Fastnet Lighthouse

Fastnet Rock sits off County Cork near the southwest edge of Ireland, so ships crossing the Atlantic often saw it near the end of an eastbound voyage. The rock became known as Ireland's "Teardrop" because it was one of the last Irish sights for many emigrants leaving by sea.

No. The 1904 granite lighthouse replaced an earlier cast-iron lighthouse that had been completed in the 1850s and proved vulnerable in heavy Atlantic weather.

Fastnet Lighthouse is not a normal walk-in visitor attraction because it stands on an isolated offshore rock. Most people see it from boat trips from places such as Baltimore or Schull, with landings dependent on weather and sea conditions.

Fastnet Rock is the turning point of the famous Fastnet Race, which is run by the Royal Ocean Racing Club. The race has long been one of offshore sailing's best-known challenges because the route reaches into exposed Atlantic waters.