Mayo's safest anchorage, Blacksod, has often served as support base for dangerous rescues. Vincent Sweeney, attendant keeper, has turned out in many weathers, because the lighthouse at the south-east tip of the Mullet peninsula is also a refuelling base for helicopters.
His father, Ted, who died recently in his 95th year, did likewise when the base was largely used by the Commissioners of Irish Lights for aerial transport. Capt Dave Courtney of the Irish Coast Guard at Shannon recalls him taking fuel from barrels in howling gales before the installation of modern systems.
To mark the contribution of both father and sons, the Irish Coast Guard Sikorsky helicopter landed at Blacksod last Thursday and made a special presentation. It would have been Ted's 95th birthday, had he lived.
"Unsung heroes" is how Capt Courtney describes the family, most of whom were present, including Mrs Doreen Sweeney, the three brothers, Vincent, Gerry and Ted jnr, and their sister, Emer. Also there was musician Sean Keane, who is playing a fund-raising gig in aid of the lifeboat service in the West County Hotel in Ennis, Co Clare, tonight.
Ted Sweeney was appointed attendant at the light in November 1933 and was the first of a "dynasty", to quote lighthouse historian Bill Long. His three sons followed him into the service. Ted was also the local postmaster.
The weather forecast that influenced Britain's D-day landings in France came from Blacksod Point Meteorological Station, compiled by Ted Sweeney. Some 25 years later he became a part of history again when he and two of his sons, Vincent and Gerry, were the first people to help Tom McClean ashore after his single-handed row across the Atlantic.
The presentation came as a surprise to Vincent, who couldn't understand why a photographer (Henry Wills) should have turned up for what he believed to be a routine helicopter training exercise.
"In the past 10 years, since 1991 and our establishment at Shannon, Vincent has put in many voluntary hours in all sorts of conditions," Capt Courtney said on behalf of the Irish Coast Guard. "He has helped us, the Air Corps, the RAF and the British navy; we just couldn't be without someone like him."
One example was when 10 fishermen were rescued recently from a Germanregistered Spanish trawler 170 miles north-west of Blacksod. The Hansa's distress signal was picked up by Falmouth Coastguard. The Shannon Sikorsky was one of several units tasked, with an Air Corps Casa maritime patrol aircraft.
The Sikorsky refuelled at Blacksod and was asked to stand by; it emerged that the incident had happened in the middle of NATO exercises off the Scottish coast.
The weather was deteriorating, with 50-knot winds and 10-metre seas. A Scottish Coast Guard helicopter from Stornoway recovered nine fishermen, and the Sikorsky was returning to Shannon when it was learned that another survivor had been spotted in the water.
As Capt Courtney recalls, the helicopter landed again at Blacksod and topped up with fuel, as the new position was 17 miles away. The decision to refuel again, with Mr Sweeney's assistance, was to prove critical. Capt Courtney, co-pilot Cliff Pile, winch operator John Manning and winchman Eamonn Burns estimated that the rescue site was barely in range, and they would only be able to stay there for 10 minutes.
The Scottish helicopter had had to abandon an attempted return to the scene because of head winds. "We knew we were the survivor's only chance."
A weather brief from Scotland indicated clear conditions, and this extended their estimated available time to 30 minutes. Shortly before arriving they were told the survivor had been taken on board a trawler but needed emergency treatment as he had been in the sea for 12 hours.
They searched the life-raft area for more survivors, then flew to the trawler to winch the man on board. They had just two minutes left to get it right when the hi-line snapped and they had to resort to a standard lift by hook.
The Sikorsky had to obtain clearance to fly through the NATO exercise scene, and was escorted by a Canadian Aurora aircraft to Benbecula in the Hebrides.
The helicopter had covered a record distance, and had just 200 lb of fuel left on landing. Before returning to Shannon the next day, the crews of the Scottish and Irish Coast Guard stood for a photograph to mark their first joint exercise.
"On that call-out Vincent Sweeney was a vital link. He cooked us breakfast and gave us cups of tea, and got us weather information," Capt Courtney said.