Fastnet Lighthouse proves much more than yachtsman’s mecca

THE Fastnet Lighthouse conjures up different images for different people.

For some it’s the 1979 yachting disaster in which 15 sailors lost their lives in one of the world’s classic ocean races from the south coast of England, the 608-mile Fastnet Race.

But despite the disaster the lonely sentinel that stands guard off Ireland’s south-west coast is still a yachtsman’s mecca. Thousands pay homage every year and the loom of its light is a sight for seafarers’ eyes.