Cairde

The Lighthouse opened to the public in 2016 offering guest accommodation in the original lightkeepers cottages and guided tours of the lighthouse. It was developed with the clear aim of promoting community good and providing community benefits – economically, socially, environmentally and culturally.

In an area that has been dependent on small farming and fishing, and where the population is in decline, our aim is to harness and develop tourism as a sustainable local resource based around the iconic Fanad Lighthouse site. We are committed to community and enterprise development and employment creation, and we value and promote the area’s rich linguistic heritage and culture.

The lighthouse property is in the possession of the local community by way of a long-term lease from the Commissioner of Irish Lights (CIL). We are part of The Great Lighthouses of Ireland consortium and other key stakeholders include Donegal County Council, Failte Ireland and Údarás na Gaeltachta.
The operation of Fanad Lighthouse as a community tourism project however, is led by the local community through the not for profit company Forbairt Fhánada CTR. It is the aim of the company to make best sustainable use of the lighthouse and the area’s natural resources to consolidate and grow Fanad as a viable Gaeltacht community with opportunities and a good quality of life for all. All aspects of the project are based on community good and all benefits accrued through the project are and will continue to be utilised for the betterment of our area.

The overall project experience encompasses the spectacular landscape and seascape of the Fanad Peninsula as a whole with the iconic Fanad Lighthouse as its focal point. In such a setting, we are conscious of our responsibility to promote regenerative tourism and we promote principles of sustainability and the circular economy at every level throughout the project.

In conserving and maintaining this historic lighthouse building as a productive community resource, the lighthouse infrastructure which has served the region through its initial purpose since 1817, will continue to do so through its new purpose for many years to come.

We are rooted in the Fanad Gaeltacht (Irish Speaking), an area with a rich linguistic heritage stretching back over millennia. Our workplace is bi-lingual and our staff are delighted to provide a service through Irish. Along with local language group Gaeltacht Bheo Fhánada we host a calendar of events throughout the year, preserving and valuing this important element of our areas culture and heritage.

Cairde Theach Solais Fhánada Friends of Fanad Lighthouse has been established as a platform to enable a range of interested people, at home and abroad, to actively assist the Fanad community in the development of the Fanad Lighthouse Project as a social enterprise, This support is assisting in the ongoing development and in the viable operation of the Lighthouse as a sustainable resource benefitting the Fanad and broader Donegal communities. Cairde is and will continue to be an integral component in enabling the community to achieve its vision, aims and objectives with regard to improving and sustaining the community – economically, socially, environmentally and culturally.