The weather station in Belmullet, which was the last remaining manned station in Ireland, went fully automatic on Wednesday.
The manager of the Belmullet station and three staff members will remain working there in different duties. Two other staff members have been transferred to different weather stations.
The history of the station is outlined on the Met Eireann website which states: “The station opened in September 1956. It replaced the station at Blacksod Lighthouse, 10 miles to the SW, which was run by the Sweeney family. It was from Blacksod that the observation, which finally determined the date of the D-Day landings in June 1944, emanated. The station is regarded as being particularly important because of its location on the western fringe of Europe.”
