Mizen Arched Bridge Visitor Centre Replacement 2010 Near , West 028-35225/35115 [email protected] Mizen Head www.mizenhead.com ’s most South-westerly Point! www.mizenhead.net Ireland’s most South-westerly Point!

2010 is a very special year for Mizen Head Signal Station. The famous Arched Bridge is 100 years old. It has given great service. Until 1993 it was used solely by the Commissioners of Irish Lights personnel. Light keepers, tradesmen dignitaries and guests. The general public were Mizen Café and Shop at the Mizen open daily not admitted unless they had written permission from CIL. In 1994 Mizen Tourism (a local community co-operative) Directions Photos by Michael Collins, JulesThomas, Stephen O’Sullivan, Sue Hill and Diarmaid Glynn took a lease on the path across the Bridge to open the From Cork Follow the N71 to Signal Station as a visitor experience. The Centre has then take the R592 gone from strength to strength, but a problem has been through and Goleen; then looming. Since 2005 the Bridge needed to be replaced. follow the signs for the Mizen A must-see Experience An expensive job! After fi ve years of negotiations, the Head Drive. job has started. The Commissioners of Irish Lights, Cork for Everyone! County Council and Fáilte Ireland have joined forces to From Killarney Follow the N71 to ; fund the new Bridge. It will look just like the old one. It will Come and See for yourself! take to R591 (marked ) through be constructed in concrete reinforced with stainless steel. and Goleen and follow the signs for It is guaranteed for the next 150 years. The schedule for the Mizen Head Drive completion is November 2010. Opening Daily June—August 10 am-6pm We apologise for any inconvenience. The mid March April, May, Sept, Oct 10.30am-5pm contractors are demolishing the old Bridge and Weekends November-mid March 11am-4pm constructing the new Bridge throughout this Special Prices for 2010 Mizen Head Visitor Centre year so we have some new displays and exciting Adults €4.50 Seniors and Students attractions in the visitor centre for you. €3.50 Children under 12 Open daily mid-March to October; free. Groups less 10% We hope you enjoy them. Manager: Stephen O’Sullivan November—mid March weekends. Fastnet Hall § Shipwrecks round the Mizen and Mizen Head Visitor Centre Guide § Shop @ the Mizen Gifts, books, toys, cards, souvenirs Fastnet to suit all pockets. § CIL Photographic exhibition of § 1/10 scale model of the Fastnet Rock § Mizen Café serving the best of homemade the building of the Fastnet Rock by ex lightkeeper Geoff McCarthy and master carpenter Lighthouse dishes. Delicious light lunches, snacks, scones, Dave Otway, [email protected] § Signals— International Flags and the desserts, tea and coffee. Children’s menu. § The coast of the Mizen from the Fastnet mural by § Shop @ the Mizen has a wide range of gifts, Jules Thomas. www.julesthomas.com Signals Book cards, toys, books and souvenirs. § The on fi lm (touchscreen) § The Arched Bridge The entries to § Washrooms § The Centenary of the Fastnet Lighthouse the competition for the building of the celebrations original Bridge and photographs of What can you see at the Mizen? § Displays of local interests. the opening in 1910. Mizen Hall § Rescue at sea around the Fastnet— electronic moving Entrance Hall Tide Clock. Hear the storm blowing and watch what § Water on Rock and From Sea to Sky happens every 15 minutes! –sculptures by Sheena Woods of The Ewe, § Ecology of the Tide— mural showing the sea creatures . www.theewe.com and plants at various stages of the tide § Lighthouse Keepers’ Crafts. Models of hands § Time lapse fi lm of the tide in Goleen Harbour making bread, fi shing, gardening, putting ships § Weather now and then. Take a weather reading as the in bottles, painting light keepers did and see how it is done now § Geology of the Mizen Mizen Café § A tour and the history of Goleen Parish § Photographs of the of § The progress of the Mizen project from 1992-2009 Southwest Ireland, Postcards of all the § What goes past the Mizen at sea? lighthouses in Ireland, by John Eagle, , § Architectural model of Mizen Head by Angelique Beara, www.johneaglephotography.com Power § Mizen Birds, Fauna, Flora and Ancient sites by Richard Mills. The Ship’s Bridge § Admiralty Charts of the Southwest Coast on your table. § Navigational Aids Simulator. The Simulator gives you the experience of steering a real ship. It has been developed to train seafarers in every possible Upstairs to The Keepers’ Quarters. circumstance they might fi nd themselves at sea. The screens show computer generated images (CGI) of real § The Bridge 2010 progress reports places in real time. The instruments are the helm—you in photographs and fi lm can use the wheel or levers to steer the boat; radar, which § Views of Mizen Head Signal shows you what other traffi c is in the area; the electronic Station map which shows your route and also enables you to plot § 3 steps to see the cliffs and the your journey. The weather, day/night, sea state, traffi c, waves pounding in from the Atlantic type of ship e.g. bulk oil tanker, container ship, car ferry, ocean rib, yacht or trawler, can all be changed. § The Keepers in their Kitchen and § For the fi rst time this year you are invited to have a Bedroom (Quiet! You might wake go, for a modest charge. It is fi rst come, fi rst served. him up!) The times are 3 minutes and 5 minutes. It doesn’t § The daily life of light keepers sound very long, but it is surprising how strenuous § Seabirds round our coast it is! § Scale models of Whales