From the creator of Derry Girls, Lisa McGee’s latest series How to Get to Heaven from Belfast has everybody talking, and wondering about the stunning locations featured from Belfast to Donegal. If you’ve been watching, you’ll have spotted the striking lighthouse that forms a central location for the madcap mystery the women find themselves entangled in. We at Irish Landmark Trust have a particular interest in that one, so here’s everything you need to know.
Where is the lighthouse featured in How to Get to Heaven from Belfast?
Although much of the action takes place in Donegal, the lighthouse depicted in the show is actually St John’s Point Lighthouse in Killough, County Down. Designed by George Halpin Senior, one of the most famous civil engineers of the time, the light was first exhibited in 1844. The original lighthouse was painted white; in 1902 three black bands were added, and its current markings of black with two yellow bands have been in place since 1954. The tower was originally only 14m tall – it was extended to its current dizzying height of 40m in the 1880s and is now the tallest onshore lighthouse on the Irish coast. (Fastnet is the tallest offshore lighthouse.)
The lighthouse was automated in 1981.
Fun fact: it is one of the places mentioned in Van Morrison’s song ‘Coney Island’.
St John’s Point also has a curious connection to Irish playwright Brendan Behan. Behan’s father was contracted to paint a number of lighthouses across Ireland and enlisted Brendan to help at St John’s Point in 1950. His efforts were reported to be less than impressive – a letter written from the station by the Principal Keeper to Irish Lights tells the full story. Behan was reported absent all day, returning to the station at 1.25am, showing “careless indifference.” Paint tins were opened by hammer blows, brushes left dirty around the station, and the spare house for the painters had been turned into “a filthy shambles inside a week.” The keeper concluded that Behan was “the worst specimen I have met in 30 years service” and urged his immediate dismissal.
Can you stay inside the tower at St John’s Point Lighthouse, County Down?
Although How to Get to Heaven from Belfast depicts characters inside the tower as though someone is living there, the answer is no – what we saw was clever set design, staging and cinematography. The interior shown on screen is a built set. In reality, the lighthouse is still operational and fully automated, so there is no place to sleep within the tower itself.
Can you stay overnight at the lighthouse?
Yes – guests can stay overnight at the lighthouse site in one of two comfortable Lightkeepers’ Houses, living life the way the original keepers would have. They offer a unique holiday, with all of the spectacular appeal of the rugged coastline. Each cottage oozes character and guests can enjoy exploring all of the nooks and crannies or getting back to basics with board games, card games or a good book in a wonderful cosy retreat.
These houses are conserved by Irish Landmark Trust. We are a conservation charity working with partners such as the Great Lighthouses of Ireland to keep some of Ireland’s iconic heritage properties open – giving them a sustainable new life as self-catering accommodation.
Are there any lighthouses in Ireland where you can stay in the actual tower?
Yes – there is one lighthouse on the island that is no longer used for its original function and has been transformed into self-catering accommodation: Wicklow Head Lighthouse. It is one of Irish Landmark’s most sought-after properties and fully booked for 2026. The 2027 calendar is open and availability is going fast, so if you want to secure a stay, don’t delay.
Wicklow Head Lighthouse was the first project undertaken by Irish Landmark Trust in the early 1990s, designed by architect Maura Shaffrey. The spiral staircase and deep-set windows of the interior are brilliantly echoed in the lighthouse on How To Get to Heaven from Belfast, but are likely more comfortable than those characters’ fictional hideout!
Is there another St John’s Point Lighthouse in Ireland?
Yes – not to be confused with St John’s Point in County Down as featured in the show, there is also a St John’s Point in County Donegal. This site also has two comfortable Lightkeepers’ Cottages with stunning views of the lighthouse and proximity to fantastic beaches for walking, swimming or diving.
Why not follow in the footsteps of the characters and head on a road trip exploring the Causeway Coast and Wild Atlantic Way, where two of the most iconic driving routes on our shared island connect?
What lighthouses can I visit and stay at in Ireland?
The Great Lighthouses of Ireland network – which celebrated 10 years in 2025 – was developed by the Commissioners of Irish Lights and comprises 15 lighthouses and three lighthouse-related experiences in breathtaking coastal locations.
Irish Landmark Trust operates self-catering accommodation at six of them:
St John’s Point, Co. Down – John’s Point Ketch and John’s Point Sloop (sleeps 4 each, 8 combined)
St John’s Point, Co. Donegal – John’s Point Clipper and St. John’s Point Schooner (sleeps 4 each, 8 combined)
Wicklow Head Lighthouse, Co. Wicklow (sleeps 4)
Loop Head Lightkeeper’s House, Co. Clare (sleeps 6)
Galley Head Lightkeepers House 1 and House 2, Co. Cork (sleeps 4 each, 8 combined)
Blackhead Lightkeepers’ Houses, Co. Antrim – House 1, House 2 and Cutter (sleeps 5, 7 and 4 respectively, 16 combined)
The wider GLI network includes lighthouses available to visit on land tours or by boat – among them Hook Head, Valentia Island, Ballycotton, Rathlin West Light, and the Fastnet. You can also stay at Clare Island Lighthouse, and Fanad Lighthouse.
To learn more about the Great Lighthouses of Ireland, click here.
To book your stay at an Irish Landmark Trust lighthouse, click here.