05/31/2026
Light Hearted Live #4 – Irish light keeper Gerald Butler
Gerald Butler, a third-generation lighthouse keeper on both sides of his family, joined the Commissioners of Irish Lights in 1969. During his 21 years of service he also served on 17 other lighthouses.
Gerald was born in 1950 in southwestern Ireland. He was an identical twin and one of 15 siblings. When he was two years old, Gerald’s family moved to the Galley Head Lighthouse, where his mother’s father was the principal keeper and his father was an assistant keeper. Later, his mother was for a time the only female lighthouse keeper in Ireland. Gerald was co-author, with Patricia Ahern, of the book "The Lightkeeper: A Memoir," which was published in 2012.
Photo: Gerald at Fastnet Lighthouse.
Listen here: https://uslhs.org/podcast/light-hearted-live-4-irish-light-keeper-gerald-butler
