Name
Gerald Butler
Profile name
Gerald Butler
Occupation
Former Lighthouse Keeper
Is this your own enterprise?
No I was employed by the commissioners of Irish Lights.
How many years have you been doing this job?
I was a light keeper for 21 years.
How did it all start?
Light keeping is a very remote life / occupation and you needed to be good with your own company. My family are generations of light keepers and so the son's of light keepers like me, are people who live within the vicinity and know what the life was like. However, it wasn't always that easy. My twin brother and I grew up under the same umbrella of the lighthouse. Just like me he had always wanted to do the job but he found the isolation very difficult so after 5 years he retired.
What does the job involve?
There were usually three of us that worked on a station which involved going out onto a rock for a month at a time. We would do 4 hours on duty and then 8 hours off duty watch keeping. This included making sure the light was turned on a night and ensuring that the lens keeps revolving at all times. Some lenses could be up to 8 tonnes in weight and float on a bath of mercury which is operated by a gear side motor. The motors were powered by generators so you had to make sure they were always working or fix any faults that may have happened.
If the fog closed in you would have to start the fog signal such as a Diaphone which used compressed air of 30psi pressure. The sound would then amplified amplified through a huge big trumpet. It was a continuous drone until the air had run out and then pumps would fill up the units again to carry on the next cycle. Some modern systems produce a siren type noise but they would still work on a similar effect. Up until 1972 we had explosive fog signals which were a 4oz of "Tonite" (direct opposite to Gelignite) They were charged like a battery with a hole in the centre which you would then put in a detonator and hung it off a firing jib.
What qualifications do you need?
First of all you needed to have a basic second level education or if you qualified for a trade. You needed to have some kind of education that was satisfactory to the commissioners when you did your interview. If you were lucky enough to get an interview you then had to sit a basic English, Maths and Geography exam. You then had to do a swimming test and need to be able to save yourself plus undertake a medical exam.
Once you had covered all the basics and were offered a position you then learned on the job by doing relief duty where required for the first 12 months. Part of this included learning Morse code (by light) and Semaphore and basic seamanship practices such as how to splice ropes. After your probation you then had to undertake a different exam based on what you had learned. If you passed then you were promoted to be a keeper and filled in where needed. Then, after around 4 years you were appointed to your own lighthouse and worked one month on one month off.
What’s the best part of the job?
I loved every moment I was in the lighthouse but equally I loved coming ashore. You had a lot of freedom and time to do whatever you wanted.
What’s the worst part of the job?
If you were stationed with someone who you didn't get on with, then you had to learn how to get on with them and get over it. If someone was unhappy in any way then the effect would knock on to everyone and suddenly time would then drag on. There is a huge amount of psychology attached to it.
What advice would you give to someone who was looking to do this as a career?
This isn't really relevant now because the automation of Light houses came into place around the late 70's and early 80's but I would have encouraged people to have or develop a hobby. You do have a lot of time on your hands so having a skill such as craft work would be very relevant. I used to know one chap who had three books on the go at any one time.
About the interviewer:
David Walker spent over thirty years working as a technician with the Theatre, Film and TV industry before deciding to change career and move into journalism. He studied with the BCJ and received his Diploma in 2016. Now he works freelance covering online, print and radio broadcast. His specialist areas are Motorsport, Travel, The Arts and the Mars One Project, although he is never afraid to try anything new and relishes a challenge wherever possible.
To contact David please email davidwalkerfj@gmail.com
Click here for David’s LinkedIn profile.
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