Light Hearted 234 Sally Montgomery and Northern Irelands Great Light; special lighthouse month at a York, Maine, gallery

Published: July 16, 2023, 4:17 a.m.

b'The waterfront of Belfast, Northern Ireland, is home to one of the world\\u2019s biggest tourist attractions: Titanic Belfast, also known as the Titanic Museum. The museum opened in 2012 and attracted more than six million people in its first seven years of operation. In 2018, two important new attractions \\u2013 the Great Light and Titanic Walkway \\u2013 officially opened to the public near the museum. The so-called Great Light is the world\\u2019s first and largest hyper-radial Fresnel lens -- the largest and most powerful lighthouse lenses ever made. It was originally installed in Tory Island Lighthouse in 1887, and it went through some unusual changes over the years. \\n\\n\\n\\nThe Great Light, photo by Albert Bridge. Titanic Quarter, Belfast \\xa0CC BY-SA 2.0\\n\\n\\n\\nSally Montgomery\\n\\n\\n\\nDr. Sally Montgomery has been a science educator for more than 40 years. She is currently a board member of the Commissioners of Irish Lights, a board member of the Titanic Foundation, and a former trustee of the Maritime Belfast Trust. Sally has done much in-depth research on the history of the Great Light.\\n\\n\\n\\nFocus 244 Gallery, York, Maine\\n\\n\\n\\nFocus 244 is a new photography gallery in York, Maine. This month the gallery is hosting a lighthouse festival, featuring an artists\\u2019 reception on July 22, kids\\u2019 activities on July 23, and also an evening presentation by "Light Hearted" host Jeremy D\'Entremont on July 23. Shannon Culpepper is the curator of the Focus 244 gallery.'