22Lavelle, Des. Skellig: Island Outpost of Europe. Montreal: McGill-Queen's UP, 1976. 61.
The lighthouse, in 1914, began using explosive fog signals. In 1936 a gigantic explosion resulted when some 300 of these charges went off simultaneously. "'It nearly lifted the island out of the sea, but no harm ensued and this type of signal remained in use until 1953."
According to Crofton Croker (via his boatman) "when the light houses were being constructed that on moving up powder to be stored in the chapels one of the crosses was broken, in consequence of which no Protestant would be allowed to work there afterwards..." (Harbison, Peter. "John Windele's Visit to Skellig Michael in 1851." Journal of the Kerry Archaeological and Historical Society 9 (1976): 146.)