, courtesy of the Irish Landmark Trust, and dream a little dream of times gone by.

Explore more of the Wild Atlantic Way's Haven Coast, with maybe a whale-watching trip around the town of Baltimore.