10 Irish Lighthouses You Can Actually Stay in

Built in 1902, County Antrim’s Blackhead Lighthouse sits on the black volcanic cliff of Blackhead at the mouth of Belfast Lough. There are three renovated lightkeepers’ residences available to stay at right next to the lighthouse, all managed by the Irish Landmark Trust. Having once guided the Titanic on its initial journey from where it was built locally in Belfast to where it would depart on its tragic voyage from Southampton, England, this still-functioning lighthouse has a beautiful coastal walking path nearby.

Situated on the rugged island in County Mayo’s Clew Bay, the home of the legendary pirate queen Gráinne O’Malley and her clan, Clare Island Lighthouse was first built in 1806. Decommissioned in the 1960s, it has since been given a luxury makeover and converted into an ideal holiday destination with six tastefully furnished guest rooms. The only two-towered lighthouse in the country, it is also the only one to provide B&B accommodation and a six-course set evening meal to guests.