The lights that guide us — the story of Ireland's great lighthouses

They are centuries-old beacons of light, but Ireland's lighthouses retain just as much power and potential today. Rachel Gaffney spoke to policymakers, historians, and industry leaders at a marine heritage and tourism conference in Dublin that explored the future of our great lighthouses

General Manager of Hook Lighthouse, Larry Colgan and writer Rachel Gaffey. at Hook Head Lighthouse and Heritage Centre, Co. Wexford. Photograph: Patrick Browne

In the early hours of June 3, 1944, in the square stone building housing Blacksod lighthouse, weather station and post office, a young woman quietly recorded weather readings. Maureen Flavin, originally from Co Kerry, had taken the job as an assistant post office clerk under the guidance of postmistress Margaret Sweeney.

On the morning of her 21st birthday, what seemed like a routine task of monitoring pressure, cloud cover, and other data at the remote Co Mayo outpost would, in fact, change the course of history.