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One of the oldest surviving hyper-radial lenses, previously installed in the Mew Island Lighthouse, will now be displayed at the Titanic Walkway in Belfast, Northern Island.
The 10-ton, 23-foot tall optic, which dates back to 1887, was in use at the 123-foot tall Mew Island Lighthouse at the outermost of the Copeland Islands in Northern Island until it was replaced with a modern LED light. It is possibly the largest apparatus of its type ever constructed, and is one of 29 of the largest optics ever made with only 18 still in existence. It is one of three similar optics in Ireland, none of which are now operational.
The optic will be installed inside a gigantic enclosure that will resemble a lantern and will revolve as it did in the lighthouse. The Titanic Foundation hopes that it will soon become a popular tourist attraction. The lens first had to be restored before its final installation, which will happen this summer.
This story appeared in the
Mar/Apr 2017 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. The print edition contains more stories than our internet edition, and each story generally contains more photographs - often many more - in the print edition. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.
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