The first light on the Copeland Islands was established in the early eighteenth century the island group consists of three islands Copeland, Mew and Lighthouse it was on the latter that the first light was built, it was probably a cottage type coal burning station. In 1810 a new 52ft tower was built along side the original it was lit with 27 Argand lamps and reflectors this light began operating on the 24th January 1815. In 1851 a fog bell was added to the tower of the old light, this was powered by a wind up mechanism similar to that of a grandfather clock.

With the increase of maritime traffic a new light was required, it was decided this be built on Mew Island. Work commended in 1882 and the station came into operation on 1st November 1884. The light had a burner system which allowed the amount of light emitted to be controlled to suit the weather, when it was clear only some of the burners were lit while in foggy weather all were lit, if the latter were the case and all 324 jets were light the light had a total output of 189,500 candle power.

The gasworks fueling the light and the fog horn system was manufactured by Edmundson & Co of Dublin who supplied the optics for the light which were manufactured by Barbier and Fenestre of Paris France. The main contractor for the work on the island was Dixon & Co of Belfast, at the same time five cottages were built at Donaghdee to accommodate the keepers.

The amount of work required to set up a lighthouse in those days was phenomenal, especially when you consider that all the materials save for some of the building stone which was quarried on site had to be brought to the island by boat. The original gasworks on the site had two gasometers 25ft in diameter each holding 46,000 cubic ft of gas later another was added, the light consumed about 525,000 cubic feet of gas a year.

The coal gas plant continued in operation until 1928 it was the last coal gas plant in use in Ireland, paraffin vapour burners replaced the old, it was at this time that the old burner from Tory Island was installed in the tower, replacing the old which was giving trouble. It was not until 15th July 1969 that electric powered the lamp on Mew Island, light was converted to automatic operation and the last keeper left the island on 29th March 1996

Prior to Copeland there had been a light at Island Magee near Carrickfergus, probably another cottage type light. It lasted only three or four years in the 1660s.

The Copeland Islands are an internationally important as a breeding site for sea birds, the islands have the largest population of Arctic terns in Ireland. Other important species are Manx Shearwater, Mediterranean Gull, and Common Gull's

Read about the Copeland Islands from Lewis' Topographical Survey of Ireland 1837.

It was a few miles east of Mew Island that the passanger and car ferry Princess Victoria sank on 31st January 1953 with the loss of 132 lives.