placenamesHowth
Binn Éadair
A collector’s work gave a former defensive tower above the harbour a new life interpreting communications.
The name
These Irish name elements are associated with this record in the Logainm glossary.
An element’s translation is a clue, rather than a complete explanation of the name. Its form and meaning depend on local history and the full Irish name.
Recorded forms
- Binn Éadair · Irish · main form · validated name
- Howth · English · main form
Place & story
From coastal defence to radio experiments
The Martello tower above Abbey Street dates to 1805. The Hurdy Gurdy Museum’s own history records later communications experiments there: Lee de Forest operated a station in 1903, followed by the Marconi Company in 1905. These uses connect the defensive structure with a different chapter in Howth’s maritime history. [2]
Pat Herbert’s collection
Pat Herbert began collecting radios and communications equipment while working in London’s construction industry in the 1950s. His collection found a public home when Fingal County Council offered the refurbished tower for a museum, which opened in 2003. Herbert worked with volunteers to introduce visitors to the exhibits. [3] [4]
Preserving a collection after its founder
Herbert died on 18 June 2020. The museum’s later account records his family’s support for its continuation. It also distinguishes the collection retained in the Howth tower from his separate private collection, which was sold at auction in early 2022. [3] [4]
Geographic information
Sources & further reading
- Logainm.ie — Howth. Place names and geographic record, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- Hurdy Gurdy Museum: tower and communications history · Ye Olde Hurdy Gurdy Museum of Vintage Radio
- Hurdy Gurdy Museum: founder’s memorial and museum history · Ye Olde Hurdy Gurdy Museum of Vintage Radio
- How the museum came about · Ye Olde Hurdy Gurdy Museum of Vintage Radio
Name record retrieved 2026-10-25 · Source record modified 2024-06-28. How this page was prepared.