War and Raid Files Collection

Date

1914/1931

Genre

letter Miscellaneous Documents

Extent

89 files

Type of resource

text

Condition note

The physical files have undergone conservation but are still fragile.

Location of original

The physical collection is stored in Irish Light's headquarters in Dun Laoghaire. Access to the original files is closed due to vulnerability of the contents.

Repository

Commissioners of Irish Lights

Repository reference

WR

Language

English

Biographical/historical information

The Commissioners of Irish Lights (CIL) is the body that serves as the General Lighthouse Authority for the island of Ireland plus its adjacent seas and islands. As the Irish Lighthouse Authority it oversees the coastal lights and navigation marks provided by the local lighthouse authorities; the county councils and port authorities. It is funded by light dues paid by ships calling at ports in the Republic of Ireland, pooled with dues raised similarly in the United Kingdom. This recognises that a large volume of shipping, typically transatlantic, relies on the lights provided by the Irish Lights. An Act of the Parliament of Ireland passed in 1786 and entitled An Act for Promoting the Trade of Dublin, by rendering its Port and Harbour more commodious (26 Geo. III, c. xix) paved the way for the establishment of CIL over 20 years later. Lighthouses were not included until the 1810 Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland when Irish Lighthouses were first placed under the control of the Corporation for Preserving and Improving the Port of Dublin. The purpose was to raise a fund and to erect, repair and maintain Lighthouses around the coast of Ireland. These Acts, as confirmed by the Irish Lights Commissioners (Adaptation) Order, 1935, remain the legislative basis for the CIL.

The files originally formed part of the Minute Papers (or Administrative files) Collection. The files relating to World War I and the Irish War of Independence and Civil War were taken out of the Minute Papers filing system at some point (probably in the 1920s-1930) and bound into 3 volumes. The files underwent conservation in 2019-2020 and were removed from the bound volumes as these were causing them to degrade. The are now stored in acid free folders and boxes. The Collection was originally stored in Irish Lights Headquarters: 6 Lower Pembroke St and later in the Baily Lighthouse Museum from 2008-2019. It is currently stored in Irish Light's headquarters in Dun Laoghaire.

Scope and content

The Collection consists of 3 boxes and 89 files relating to Irish Lights during World War I, and the Irish War of Independence and Civil War Period. The files contain reports, letters and telegrams from Lightkeepers and other Irish Lights personnel around the coast; correspondence with the government and state bodies including the British Army and Navy, members of Dail Eireann and the new Departments of the State; and instructions, memoranda and official documents issued to Irish Lights by Government Departments and State bodies. The Collection has been arranged into 2 series: War Files Series and Raid Files Series.

War Files Series (1914-1918): Series containing 2 boxes and 62 files. The files were previously bound in 2 volumes entitled 'War File No. 1' and 'War File No. 2'. The files (or Minute Papers) relating to World War I were taken out of the Irish Lights filing system at some point (probably in the 1920s) and bound into volumes. Many of the files have an original reference code which consisted of the year of creation followed by a unique number e.g. 1917/514. Due to the creation of the bound volumes the files are no longer in the order of the original filing system. A decision was made not to attempt to replicate the original order but to retain the order in which the files were bound in the volumes. The arrangement consisted of: files on general topics relating to the War; followed by files relating to specific Lighthouses arranged in a south about direction (clockwise) around the coast of Ireland beginning with Dun Laoghaire East Lighthouse and ending with the Howth Baily Lighthouse; and concluding with files relating to specific Lightships arranged in a south about direction. Topics covered in the War Files include: Extinguishing or reducing power of Lights to prevent identification by the enemy and ensure safety of local shipping; Sightings of mines, enemy submarines and suspicious vessels; Submarine Attacks; Ships torpedoed and sunk; Assistance rendered to Shipwrecked crews; Awards for reporting enemy submarines and rescues of shipwrecked crews; Compensation for providing clothing and provisions to shipwrecked crews.

Raid Files Series (1917-1931): Series containing 1 boxes and 27 files. The files were previously bound in a volume entitled 'Raid Files'. The files (or Minute Papers) relating to the Irish War of Independence and Civil War Period 1919-1923 were taken out of the Irish Lights filing system at some point (probably in the 1930s) and bound into volumes. Many of the files have an original reference code which consisted of the year of creation followed by a unique number e.g. 1921/514. Due to the creation of the bound volume the files are no longer in the order of the original filing system. A decision was made not to attempt to replicate the original order but to retain the order in which the files were bound in the volume. The arrangement consisted of files relating to specific Lighthouses arranged in a south about direction (clockwise) around the coast of Ireland beginning with Dun Laoghaire East Lighthouse and ending with the Howth Pier Lighthouse. Topics covered in the Raid Files Series include raids on Lighthouses by members of the Irish Republican Army and later Irish Republican Army (Anti-Treaty) forces to steal explosives, detonators, telescopes, telephones, oil, and provisions. Particularly serious were recurring raids on Explosive Fog Signal Stations which stored large quantities of explosives and detonators. This led to the reduction of explosives stored at Stations and in some cases, the temporary discontinuance of the Fog Signal.

Organisation/arrangement note

The files originally formed part of the Minute Papers (or Administrative files) Collection. The files relating to World War I and the Irish War of Independence and Civil War were taken out of the Minute Papers filing system at some point (probably in the 1920s-1930) and bound into 3 volumes entitled 'War File No. 1', 'War File No. 2' and 'Raid Files'. Many of the files have an original reference code which consisted of the year of creation followed by a unique number e.g. 1917/514. Due to the creation of the bound volumes the files are no longer in the order of the original filing system. A decision was made not to attempt to replicate the original order but to retain the order in which the files were bound in the volumes. The Collection has been arranged into 2 series: War Files Series and Raid Files Series. The files are arranged according to Lighthouse or Lightship in a south about direction (clockwise) around the coast of Ireland beginning and ending in Dublin Bay.

Subjects

Ireland–History–War of Independence, 1919-1921

Ireland–History–Civil War, 1922-1923

World War, 1914-1918

Ireland. Commissioners of Irish Lights

Lighthouses–Ireland–History

Lightships–Ireland–History

Lighthouse keepers–Ireland–History

Suggested credit

"War and Raid Files Collection," held by Commissioners of Irish Lights. Digital content by University College Dublin, published by UCD Library, University College Dublin <https://doi.org/10.7925/drs1.ucdlib_300000>

---

Cited/referenced by

Collins, Niamh. The History of Irish Lights. Dublin, Ireland : YouTube (2021-10-15) https://youtu.be/RsuD-K1qS8o

Cited/referenced by

Kinsella, Eoin. Safeguarding Ireland’s Coasts 1914–23 : Lighthouses, Lightships and the Commissioners of Irish Lights. Dublin, Ireland : YouTube (2021-10-15) https://youtu.be/csni3kyMvjQ

Cited/referenced by

Commissioners of Irish Lights. List of Irish Lights' Lighthouses. https://www.irishlights.ie/tourism/our-lighthouses/lighthouse-list.aspx

---

Record source

Descriptions created by staff of UCD Library, University College Dublin based on the finding aid created by Niamh Collins, The Commissioners of Irish Lights. EAD derived from MODS record.20 March 2021

Finding aid author

Collins, Niamh

WR/1. War Files Series

WR/2. Raid Files Series

WR/1.   War Files Series

WR/2.   Raid Files Series