Mizen Head Signal Station & Visitor Centre

About the museum

Mizen Head, at the far south-western tip of Ireland on the Wild Atlantic Way, was an important site for transatlantic shipping and communication, and for many emigrants it was the last sight of Ireland as they left for a new life. A reinforced concrete bridge was built in 1907 to link Cloghane Island to the mainland, and a fog signal station with keepers’ dwellings was established there in 1909. In 1931 the first radio beacon on the Irish coast was installed at Mizen Head.

The signal station was automated and de-manned on 1 April 1993. A community group, Mizen Tourism Co-operative Society, leased the path over the bridge and the signal station from the Commissioners of Irish Lights and opened the exhibition Mizen Vision in June 1994. A new visitor centre with a display building opened in 2001.

Today the co-operative runs the visitor centre, café, shop and the signal station. Visitors cross the footbridge to the old signal station and see exhibits and displays about the history of the headland and the human story of the place. The co-operative also runs an information and enterprise centre in nearby Goleen.

Highlights

• Footbridge across to the former signal station on the island
• Exhibits and displays on the signal station, shipping and emigration
• Visitor centre with café and shop
• Ireland’s most south-westerly point on the Wild Atlantic Way
• Online Mizen guide with archives

Permanent exhibition

• Mizen Head Signal Station and Visitor Centre exhibits – Exhibits and displays on the history of Mizen Head as a signal station, its role in shipping and communication, and the human story of the place.

Operated by

Mizen Tourism Co-operative Society Ltd

Admission & discounts

Tickets are bought at the ticket desk on arrival; there are no online tickets.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

Child tickets and a family ticket are available, and children under 5 enter free.

Getting there & parking

Use the Eircode P81 NY52 or the coordinates 51.4516, -9.8111 for navigation. From Skibbereen follow the R592 through Schull and Goleen to the Mizen Head Drive signs; from Bantry take the R591 towards Crookhaven.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

The Mizen Café in the main visitor centre serves homemade snacks, drinks and more substantial food, and the Mizen Shop sells gifts and souvenirs. Free Wi-Fi, coffee, hot desks and public toilets are offered at the Mizen Information and e-Centre in Goleen village, not at the headland.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit