Letters to the Editor
Sweenys of Irish Lights
It was a pleasure and surprise recently to receive a copy of the Fastnet centenary edition of Beam. I read with great interest the history of the Fastnet Light as my grandfather, Patrick Sweeny, worked on the construction of the lighthouse for six months in 1900 until he was appointed Assistant Keeper to Howth Baily, and finally to the Blackhead light, near Whitehead. He resigned from the Lighthouse Service in November 1902 to emigrate to New Zealand, where he married my grandmother, Mary Hoy, also from Whitehead.
My mother, Alice Jones, was the daughter of Patrick and Mary Sweeny. Unfortunately he died before I was born so I have no recollections of him.
Patrick Sweeny came from a family (sometimes spelt Sweeney) that served in Irish Lights for over 100 years. His father, Thomas Sweeny (1846-1914) entered the Irish Light Service in May 1866 and served for 40 years. His elder son, James J. Sweeny (known as Joseph) entered the Service in December 1896 and also served for 40 years. Joseph's son, Michael Francis Sweeny (known as Frank) joined the Lighthouse Service in March 1936 and retired in June 1971, having served 35 years. These four Lighthouse Keeper between them served on 23 different lights around the Irish coast and Joseph, Frank, and Patrick all helped build or service the Fastnet Rock Lighthouse.
I am a keen yachtsman and fisherman and very thankful for lighthouses and beacons around our rocky coast when navigating on coastal trips at night.
All the best to your great Service.
Dene Jones
More Corish Connections
I read with interest two letters regarding 'Corish Connections' in your previous editions.
I believe my great grandfather was a lighthouse keeper and I would guess this would have been at the latter end of the 1800s. Unfortunately I don't know his first name, although his surname was Corish. All I know is that my great grandfather had several children including my grandfather whom I believe was Patrick Corish. The family lived in Dun Laoghaire and there may have been a connection to a family called Benson. My grandfather Patrick Corish married an Agnes Osbourne (I'm not sure of the spelling). They settled in Doncaster via London and had two children including my father William James (Bill) Corish.
I know my details are quite vague, but I wondered if the lighthouse connection would mean any of your correspondents would be able to help me fill in the blanks?
Maureen Corish
Tim Harrington
Tim Harrington, the Lightkeeper who died on North Aran [Eeragh] in 1910 (see Bill Scanlan's letter in Beam Vol 32, page 5) was my mother's brother. The eldest son of John Harrington and Kate O'Sullivan, he was born approximately in the year 1878 and was from Dursey Island, as were his parents, and not from Galley Head as your correspondent surmises.
John Harrington was also a Lightkeeper and was one of the Keepers on the Calf Rock when the tower was swept away in November 1881. He passed away in 1901 while stationed at Dundalk.
My late mother Katie Harrington married Pat McCann, a Lightkeeper from Dun Laoghaire.
Patricia Burke (nee McCann)
It was a pleasure and surprise recently to receive a copy of the Fastnet centenary edition of Beam. I read with great interest the history of the Fastnet Light as my grandfather, Patrick Sweeny, worked on the construction of the lighthouse for six months in 1900 until he was appointed Assistant Keeper to Howth Baily, and finally to the Blackhead light, near Whitehead. He resigned from the Lighthouse Service in November 1902 to emigrate to New Zealand, where he married my grandmother, Mary Hoy, also from Whitehead.
My mother, Alice Jones, was the daughter of Patrick and Mary Sweeny. Unfortunately he died before I was born so I have no recollections of him.
Patrick Sweeny came from a family (sometimes spelt Sweeney) that served in Irish Lights for over 100 years. His father, Thomas Sweeny (1846-1914) entered the Irish Light Service in May 1866 and served for 40 years. His elder son, James J. Sweeny (known as Joseph) entered the Service in December 1896 and also served for 40 years. Joseph's son, Michael Francis Sweeny (known as Frank) joined the Lighthouse Service in March 1936 and retired in June 1971, having served 35 years. These four Lighthouse Keeper between them served on 23 different lights around the Irish coast and Joseph, Frank, and Patrick all helped build or service the Fastnet Rock Lighthouse.
I am a keen yachtsman and fisherman and very thankful for lighthouses and beacons around our rocky coast when navigating on coastal trips at night.
All the best to your great Service.
Dene Jones
More Corish Connections
I read with interest two letters regarding 'Corish Connections' in your previous editions.
I believe my great grandfather was a lighthouse keeper and I would guess this would have been at the latter end of the 1800s. Unfortunately I don't know his first name, although his surname was Corish. All I know is that my great grandfather had several children including my grandfather whom I believe was Patrick Corish. The family lived in Dun Laoghaire and there may have been a connection to a family called Benson. My grandfather Patrick Corish married an Agnes Osbourne (I'm not sure of the spelling). They settled in Doncaster via London and had two children including my father William James (Bill) Corish.
I know my details are quite vague, but I wondered if the lighthouse connection would mean any of your correspondents would be able to help me fill in the blanks?
Maureen Corish
Tim Harrington
Tim Harrington, the Lightkeeper who died on North Aran [Eeragh] in 1910 (see Bill Scanlan's letter in Beam Vol 32, page 5) was my mother's brother. The eldest son of John Harrington and Kate O'Sullivan, he was born approximately in the year 1878 and was from Dursey Island, as were his parents, and not from Galley Head as your correspondent surmises.
John Harrington was also a Lightkeeper and was one of the Keepers on the Calf Rock when the tower was swept away in November 1881. He passed away in 1901 while stationed at Dundalk.
My late mother Katie Harrington married Pat McCann, a Lightkeeper from Dun Laoghaire.
Patricia Burke (nee McCann)