10 February, 2016

coast guard station

A brochure was created by the Killybegs Heritage Council  that lists 14 historical stops on the heritage trail here in town.  It comes with a map so you can walk to these places.  The first stop is the Coast Guard Station. 



The large cut stone military-style building looking out over the harbour is the former Coastguard Station. E. Trevor Jones designed this building and it was erected in 1875 as modern accommodation block and look-out for the Coastguards. The landlord, H.G. Murray Stewart, provided the site to the Admiral Commissioners.

Killybegs was the head of a Coastguard District from Donegal Town to the Gweebarra River  The Station and the Tower House accommodated the chief boatman and ordinary coastguards. In addition to their normal duties of chasing smugglers, the Coastguards often came to the rescue of local fishermen and seafarers in bad weather.  The Coastguards kept their boat at the ready in a special boathouse which stands on the water’s edge below the Station. It is now a private
dwelling which has been preserved intact. The Coastguards left Killybegs in 1922 at Independence.

Info courtesy of the Maritime & Heritage Centre Brochure



6 comments:

  1. It certainly is a sturdy structure and I like the simple architecture of the tower section.

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  2. I love the stone facade. This building looks very Irish!

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  3. It's a beauty and also suprisingly grand!

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  4. The stone is nice. I really like that tower!

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  5. It's a fine looking building Bill, would love to see how the owners have renovated it.

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