The Commissioners of Irish Lights today (1 July 2019) joins with other lighthouse authorities worldwide to mark the inaugural World Marine Aids to Navigation Day. The purpose of this initiative is to promote safe navigation at sea, which is the mission of Irish Lights, and to highlight the role of marine aids to navigation (AtoN) in global maritime safety to the wider public.

World Marine Aids to Navigation Day is being led by IALA (the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities), a non-profit, international technical association.

World Aids to Navigation Day falls at the beginning of Maritime Safety Week (1 – 5 July), held by the Department for Transport, United Kingdom. As a general lighthouse authority, Irish Lights, in conjunction with its counterparts in the United Kingdom, Trinity House and Northern Lighthouse Board have a shared statutory responsibility for the provision of marine aids to navigation around the coast of Britain and Ireland.  

Yvonne Shields O’Connor, Chief Executive, Irish Lights said, “I am delighted to welcome the inaugural World Marine Aids to Navigation Day, giving us a platform to raise awareness of one of the ways that we keep our seas safe. Our state-of-the-art aids to navigation and maritime services play a key role in protecting lives, property and the environment at sea. Along with Trinity House and Northern Lighthouse Board in the United Kingdom, we work together to harness knowledge, share resources and achieve economies of scale to deliver maximum efficiency in our services. This ensures delivery of a reliable, efficient and cost effective aid to navigation service for the benefit and safety of all mariners. The key theme for today, successful voyages, sustainable planet, is one that we fully support.”

Irish Lights is an active member of IALA, which comprises marine aids to navigation authorities, manufacturers, consultants, and scientific and training institutes worldwide. Its aim is to ensure members work together in a common effort to harmonise aids to navigation worldwide and to ensure that the movements of vessels are safe, expeditious and cost effective while protecting the environment.

Everyone with an appreciation of the various types of marine aids to navigation is encouraged to take to social media to share their favourite AtoNs with #WorldMarineAtoNDay and to support Maritime Safety Week with #MaritimeSafetyMatters.