Loop Head

Loop Head (Irish: Ceann Léime, meaning 'leap head'),^[3][4][5] is a headland on the north side of the mouth of the River Shannon, in County Clare in the west of Ireland.

Loop Head Lighthouse

Loop Head Lighthouse operated by the Commissioners of Irish Lights
Location	Loop Head
Coordinates	52°33′39.5″N 9°55′54.3″W
Tower
Constructed	1854
Construction	Masonry tower
Automated	1991
Height	23 metres (75 ft)
Shape	Cylindrical tower with balcony and lantern
Markings	White tower, red balcony rail
Light
Focal height	84 metres (276 ft)
Lens	1st order Fresnel lens
Range	23 nautical miles (43 km; 26 mi)
Characteristic	Fl (4) W 20s
Ireland no.	CIL-2130[1][2]

Loop Head is marked by a prominent lighthouse. The opposite headland on the south side of the Shannon is Kerry Head. The Shannon Foynes Port Company controls navigation in the Shannon estuary and river.^[6]

Loop Head peninsula, has the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Shannon Estuary on the other, with barely a mile of land saving it from island status.

In 2010, the Loop Head peninsula was awarded a European Destinations of Excellence Award, which is an EU accolade for emerging tourism destinations which are developing in a responsible and sustainable manner.^[7] In 2013, Loop Head was named the "Best Place to Holiday in Ireland" by The Irish Times,^[8] and was shortlisted in the Best Destination category at the World Responsible Tourism awards. The Loop Head Peninsula is the only Irish destination listed in the 2014 Global Sustainable Top 100 Destinations and in 2015 took the gold medal at the Irish Responsible Tourism Awards.^{[citation needed]}

Part of the film Star Wars: The Last Jedi was filmed at Loop Head.^[9]

The head has a giant "Eire" sign left over from World War II during The Emergency in Ireland.^[10]

Gallery

• 
  Diarmuid and Gráinne's Rock or Lover's Leap
• 
  Lighthouse
• 
  Aillnagreagh
• 
  Kilkee Cliffs

See also

• Ireland portal
• Engineering portal

• List of lighthouses in Ireland