Hook Lighthouse

Hook Lighthouse FREE CELTIC IMBOLC FESTIVAL ON OFFER AT

Hook Lighthouse in Co Wexford – the oldest working lighthouse in the world – is set to mark the beginning of Spring with a traditional Imbolc festival on February 1 - 2.

Celebrated annually by the ancient Celts, Imbolc was one of several important festivals in the Celtic calendar. February 1, meanwhile, is also the feast of Saint Brigid. The Christian saint shares her name and many attributes with a fi gure in ancient Irish mythology. The latter was believed to be a fi re goddess, as well as the patron saint of boatmen, mariners and sailors.

Opening the festival weekend on the morning of Saturday, February 1 is a sunrise tour of the ancient lighthouse at 7am. Guests will be treated to dawn breaking over the spectacular South-East coast of the Hook Peninsula. This is all the while savouring bucks fi zz, prosecco, tea and coffee along with a selection of breakfast canapés made from the fi nest local produce. The latter includes Ballyhack Smokehouse smoked salmon served on homemade brown bread.

During the weekend visitors to the lighthouse can also enjoy a tasting table fi lled with local foods and hosted by an award-winning in-house kitchen team. Along with this there will be art workshops - including a St Brigid Cross making tutorial with Hook Lighthouse’s resident artist - and a talk on the meaning of Imbolc with storyteller Baya SalmonHawk followed by a visualization.

The Hook Lighthouse Eco Sheriff, meanwhile, will host a talk on sustainability and recycling at the landmark’s newly established Eco-Education Station. Founded in August 2019, the exhibition was set up to promote critical action around climate change,

educating visitors about the water cycle, along with the wider aspects of pollution, human interaction and individual responsibility.

Hook Lighthouse has had an environmental strategy in place since 2012. This strategy focuses on waste and energy reduction. The lighthouse recycles all paper, cardboard, tin cans, aluminium cans, plastic, glass, electrical waste and clothes. Where possible only local suppliers are used at the on-site cafe and the site also has a zero-plastic policy in place.

On Saturday and Sunday afternoon from 12 to 4 pm, fun and games for children will be on offer with Pirate Pat. Cafe specials during this time will include tasty treats like pancakes fi lled with seasonal berries and sweet sharing plates. On top of this, during the festival weekend visitors can also place wishes on an Imbolc wishing tree.

All Imbolc Festival events at Hook Lighthouse are available to enjoy free of charge apart from the sunrise tour and art workshops. The sunrise tour is adults only and tickets are €45 per person. Meanwhile, to take part in the art workshops costs €5.

The existing Hook Lighthouse dates back as far as the 12th century, though tradition states that Dubhán, a missionary to the Wexford area, established a form of beacon as early as the 5th century. The headland is known in Irish as Rinn Dubháin, St. Dubhán’s Head. However, the similar-sounding Irish word ‘duán’ means a fi shhook, thus leading to the English name ‘Hook Lighthouse’.

For further details on the Imbolc festival, as well as ticket booking, visit Hook Lighthouse’s website at www. hookheritage.ie or call via 051 397 055.