You’ve probably seen it from afar.

But with the summer months upon us, now you can check out the historic Ballycotton Lighthouse for yourself.

Ballycotton Sea Adventures just announced its summer schedule for 2025, offering visitors a chance to experience panoramic views of Cork from the island, as well as enjoying a tour of the lighthouse; learning about its fascinating history with expert guides.

The crossing is approximately 15 minutes each way in duration and is suitable for families with kids aged over three-years-old.

“It’s an absolute privilege to be able to bring people over by boat to visit one of Ireland’s most famous lighthouses, and enjoy all that the island has to offer.” says operator of Ballycotton Sea Adventures, Martin Volrab.

“The tour guides are brilliant and really bring the history of the place to life. In our seven years in existence, we’ve had thousands of visitors from all over the world, and of all ages, who come to soak up the legacy and heritage of Ballycotton Lighthouse. There’s already a huge level of interest as the new season starts.”

A piece of local history 

Ballycotton Lighthouse has been operating since 1851 and the last lighthouse keeper left the island in the early 1990s. It’s now automated and still serves an important purpose in terms of warning of danger at sea.

Designed by prominent engineer and lighthouse builder George Halpin, It was built following decades of campaigning from the mid-1820s to construct a lighthouse that would help keep ships safe as they travelled between Cork and Youghal.

Lighthouse keepers and their families lived on the island for almost 50 years, and their children were rowed across to the mainland for school. From 1899 onwards the families left the island to live in Ballycotton where they became central to life in the village.

FYI: Boat crossings are weather dependent and children must be accompanied by an adult. Tour tickets start at €30 here.