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In addition to being attendant lighthouse keepers, the
Sweeney family were also local postmasters. During the late 1960s, the old cottage where the post office was located was pulled down and a new bungalow, with a post office attached, was planned. While this was being built, between 1969 and 1972,
385:
The lighthouse at
Blacksod Point was completed in 1864; the work had been funded by Bryan Carey, one of the leading merchants in Belmullet at that time. The light was first illuminated on 30 June 1866, and showed a fixed light with a red sensor over Ardelly Point. At first, the relief keeper ashore
427:
The house at
Blacksod was badly damaged in 1989 by a rogue wave. It was repaired and used by the Commissioners of Irish Lights and the Irish Coast Guard as a refuelling station for helicopters. The lighthouse, which used to be a family home, was later opened as a visitor centre, and offers some
417:
with the permission of both Irish Lights and the
Department of Posts and Telegraphs, the Blacksod Post Office was accommodated in one of the rooms under the lighthouse tower, marking the first and only time a post office formed part of a working lighthouse.
1550:
610:
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and
Blackrock Island lighthouses. As of 1993, the helipad was in use as the base for the monthly visits of the attendant keepers to the automated lights on the two islands.
338:. Blacksod is of unusual design for a lighthouse, being an unpainted square block of a building with only a small conical lantern section on top, which is painted white.
979:
1545:
717:"How Blacksod lighthouse changed the course of the Second World War A weather forecast from a station in Co Mayo saved the D-Day invasion from potential disaster"
409:
had been scheduled to commence on 5 June 1944, but a report from
Maureen and Ted Sweeney (Blacksod's lighthousekeepers) of approaching bad weather fronts caused
892:
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347:
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78:
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450:. Located 12 miles west of Blacksod Bay, the lighthouse on Blackrock is automated and accessible only by helicopter. On 14 March 2017, four
394:
346:
The need for a lighthouse at the southern extremity of the Mullet peninsula was first mentioned in 1841 when all
Ireland was part of the
839:
816:
374:) that a sea light should not be built on Blackrock Island but instead be sited on Blacksod Point – the southernmost point of the
533:
885:
334:
The keeper's house is a two-storey square building. It is occupied by a resident lighthouse keeper who is also responsible for
908:
Lighthouses are shown in anti-clockwise sequence beginning from the north and proceeding west, south, east, and back to north.
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from
Blackrock looked after the light, but on 1 November 1933, Edward (Ted) Sweeney was appointed as attendant.
1361:
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blocks, which are believed to have come from Termon Hill, a nearby isolated outcrop of high-quality granite.
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off
Blackrock Lighthouse when it was understood they were seeking to refuel at Blacksod lighthouse.
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12 nmi (22 km; 14 mi) (white), 9 nmi (17 km; 10 mi) (red)
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366:, a senior civil engineer responsible for building Irish lighthouses, recommended to the
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to delay the invasion until 6 June 1944, when conditions were more favourable.
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Weather observations in June 1944 by the
Blacksod lighthousekeepers caused the
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80:
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Bright Light, White Water. The Story of Irish Lighthouses and their People
771:
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328:
664:"Maureen Flavin Sweeney Dies at 100; Her Weather Report Delayed D-Day"
937:
367:
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316:
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Towards the end of 1969, Blacksod became the helicopter base for
638:"How weather forecast from Mayo lighthouse saved D-Day invasion"
1551:
Lighthouses on the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
874:
855:
442:
The keeper for Blacksod Lighthouse is also responsible for
358:, requested in a letter that a lighthouse be placed on
861:
Blacksod Lighthouse and Eagle Island lighthouse photos
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571:
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505:"Lighthouses of Western Ireland (Ulster and Connacht)"
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Blackrock Island (Mayo) § Blackrock Lighthouse
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866:Blacksod, Blackrock and other lighthouse pictures
828:The Lighthouses of Ireland. A Personal History
591:. Commissioners of Irish Lights. 26 April 2010
886:
401:to Britain under an agreement in place since
8:
21:
513:University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
893:
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690:"The Irishman who gave the D-Day go-ahead"
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178:tower rising from a 2-story keeper's house
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62:
35:
20:
536:. Iol.ie. 18 October 1990. Archived from
350:. A Lieutenant Nugent, an officer in the
186:unpainted (house), white (lantern)
495:
1546:Lighthouses in the Republic of Ireland
758:
575:
558:
370:Ballast Board (the predecessor to the
613:. Lighthousedepot.com. Archived from
395:remaining neutral during World War II
7:
746:
14:
1513:
1501:
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468:
25:
1495:List of lighthouses in Ireland
484:List of lighthouses in Ireland
397:, Ireland continued to supply
1:
1541:Lighthouses completed in 1864
1480:Commissioners of Irish Lights
856:Commissioners of Irish Lights
688:McCarthy, Dan (6 June 2014).
372:Commissioners of Irish Lights
202:Commissioners of Irish Lights
1475:Coastal landforms of Ireland
1179:Castletown Directional Light
243:13 m (43 ft)
163:12 m (39 ft)
1520:Northern Ireland portal
826:Taylor, Richard M. (2004).
772:"Visit Blacksod Lighthouse"
715:McCabe, Joe (1 June 2014).
636:Walsh, Jane (2 June 2014).
311:at the southern end of the
1567:
1490:List of islands of Ireland
975:
776:visitblacksodlighthouse.ie
435:
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906:
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215:
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509:The Lighthouse Directory
393:to be postponed. While
378:– to guide vessels into
1485:Lightvessels in Ireland
1134:Little Samphire Island
901:Lighthouses in Ireland
611:"Blacksod Point Light"
432:Associated lighthouses
327:. It is made of local
834:: The Collins Press.
534:"Blacksod Lighthouse"
436:Further information:
323:, at the entrance to
133:granite (tower)
696:. Irish Examiner Ltd
644:. Irish Centralm LLC
444:Blackrock Lighthouse
336:Blackrock Lighthouse
1264:Ballinacourty Point
1219:Old Head of Kinsale
723:. Irish Independent
301:Blacksod Lighthouse
275:Fl(2) WR 7.5s
94:54.0985°N 10.0604°W
90: /
31:
22:Blacksod Lighthouse
1508:Ireland portal
1110:Corlis Point Front
411:General Eisenhower
352:British Coastguard
57:, Blacksod Point,
1528:
1527:
1113:Corlis Point Rear
721:Irish Independent
540:on 8 January 2009
456:killed in a crash
452:Irish Coast Guard
391:Normandy landings
298:
297:
99:54.0985; -10.0604
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1413:St. John's Point
1252:County Waterford
1209:Baltimore Beacon
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809:New Island Books
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448:Blackrock Island
376:Mullet Peninsula
362:. But Inspector
360:Blackrock Island
313:Mullet Peninsula
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55:Mullet Peninsula
41:Blacksod in 2015
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617:on 14 June 2011
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503:Rowlett, Russ.
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454:personnel were
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915:County Donegal
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850:External links
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749:, p. 157.
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668:New York Times
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476:Ireland portal
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428:guided tours.
348:United Kingdom
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271:Characteristic
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1435:County Antrim
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1362:Howth Harbour
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1324:County Dublin
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1056:County Galway
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1009:Oyster Island
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966:Rotten Island
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957:Ballagh Rocks
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841:1-903464-59-5
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818:1-874597-40-5
814:
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764:
761:, p. 91.
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695:
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642:Irish Central
639:
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584:
581:
578:, p. 89.
577:
572:
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561:, p. 88.
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364:George Halpin
361:
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354:stationed at
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1463:Rathlin West
1457:Rathlin East
1402:Green Island
1377:County Louth
1314:Wicklow Head
1268:Dunmore East
1204:Fastnet Rock
1200:Copper Point
1186:Sheep's Head
1127:County Kerry
1092:County Clare
1077:Straw Island
1038:Blacksod Bay
1031:Eagle Island
999:Lower Rosses
988:County Sligo
928:Inishtrahull
832:Wilton, Cork
827:
804:
779:. Retrieved
775:
766:
754:
725:. Retrieved
720:
710:
698:. Retrieved
693:
683:
671:. Retrieved
667:
658:
646:. Retrieved
641:
631:
619:. Retrieved
615:the original
605:
593:. Retrieved
583:
554:
542:. Retrieved
538:the original
528:
516:. Retrieved
508:
498:
441:
426:
422:Eagle Island
419:
415:
403:independence
388:
384:
380:Blacksod Bay
345:
333:
325:Blacksod Bay
304:
300:
299:
240:Focal height
130:Construction
15:
1453:The Maidens
1409:Haulbowline
1395:County Down
1296:Tuskar Rock
1237:Ballycotton
1223:Charlesfort
1214:Galley Head
1166:County Cork
1027:Broad Haven
1019:County Mayo
948:Tory Island
759:Taylor 2004
576:Taylor 2004
559:Taylor 2004
518:10 February
321:County Mayo
287:Ireland no.
115:Constructed
97: /
72:Coordinates
61:, Ireland
59:County Mayo
1535:Categories
1425:Mew Island
1420:Donaghadee
1416:Angus Rock
1405:Vidal Bank
1347:North Bank
1342:North Bull
1196:Crookhaven
1191:Mizen Head
1182:Roancarrig
1176:Ardnakinna
1068:Cashla Bay
1064:Slyne Head
970:St. John's
807:. Dublin:
801:Long, Bill
781:4 November
589:"Blacksod"
309:lighthouse
228:1864
148:1999
118:1864
85:10°03′37″W
82:54°05′55″N
18:Lighthouse
1460:Rue Point
1443:Blackhead
1367:Rockabill
1352:Kish Bank
1291:Hook Head
1286:Duncannon
1260:Mine Head
1227:Spit Bank
1173:Bull Rock
1103:Loop Head
1099:Blackhead
1047:Inishgort
1043:Achillbeg
1034:Blackrock
1004:Metal Man
995:Blackrock
953:Arranmore
923:Inishowen
747:Long 1993
673:6 January
356:Belmullet
303:(Gaelic:
225:First lit
145:Automated
1156:Skelligs
1082:Inisheer
943:Buncrana
803:(1993).
462:See also
305:Fód Dubh
290:CIL-1870
198:Operator
183:Markings
51:Location
1385:Dundalk
1337:Poolbeg
1332:Muglins
1242:Youghal
794:Sources
621:26 June
595:26 June
544:26 June
342:History
329:granite
307:) is a
1072:Eeragh
938:Dunree
838:
815:
727:6 June
700:6 June
648:3 June
368:Dublin
204:
160:Height
1357:Baily
933:Fanad
490:Notes
407:D-Day
317:Erris
255:Range
220:Light
175:Shape
110:Tower
24:
836:ISBN
813:ISBN
783:2021
729:2014
702:2014
675:2024
650:2014
623:2010
597:2010
546:2010
520:2016
446:at
382:.
1537::
830:.
811:.
774:.
737:^
719:.
692:.
666:.
640:.
566:^
511:.
507:.
405:.
319:,
315:,
894:e
887:t
880:v
844:.
821:.
785:.
731:.
704:.
677:.
652:.
625:.
599:.
548:.
522:.
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