On 11th April 2019 an Irish Air Corps helicopter approached Portacloy Bay from the east, circling the inner part of the bay twice before landing in a field nearby. Three personnel disembarked from the helicopter to carry out a reconnaissance of the field as a suitable site for the storage and lifting of the building materials. It was agreed that it was the most favourable site in the vicinity. Crew members explained to local volunteers that the building materials would have to be placed in bags, each weighing 250 kg, which would then be dropped into a larger bag for each airlift.

On 23rd April the following materials were delivered to the storage area:-

4 x 1 tonne bags of sand

3 x 1 tonne bags of gravel

60 bags of cement

20 x rough timber white deal 3.6 x 44 x 150

2 sheets of reinforced meshing 12 ft x 6 ft

On 29th and 30th April workers on the Rural Social Scheme undertook the task of manually dividing the sand and gravel material from the 1 tonne weight bags into smaller weights of 250 kg or ¼ tonne per bag. The 60 bags of cement were placed in robust plastic bags and tied securely. 34 containers (containing 25 litres each) of water completed the list. (Further materials were required as the building progressed).

Early on the morning of June 10th the Irish Air Corps ground crew arrived in Portacloy from Blacksod, where they had stayed the previous night, to plan the day’s activities.

The ground crew organized the placement of the first load, setting down a large heavy bag in the middle of the field. With a tractor and front loader, smaller bags were transported from the storage area and deposited in the larger bag which was sealed, tied securely, and connected to a heavy hoist.

At 11.45 a.m. shortly after the helicopter arrived from Baldonnel the first lift took place. A total of fourteen lifts would be required to transport all the materials to Barr na Rinne headland. Over the course of the day the helicopter swooped in and out of the valley, deftly carrying out its task until the final lift was completed at 3.20 p.m.

Weather conditions during the day remained mainly calm with clear blue skies which facilitated the smooth operation of the lift offs and set downs by pilot Declan Daly, co-pilot Frankie Mohan, winch man Luke Maher and other ground crew members.

Ar an 11ú Aibreán 2019, d’eitilt héileacaptar le Aerchór na hÉireann ón oirthear i dtreo Chuan Phort a’Chlóidh, ag eitilt thart ar an gcuid istigh den chuan faoi dhó sular thuirling sé i bpáirc in aice láimhe.  Thuirling triúr bhall foirne ón héileacaptar le réamhshuirbhé a dhéanamh ar an bpáirc mar shuíomh oiriúnach chun na hábhair thógála a stórail agus a ardú.  Aontaíodh gurb é an suíomh b’oiriúnaí sa gceantar maguaird é.

Mhínigh foireann an Aerchóir do na hoibrithe deonacha áitiúla go gcaithfí na hábhair thógála a chur i málaí, ar mheáchan 250 kg an ceann, agus go gcuirfí isteach i mála níos mó iad do chuile aeriompar.

Ar an 23ú Aibreán seachadadh na hábhair seo a leanas chuig an áit stórála:-

4 x 1 tonna málaí gainimh

3 x 1 tonna málaí gairbhéil

60 mála stroighne

20 x adhmad garbh déileáil bán 3.6 x 44 x 150

2 siotaí mogall treisithe 12 tr x 6 tr

Ar an 29ú agus 30ú Aibreán thug oibrithe ar an Scéim Shóisialta Tuaithe faoin tasc an t-ábhar gainimh agus gairbhéil a roinnt ó na málaí meáchain 1 tonna go meáchain níos lú de 250 kg nó ¼ tonna in aghaidh an mhála.  Cuireadh na 60 mála stroighne i málaí láidre plaisteacha agus ceanglaíodh go daingean iad.  Chríochnaigh 34 árthach (le 25 lítear an ceann) an liosta.  (Theastaigh ábhair bhreise de réir mar a bhí an foirgneamh dá thógáil). 

Go luath ar maidin ar an 10ú Meitheamh tháinig criú talún Aerchór na hÉireann go Port a’ Chlóidh ón bhFód Dubh, áit ar fhan siad an oíche roimhe, chun gníomhaíochtaí an lae a phleanáil.

D'eagraigh an criú talún an chéad ualach, ag leagan síos mála mór trom i lár na páirce. Le tarracóir agus lódóir tosaigh, iompraíodh málaí níos lú ón áit stórála agus cuireadh iad sa mhála mór a bhí séalaithe, ceangailte go daingean, agus ceangailte le hardaitheoir trom.

Ag 11.45 r.n. go luath tar éis don héileacaptar teacht ó Bhaile Dhónaill, tharla an chéad ardú. Theastódh ceithre h-ardú déag san iomlán chun na hábhair uilig a iompar go ceann tíre Barr na Rinne.  I rith an lae shnigh an héileacaptar isteach agus amach as an ngleann, ag déanamh a thasc go héifeachtach go dtí gur críochnaíodh an t-ardú deiridh ag 3.20 i.n.

D’fhan an aimsir ciúin i rith an lae le spéartha gorma soiléire a chuidigh go mór le h-obair an phíolóta Declan Daly, an comhphíolóta Frankie Mohan, an fear buacach Luke Maher agus baill eile den chriú talún.