It is 1944 and the Second World War (or the ‘Emergency’ as it was known in neutral Ireland) is raging across Europe. Grace Devine lives with her family at the lighthouse and weather station in Blacksod, County Mayo.
Although Grace’s parents send over weather data to England to assist the Allies with the war effort, the family’s lives remain largely untouched by the war. That is until the day Grace and her best friend Sibby rescue Hans, a young German pilot whose plane has crashed nearby …
The Weather Girls is a story full of excitement and intrigue, while at the same time showing the vital role that Blacksod weather station played in the Second World War. And while Grace and her family and friends are fictional, the story is based on the real-life events that took place at the Blacksod lighthouse and weather station in May and June of 1944.
With the strong friendship between Grace and Sibby central to the story, this is a must read!
The Weather Girls is published by O’Brien Press (2024)
Did you know?
The story of The Weather Girls was inspired by County Mayo weatherwoman Maureen Sweeney who, on the eve of her 21st birthday, provided hourly weather reports on a storm front from Blacksod Lighthouse and weather station to the war office in England. Maureen sadly passed away in December 2023 aged 100.