Engineers hope to save fishing community’s ‘lucky charm’ in upgrade of beacon

ENGINEERS hope to save a famous mariners’ “lucky charm” as part of a major upgrade to an important navigation beacon outside a busy fishing port.

The Commissioners of Irish Lights (CIL) began work yesterday upgrading the Colt Beacon which marks rocks close to Castletownbere in west Cork.

The lighthouse authority – which also manages the country’s coastal navigation aids – will spend the next week installing a hi-tech light on top of the previously unlit red pole which marks the rocks.

The work is expected to cost close to €100,000 and will result in significant improvements for safe night-time navigation in and out of the busy port.

However, fears were raised that the striking red metal cut-out image of a young horse, which is mounted on top of the pole, would have to be removed.

Fishermen and seafarers pass the beacon on the port side when using the west entrance to Castletownbere.

The steel horse, which is about five feet in length and which weighs close to 100 kilos, is considered a “good luck” charm by all seafarers.

Environment watchdog, Friends of the Irish Environment (FIE) said they were contacted by several people in recent days concerned about the loss of the horse.

“The Colt Rock is a local icon and part of the extended family that exists in coastal communities,” FIE spokesman Tony Lowes said.

“Many fishermen consider it a ‘good luck’ token. If anyone else cut it down, it would be vandalism.

“Given that we are told the decision to replace it with a light was made five years ago, it is impossible to understand the intransigent refusal of Irish Lights to delay the work for consultation with the community.

“An engineering solution could easily be found that would allow for the new light while preserving the Colt.”

CIL’s assistant inspector of lights, Captain Dermot Gray, who is overseeing the project, held out some hope that the iconic image may be saved.

The upgrade to Colt Beacon was first proposed in 2005 for a major review of navigational aids around the country, he said.

The horse has to be removed to facilitate the project which ultimately aims to improve navigation and safety, he added.

“We first thought of donating the horse to the people of Castletownbere. Several approached Irish Lights offering to install it as part of a bronze plaque,” he said.

“But we will have a engineer on site this morning to see if we can find an engineering solution to remount it on the pole.

“If it can be done, it will be mounted further down the pole.”

But Captain Gray said the engineer will have to determine whether the pole can take the weight of the horse at a lower point.

If an engineering solution can be found, it could be next summer before the horse is reattached to the pole, he stressed.