The Bull Rock lighthouse is situated near Galley Head to the west of the Old head of Kinsale, the first lighthouse in the area was actually on Calf Rock. In 1861 a contract was awarded to Henry Grissell of Regent’s Canal Iron Works, London, for the building of a cast iron tower similar to the one built four years earlier on the Fastnet Rock

Before building could commence the owner of the island had to be found, this resulted in a Sheriff's enquiry which concluded that it belonged to Queen Victoria, the Corporation subsequently bought the island for £26.5s.0d. The light which stood 136 ft above high water was first lit on 30th June 1866.

In 1869 a severe storm washed away a store hut and carried away a portion of the light balcony, an off duty keeper ashore at accommodation built at the south end of Dursey Sound, thought he saw distress flags flying on the light. He together with six boatmen bravely set out for the rock, arriving at the rock they discovered the keepers were fine, while maneuvering their boat to return ashore it was capsized with the loss of all hands.

During the mid 1800's cast iron was very much the in building material it was put to use in many structures some of which survive to this day. So understandably it was put to use building lighthouses, no serious seem to have occurred although there must have been some misgivings because the tower was strengthened in 1870 by placing another cast iron tube around the original to the level of the the second floor, increasing the diameter from 20 to 31 ft and in filling the space with rubble. Despite this on 27th November 1881 during a violent storm the top of the tower complete with lantern was broken off above the strengthening. There were five persons in the tower at the time, it seems little short of miraculous that all survived, they were rescued two weeks later by H M S Seahorse.

With the Calf Rock light destroyed a temporary light was established at the west end of Dursey Island, this consisted of a lantern set atop a a fifteen inch wooden mast which in turn was set in a three room wooden building, the lantern was then stayed with chains, this began operations on 2nd February 1882.

Shortly after the commissioning of the temporary light it was decided to build a new light this time on Bull Island, which was purchased from the crown this time the cost was £21. Work commenced almost immediately and the tower complete with accommodation for the keepers, an oil and gas plant to supply gas to light the optic and power the explosive fog signal. The 1st January 1889 saw the new light operational and the temporary one discontinued.

Bull Rock continued in use until 1902 when the explosive fog signal was replaced with trumpets operated by compressed air. Later in that year vaporized paraffin replaced oil-gas to light the lantern, resulting in increased output from the same optic. Seventy-two years passed with the paraffin burners warning mariners off the rocky shore, in August 1974 the light was electrified giving it an output of 4,500,000 candle-power.

The 31st March 1991 saw the light automated and the keepers withdrawn, Bull Rock became green in October 2000 when thirty two 50 Watt solar panels were installed together with a bank of 24 volt 5,500 amp-hour batteries to power the lantern.