Wanted: teams to paint the nation's lighthouses. Must be handy with a brush, not afraid of heights and ideally possess a sturdy pair of sea legs. Dulux dog not required.

Ireland’s lighthouse keepers have revealed how they faced down monster waves and death-defying storms in their roles keeping the coastline safe.

‘Lamentably deficient’ lighting doomed ships off our coast, but led to a proper system of lighthouses, writes Robert Hume.