Commissioners of Irish Lights

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Commissioners of Irish Lights
Type	Statutory Corporation
Founded	1786
Headquarters	Dublin, Ireland
Key people	Frank Boland, Chairperson Stuart Ruttle, Chief Executive
Industry	Maritime Safety
Slogan	In Salutem Omnium
Website	www.cil.ie

The Commissioners of Irish Lights (CIL) is the body that serves as the lighthouse authority for all of the island of Ireland plus its adjacent seas and islands. As the Irish Lighthouse Authority it overseas the coastal lights and navigation marks provided by the local lighthouse authorities; the County Councils and Port Authorities.

It is funded by ships that use these seas on a pooled basis with those dues raised by the United Kingdom. This recognises that a large volume of shipping — typically transatlantic — relies on its lights but never puts in to a port in the Republic of Ireland.

Contents 1 Finance 2 Ships 2.1 Granuaile III 2.2 Other vessels 3 Flags 4 Infrastructure 4.1 Buoys 4.2 Lighthouses 5 References 6 External links

[edit] Finance

The services provided by the Commissioners are financed from the General Lighthouse Fund. The income of the General Lighthouse Fund is mainly derived from light dues charged on commercial shipping at ports in Ireland and the United Kingdom, (ie: user pays) supplemented by an annual contribution from the Irish Government towards the cost of the service provided in the Republic of Ireland.

The General Lighthouse Fund is administered by the UK Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions. The General Lighthouse Fund also finances:

1. Trinity House Lighthouse Service – the General Lighthouse Authority for England, Wales and the Channel Islands;
2. Northern Lighthouse Board – the General Lighthouse Authority for Scotland and the Isle of Man.

The accounts of the Commissioners of Irish Lights are consolidated with those of Trinity House Lighthouse Service and the Northern Lighthouse Board to form part of the General Lighthouse Fund annual accounts which are published in London by HMSO.

[edit] Ships

[edit] Granuaile III

The Commissioners currently have only one light tender^[1] in service named ILV Granuaile. She was built at Galatz Shipyard, Romania in 2000 and is registered in Dublin. She has a length overall of 79.6m, a beam of 15.99m and a gross tonnage of 2625. She is the third vessel named Granuaile to have served the Commissioners. Granuaile II was in service between 1970 and 2000, and she was preceded by the first Granuaile from 1948 to 1970.

[edit] Other vessels

• Gray Seal (1988 - 1994)
• Granuaile II (1970 - 2000)
• Atlanta (1959 - 1988)
• Ierne II (1955 - 1971)
• Isolda (1953 - 1976)
• Blaskbeg (1953 - 1955)
• Granuaile (1948 - 1970)
• Valonia (1947 – 1962)
• Discovery II (1947 – 1948)
• Nabro (1926 - 1949)
• Deirdre (1919 - 1927)
• Isolda (1928 – 1940)
• Alexandra (1904 - 1955)
• Ierne (1898 - 1954)
• Tearaght (1892 - 1928)
• Moya (1893 - 1905)
• Princess Alexandra (1863 - 1904)

[edit] Flags

Commissioners of Irish Lights is a cross-border body, its headquarters are in Dublin. The current flag of the Commissioners of Irish Lights features the St. Patrick's Cross, not the St. George's Cross as on the old flag^[2]. CIL vessels in Northern Ireland fly the blue ensign as shown; vessels in the Republic fly the Irish tricolour.

[edit] Infrastructure

[edit] Buoys

[edit] Lighthouses

• Bailey Lighthouse Dublin Bay, Co. Dublin
• Tuskar Rock Co. Wexford
• Hook Head Co. Wexford
• Ballycotton Co. Cork
• Roches Point Co. Cork
• Fastnet Rock Co. Cork
• Mizen Head Co. Cork
• Bull Rock Co. Cork
• Skellig Mór
• Samphire Rock Co. Kerry
• Loop Head Co. Clare

[edit] References

1. ^ Ships in the Irish Lighthouse Service (HTML). Commissioners of Irish Lights. Retrieved on February 11, 2007.
2. ^ A picture of the CIL flag, from the World Flag database

[edit] External links

• Official website