LOP 63, the Building.
LOP63, the Building.
© S.Caulfield
LOP 63, No. 13 district, Portacloy, North Mayo is located on the headland (Barr na Rinne), to the left of the bay at Portacloy. The Volunteer Coastwatchers themselves lived in neighbouring townlands and their shifts ranged from 8 to 12 hours, working in pairs.
At the outbreak of the WW2 in September 1939, the Coastwatching Service was established firstly in a tent which was eventually replaced by a precast concrete hut structure.
Imagine how difficult this task was during the late winter of 1939 and the early months of 1940. The volunteers kept notes, either of the sound of passing aircraft in the vicinity of the post or sightings in the air or at sea. At this stage the reporting and note-taking in the logbooks was at its infancy. The accuracy and details of the log-book entries and note-taking were to improve over time and with specific training.
The walk from the pier at Portacloy Bay out to the headland (Barr na Rinne) takes approximately 25-30 minutes. While it is said that LOP63 is one of the most open and exposed of all of the look-out posts, a large and higher promontory to the left known as An Dúna, provides some shelter from the prevailing winds. The view to the south-west towards LOP 62 at Erris Head is therefore obstructed. There are clear, uninterrupted views to the north, across the sea to the horizon, including an excellent view of the Stags of Broadhaven and eastwards to LOP 64 at Downpatrick Head.
We know that the building blocks that constituted LOP 63 were delivered to the Bridge at Glenamoy, 9 miles away, on the 5th December 1939 (ref. letter supplied by Seamus Caulfield). Once the blocks were transported to the exact building location, the assembly of the hut onsite took 3/4 days. These buildings were spartan and functional and included no comforts for the men on duty. There was a small fireplace, designed for the burning of coal. However, turf, a readily available source of fuel in the vicinity, was used in LOP 63. The turf cuttings can still be seen at the location. The huts were quite draughty and leaked water at times. In the cramped and often damp interior, there was a table and chair which had to be scrubbed 3 times a week according to post orders. The all-important log-book lay on the table, and the telephone was affixed to the left-hand wall of the hut near the windows. Binoculars, which were suspended in a box and a telescope that mounted on a stand for viewing ships, aircraft, flotsam, mines and bodies brought in by the tide.
Importantly sometime after the completion of the LOPs by 9th March 1940, a dedicated telephone line was installed. This was essential in the transmission of information directly to Athlone, Castlebar/Dublin, and between the posts. The Coastwatchers were taught how to use the phone. Contact by phone also enabled the clocks, which were located in each post, to be synchronized which greatly improved the accuracy of the reports. Flights could be tracked from various posts as the aircraft were spotted crossing the sky.
A story handed down in local oral history describes how a payment was requested for the donkey that was used to transport some of the building materials out to the site.
Tá Teach Faire 63 i bPort a’ Chlóidh, Maigh Eo Thuaidh suite ar cheann tíre (Barr na Rinne) ar an taobh chlé den chuan. Bhí cónaí ar na Fir Faire Deonacha iad féin sna bailte fearainn máguaird agus d’oibrigh siad le chéile ina mbeirt i sealanna idir ocht agus dhá uair déag a’chloig.
Nuair a bhris an cogadh amach i Meán Fómhair 1939, bhí Seirbhís na nGardaí Chósta ag feidhmiú as puball go dtí gur tógadh teach faire le bloic choincréite réamh-dhéanta.
Samhlaigh cé chomh deacair is a bhí an obair seo go mall i ngeimhreadh 1939 agus go luath i 1940. Choinnigh na hoibrithe deonacha nótaí sna log-leabhair, ar na rudaí a chonaic siad san aer agus ar an bhfarraige. Bhí na nótaí seo simplí go leor i dtosach, ach le himeacht ama agus le traenáil sonrach, d’éirigh siad níos cruinne agus níos cuimsithigh.
Tógann sé thart ar 25-30 nóiméad siúl ón gcéibh ag Cuan Phort a’Chlóidh chomh fada le ceanntíre Barr na Rinne. Cé go ndeirtear go bhfuil Teachaín a’ Watch 63 ar cheann de na tithe faire is oscailte agus is nochta sa tír, tugann ceann tíre mór agus níos airde ar chlé, a dtugtar An Dúna air, foscadh dó ó na gnáthghaoth. Mar sin tá léargas teoranta siar ó dheas i dtreo Theach Faire 62 ag Ceann Iorrais. Tá radharcanna breátha oscailte le fáil ó thuaidh, trasna na farraige go bun na spéire, radharc mhaorga ar Na Stácaí san áireamh, agus soir chomh fada le Teach Faire 64 ag Dún Phádraig.
Tuigtear dúinn go raibh na bloic thógála le haghaidh Teachaín a’Watch 63 tugtha chomh fada leis An Droichead i nGleann na Muaidhe, 9 míle ar shiúl, ar an 5ú Nollaig 1939 (litir thagartha ón Ollamh Seamus MacConghamhna. Ón am a iompraíodh iad go dtí an suíomh tógála, thóg sé idir 3-4 lá an teachaín a thógail. Bhí na foirgnimh seo lom agus feidhmiúil agus ní raibh go leor chompoird iontu do na fir a bhí ar dhualgas. Bhí teallach beag ann, a bhí deartha le haghaidh tine ghuail. Dhóití móin, a bhí le fáil go flúirseach in aice láimhe, ag Teachaín a’Watch. Tá na bruacha móna fós le feiceáil gar don suíomh. Bhí séideadh anuas agus sceitheadh uisce sna tithe faire ó am go ham. Ins an spás beag taobh istigh, bhí bord agus cathaoir arbh éigean a sciúradh trí huaire sa tseachtain de réir na hordaithe poist. Leagtaí an log-leabhair ar an mbord, agus bhí an guthán greamaithe don bhalla chlé in aice na bhfuinneog. Bhaintí úsáid as déshúiligh, a bhí crochta suas i mbosca, agus teileascóp a bhí ar sheastán, le súil a choinneáil ar ghluaiseachtaí bád, eitleán, mianaí agus na coirp a tháinig i dtír leis an taoile.
Nuair a bhí na tithe faire tógtha faoin 9ú Márta 1940, cuireadh isteach líne teileafóin tiomnaithe iontu. Bhí sé seo riachtanach le heolas a sheachadadh go díreach chuig Baile Átha Luain, Caisleán a’Bharraigh/Baile Átha Cliath, agus idir na tithe faire iad féin. D’fhoghlaim na fir faire an chaoi chun an teileafón a úsáid. Bhaintí úsáid as an teileafón chun na cloig, a bhí le fáil sna tithe faire uilig, a shioncronú agus chuir sé seo go mór le cruinneas na dtuairisc. D’fhéadfaí eitiltí eitleán a rianú ó na tithe faire éagsúla mar a chonacthas iad ag imeacht leo sa spéar.
De réir scéal áitiúil do hiarradh liúntas do na hasail a bhí ag iompar cuid den ábhar tógála chomh fada leis an suíomh.