Loop Head (Irish: Ceann Léime, meaning 'leap head'),[3][4][5] is a headland on the north side of the mouth of the River Shannon, in County Clare in the west of Ireland.
 Loop Head Lighthouse operated by the Commissioners of Irish Lights | |
 | |
| Location | Loop Head |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 52°33′39.5″N 9°55′54.3″W / 52.560972°N 9.931750°W |
| Tower | |
| Constructed | 1854 |
| Construction | Masonry tower |
| Automated | 1991 |
| Height | 23 metres (75 ft) |
| Shape | Cylindrical tower with balcony and lantern |
| Markings | White tower, red balcony rail |
| Light | |
| Focal height | 84 metres (276 ft) |
| Lens | 1st order Fresnel lens |
| Range | 23 nautical miles (43 km; 26 mi) |
| Characteristic | Fl (4) W 20s |
| Ireland no. | CIL-2130[1][2] |
Loop Head is marked by a prominent lighthouse. The opposite headland on the south side of the Shannon is Kerry Head. The Shannon Foynes Port Company controls navigation in the Shannon estuary and river.[6]
Loop Head peninsula, has the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Shannon Estuary on the other, with barely a mile of land saving it from island status.
In 2010, the Loop Head peninsula was awarded a European Destinations of Excellence Award, which is an EU accolade for emerging tourism destinations which are developing in a responsible and sustainable manner.[7] In 2013, Loop Head was named the "Best Place to Holiday in Ireland" by The Irish Times,[8] and was shortlisted in the Best Destination category at the World Responsible Tourism awards. The Loop Head Peninsula is the only Irish destination listed in the 2014 Global Sustainable Top 100 Destinations and in 2015 took the gold medal at the Irish Responsible Tourism Awards.[citation needed]
Part of the film Star Wars: The Last Jedi was filmed at Loop Head.[9]
The head has a giant "Eire" sign left over from World War II during The Emergency in Ireland.[10]
Gallery
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Diarmuid and Gráinne's Rock or Lover's Leap -
Lighthouse -
Aillnagreagh -
Kilkee Cliffs
See also
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References
edit- ^ Loop Head Lighthouse Commissioners of Irish Lighthouses
- ^ Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Southwestern Ireland (Munster)". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
- ^ Ceann Léime, Irish Placenames Database. Retrieved: 2010-08-13.
- ^ Parish of Kilballyowen (b), Ordnance Survey Letters by John O'Donovan and Eugene Curry, 1839. Clare County Library. Retrieved: 2010-08-13
- ^ Clare Topography, A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland by Samuel Lewis, 1837. LibraryIreland.com. Retrieved: 2010-08-13
- ^ "Shannon Foynes Port Company - Deepwater multimodal port - serving Ireland's west, south and midlands". Shannon Foynes Port Company. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
- ^ Deegan, Gordon. "Proposed suspension bridge would link Bishop's Island with Clare coast". The Irish Times. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
- ^ "Loop Head takes the holiday crown in 'Irish Times' competition: Co Clare area won an Eden award, which recognises sustainable tourism, in 2010". The Irish Times. 27 May 2013. Retrieved 27 May 2013.
- ^ "New trailer for Star Wars movie featuring Loop Head". Clareecho.ie. 30 July 2020.
- ^ Falvey, Deirdre. "The second World War 'Éire' sign rescued from a Dublin cliffside". The Irish Times. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
External links
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- Awarded "EDEN - European Destinations of Excellence" non traditional tourist destination 2010
- Commissioners of Irish Lights
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