Architect Construction Drawings
Click on the drawings above to enlarge to view, credits at the bottom of this page.
LOP huts were built to an identical OPW design from 137 pre-cast blocks and assembled on site. This was a considerable logistical task. While Defence Forces lorries could transport the blocks to the vicinity of the post, local labour with horses and carts and in some cases, such as at LOP 63, donkeys carrying single blocks, were required to slowly move the materials over difficult ground to the construction area. These were not unique occurrences; posts were often ‘located in places peculiarly difficult of access.’
Though the posts were small in size, 13 foot by 9 foot, the operation to build seventy-six posts and recondition eight posts around the coastline of Ireland was one of the most widely-spread engineering exercises undertaken by the Defence Forces during the Second World War. It involved intense planning to construct posts at strategic locations, at 10 to 15 mile intervals, along the 1,970 mile-long Irish coast.
Viewed from Dublin, Ireland’s frontline forces perched in their cliff-top and headland posts were able to provide an almost immediate and eventually highly detailed picture of events on the sea and in the air off the coasts of Ireland. On a good day the Coastwatchers on Erris Head (LOP 62) could see over 12 nautical miles to the horizon, while their colleagues 700 feet up on Moyteoge Head on Achill Island at LOP 59 could see almost 30 nautical miles. Faced with such vast expanses of the grey North Atlantic to monitor, LOP 63 was said to have vision of 16 to 17 miles out to the horizon.
Ba le 137 bloc réamh-dhéanta a tógadh na tithe faire, ag baint úsáid as an ndearadh céanna ó Oifig na n-Oibreacha Poiblí. Cuireadh na bloic ina n-áit ar an suíomh. Ba tasc ollmhór lóistíochta a bhí ann. Cé go raibh na Forsaí Cosanta inann na bloic a iompar ar leoraithe go dtí an ceantar, thóg sé fir áitiúla le capaill agus cairteacha, agus i gcásanna áirithe, mar shampla ag Teachaín a’Watch 63,asail chun na bloic aonaracha agus an t-ábhair a iompar thar thalamh gharbh chomh fada leis an suíomh tógála. Go minic bhí na tithe faire lonnaithe in áiteanna iargúlta achrannach.
Cé go raibh na tithe faire beag go leor, trí throigh déag ar fhad agus naoi dtroigh ar leithead, rinne na Fórsaí Cosanta éacht innealltóireachta ollmhór chun 76 cinn a thógail agus ocht gcinn a athchóiriú timpeall chósta na hÉireann i rith an Dara Chogadh Domhanda. Thóg sé dianphleanáil tithe faire a thógáil ag suíomhanna straitéiseacha, deich nó cúig mhíle dhéag óna chéile, ar feadh chósta na hÉireann atá 1970 míle ar fhad.
Ag dearcadh air ó Bhaile Átha Cliath, bhí na fir sna tithe faire in éadan na pléisce ar bharr ailt nó ar cheanntíre iargúlta, inann tuairisc láithreach, reatha agus sonrach a thabhairt ar eachtraí ar an bhfarraige agus san aer amach ó chósta na hÉireann. Ar lá breá bhí na fir faire ag Ceann Iorrais (Teach Faire 62) inann breathnú os cionn dhá mhuirmhíle go bun na spéire, fhad agus a bhí a gcomhghleacaithe ag Ceann Maighteog ar Oileán Acla (Teach Faire 59) inann breathnú beagnach tríocha mhuirmhíle. Bhí ar na fir faire ag Teachaín a’ Watch 63 súil a choinneáil ar réimse leathan den Atlantach Thuaidh agus bhí léargas acu ar idir 16 agus 17 míle farraige go bun na spéire.