St John's Point Lighthouse

St John’s Point Lighthouse stands on a low promontory five kilometres south of Killough in County Down. It guards the entrance to Dundrum Bay on the Irish Sea, marking the southern side of the channel. The first tower, built in 1844 to designs by George Halpin, rose only fourteen metres and carried a fixed white light sixteen metres above sea level. By 1889 the lantern had been raised to thirty-nine metres and fitted with a Fresnel lens. In 1954 the tower was repainted black with two yellow bands, giving it the bold pattern seen today. The lighthouse remains one of the most complete stations in Ireland. Electricity replaced oil in 1957, and the fog horn was electrified in 1981 when the keepers left and the station was automated. Today the main optic flashes twice every seven and a half seconds, while an auxiliary sector light shows white and red every three seconds. The fog signal was switched off in 2011, but the buildings survive and have been turned into holiday cottages. Visitors park beside the road and walk the short distance to the perimeter fence. From here the black-and-yellow tower and its lantern are clearly visible against the sea. The surrounding grassland slopes gently down to the water, offering wide views across Dundrum Bay and the Mourne Mountains beyond. The site itself is closed, but the view of the lighthouse remains open to all.