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WWII structures in Donegal

  • 04-03-2011 5:26pm
    #1
    muckish
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 610 ✭✭✭


    following on from this post http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056009172 in relation to the WWII structures around the Irish coastline. I'm trying to map the locations of the lookout posts and the stone "Eire" signs around the coast of Donegal. I have a few lookout locations such as Shroove head, Malin Head, Fanad Head, Horn head. EIRE signs at shroove head, malin head and sliabh league. Work in progress. If anyone know the locations of more of the above (to quicken the process), I'll be able to plot them on maps.

    much appreciated


«13

Comments

  • #2
    Harps
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,548 ✭✭✭Harps


    Lookout post on Arranmore Island, could be wrong about the exact location but I can make out a structure on the ground and its definitely not far off

    http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V1,564790,918450,7,0


  • #3
    rushnaldo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 235 ✭✭rushnaldo


    Lookout posts in saint johns point and roshine port Killybegs. Also an eire sign on saint johns point and one on drumanoo head Killybegs. There is also one in Muckross head Kilcar. All in slight disrepair which is a shame I feel.


  • #4
    Firblog
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,082 ✭✭✭Firblog


    rushnaldo wrote: »
    Lookout posts in roshine port Killybegs.
    Is that the one overlooking Fintra Beach?


  • #5
    rushnaldo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 235 ✭✭rushnaldo


    No actually its on the other side of the harbour entrance from the lighthouse, there may be two here I havent fished it in a while but definitely one. Access road behind ek marine up in roshine. Forgot bout the one in Fintra.


  • #6
    muckish
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 610 ✭✭✭muckish


    Just found this website. http://www.lookoutpost.com/geographic/
    Should help.


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  • #7
    Durnish
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 692 ✭✭✭Durnish


    According to Karl Cannon's "A Tour of Lettermacaward" there is a white stone Eire sign on a field sloping down to Dooey Strand, Lettermac. I have never been able to make it out, though.
    According to our family legend, far from warning German pilots not to drop their bombs on neutral territory they were in place to warn Atlantic Corridor pilots (Allied airmen) from Lough Erne or B'Kelly that they were now entering neutral Irish airspace.

    I think I remember one outside the Gard station at Burnfoot as well.


  • #8
    irish1967
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,516 ✭✭✭irish1967


    Another wee link:
    http://www.derelictplaces.co.uk/main/showthread.php?t=15433

    Mainly went googling cause I had no idea what a White stone Eire sign was. Now I do ! :)


  • #9
    muckish
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 610 ✭✭✭muckish


    Harps wrote: »
    Lookout post on Arranmore Island, could be wrong about the exact location but I can make out a structure on the ground and its definitely not far off

    http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V1,564790,918450,7,0
    Heading out there tomorrow. Will check it out and let you know if you're right! Cheers


  • #10
    muckish
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 610 ✭✭✭muckish


    Durnish wrote: »
    According to Karl Cannon's "A Tour of Lettermacaward" there is a white stone Eire sign on a field sloping down to Dooey Strand, Lettermac. I have never been able to make it out, though.
    According to our family legend, far from warning German pilots not to drop their bombs on neutral territory they were in place to warn Atlantic Corridor pilots (Allied airmen) from Lough Erne or B'Kelly that they were now entering neutral Irish airspace.

    I think I remember one outside the Gard station at Burnfoot as well.

    I can't see the EIRE near Dooey strand on the OSi Aerial Photos. Perhaps the stones were reused after the war.http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V1,575927,902778,6,0


  • #11
    Durnish
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 692 ✭✭✭Durnish


    also one, a concrete lookout from WW2, on Dunmore head above Portnoo.


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  • #12
    muckish
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 610 ✭✭✭muckish


    I've just noticed from the piece from the BBC "Coast" series about the EIRE markers that the location they have in the video doesn't correspond to the location on the aerial photographs(just behind/above the upper car park at Slieve League) http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V1,555947,875645,7,0
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phv3HoxH1qs
    Was it moved at some stage recently?

    Also this is EIRE 71 and Shroove Head, Greencastle is EIRE 82, Malin Head 81. I'm presuming they're sequential around the coast. So only 9 to find.


  • #13
    muckish
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 610 ✭✭✭muckish


    EIRE 75 or 76? on Aranmore Island. http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V1,564839,918510,7,5


  • #14
    Carrickman
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,282 ✭✭✭Carrickman


    Don't know if this counts or not it is a site of a WWII air crash in Kilcar as you can see in some of the photos part of the plane are still their hard many interesting story's about this crash from older family members who lived across the glen at the time. http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/photo.php?fbid=465321554555&set=a.464984319555.254475.246299599555&theater


  • #15
    tunnelvision
    Registered Users Posts: 3 ✭tunnelvision


    IMG_0700.JPG


  • #16
    irish1967
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,516 ✭✭✭irish1967


    http://forum.irishmilitaryonline.com/archive/index.php/t-9447.html

    StJohnsPointDonegalBay1943.jpg


  • #17
    North_West_Art
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,103 ✭✭✭North_West_Art


    in case it hasn't been mentioned, there is a half buried look-out hut on the beach at Murvagh. It must have been higher up on the dunes at one stage, but ended up on the beach after the dunes were eroded. The concrete hut sticks out of the sand by about a metre.


  • #18
    muckish
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 610 ✭✭✭muckish


    Carrickman wrote: »
    Don't know if this counts or not it is a site of a WWII air crash in Kilcar as you can see in some of the photos part of the plane are still their hard many interesting story's about this crash from older family members who lived across the glen at the time. http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/photo.php?fbid=465321554555&set=a.464984319555.254475.246299599555&theater
    I'd forgotten about the crash sites. I supposed the most obvious one is on the bluestacks but there are others. There's one at shroove; part of the undercarriage in the car park of the Drunken Duck pub.


  • #19
    rushnaldo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 235 ✭✭rushnaldo


    A sunderland bomber crashed into crownarad mountain in Killybegs up behind the blue haven killing all onboard. The grass never grew since where it hit. There is a monument erected by locals and older parishioners still remember it happening. Also a plane crash landed on Fintra beach and they survived. The prop of that plane can be seen in the entrance to the clock tower restaurant in Fintra today with the story on their website


  • #20
    Durnish
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 692 ✭✭✭Durnish


    looking at Cannon's Lettermacaward book again, I see he says that the Eire sign was in a field to the left of the beach, (to warn German pilots, which sounds a bit unlikely, way beyond their range)which I presume means the present day car park.

    Also to the right on the headland is what must be a WW2 lookout post, immortalised in a poem by Tom Paulin who calls it Melly's Hut or something.

    I also remember a lookout hut on a headland to the east of Portnablagh far pier. Out past the Blow_Hole and climb up to ridge, far as I remember.


  • #21
    Termonator
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 82 ✭✭Termonator


    Lookout at crohy head, also supposed to be another Eire in stone there as well but have never seen it.


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  • #22
    muckish
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 610 ✭✭✭muckish


    Apparently a lot of the EIRE sign were made from whitewashed turf sods laid out on the ground. Probably explains why a lot of them are no longer about. Others seem to be completely overgrown (horn head & St. John's point)


  • #23
    dinkiedo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3 ✭dinkiedo


    Up in bunglas there are two of these 71 eire .1 is beside car park as shown in os map and the 2nd is further down on the right at the 2 big bends you can make out the 7 and the R clear and the rest if you look close have photo on computer but cant figure out how to load


  • #24
    sesswhat
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,177 ✭✭✭sesswhat


    Another link from a list compiled by Dennis Burke in Tubbercurry:

    Foreign Aircraft Landings in Ireland 1939 - 1946

    Locations are not precise but there is quite a bit of information about each incident.

    My mother remembers the bomber coming down in a field at Edenmore outside Ballybofey so I should be able to pinpoint that one.


  • #25
    muckish
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 610 ✭✭✭muckish


    Great responses from everybody. thanks a million. Plenty there to keep me mapping for a while. Keep them coming though. If anyone can get an XY coordinate from the osi map website for any structure they know of, they'd be greatly appreciated. Cheers all.


  • #26
    muckish
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 610 ✭✭✭muckish


    dinkiedo wrote: »
    Up in bunglas there are two of these 71 eire .1 is beside car park as shown in os map and the 2nd is further down on the right at the 2 big bends you can make out the 7 and the R clear and the rest if you look close have photo on computer but cant figure out how to load
    Just spotted the 2nd one at Bunglas. Feint or what? Cheers


  • #27
    iioklo
    Registered Users Posts: 90 ✭✭iioklo


    On the Rosguill peninsula between Horn Head and Fanad there is a WW2 tower near Melmore,
    (where the red cross symbol appears at the center of page)
    http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V1,612649,943472,7,0


  • #28
    iioklo
    Registered Users Posts: 90 ✭✭iioklo


    An EIRE 78 sign is also located just to the north of the Melmore tower on the low lying flat grass mostly overgrown but somebody has been oncovering it you can see from the picture i took last year the 78 is visable

    http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V1,612681,943730,7,0


  • #29
    muckish
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 610 ✭✭✭muckish


    iioklo wrote: »
    An EIRE 78 sign is also located just to the north of the Melmore tower on the low lying flat grass mostly overgrown but somebody has been oncovering it you can see from the picture i took last year the 78 is visable

    http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V1,612681,943730,7,0
    That's brilliant. I think it's clearer on the 1995 B&W orthos. http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V1,612754,943824,7,5


  • #30
    dinkiedo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3 ✭dinkiedo


    If i get my way the one in bunglas will be clear soon enough :)


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  • #31
    Carrickman
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,282 ✭✭✭Carrickman


    dinkiedo wrote: »
    If i get my way the one in bunglas will be clear soon enough :)
    Good job, what have you in mind?


  • #32
    dinkiedo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3 ✭dinkiedo


    have you a shovel and a paint handy james


  • #33
    Carrickman
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,282 ✭✭✭Carrickman


    dinkiedo wrote: »
    have you a shovel and a paint handy james

    I do and if you need a hand let me know!!


  • #34
    Durnish
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 692 ✭✭✭Durnish


    What is the latest on this? Is there a list somewhere, uncovered from some RAF archive, containing all the headlands and their code numbers?


  • #35
    muckish
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 610 ✭✭✭muckish


    I have mapped a lot on Google Earth. Just have to figure out how to post the file here! What I have noticed is that a lot of the EIRE signs have disappeared recently since 2005. eg the Shroove 82 sign was the clearest sign on the coast on the 2005 aerial photography but has now gone. Might have been washed away.


  • #36
    theboss80
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,838 ✭✭✭theboss80


    Not a structure but the remains of an American Spitfire are being dug up in Inishowen at the moment. It crashed in 1941

    Story here

    rrengine1_310x415.jpg


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  • #37
    Jim S
    Registered Users Posts: 131 ✭✭Jim S


    A decent book on the subject "Guarding Neutral Ireland." By Dr. Michael Kennedy, he was interviewed in the BBC "Coast" programme as mentioned earlier.

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Guarding-Neutral-Ireland-Intelligence-1939-1945/dp/1846820979/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1313409828&sr=1-1

    An excellent and very informative read which deals with this specific subject.
    (The first review is mine).

    Attached a slightly better view from Larry Skey's 422 RCAF Sunderland as he takes her past St.John's Point en route for Castle Archdale.

    Crews coming and going found St Johns on their ASV sets long before making visual contact, the 201 Squadron crew which crashed above Killybegs in March 45 were (I think) well off course.
    The pilot was experienced and would have been well aware of the high ground, in December 44 this same crew sank U-297 off the North Coast of Scotland their sinking of the submarine was not confirmed until the discovery of the wreck a few years ago. (It was previously credited to surface craft).


  • #38
    NIMAN
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 34,029 ✭✭✭✭NIMAN


    Heard that book mentioned on the radio yesterday and its sounds interesting, but £35 !!


  • #39
    Jim S
    Registered Users Posts: 131 ✭✭Jim S


    £35 is expensive but on the other hand what you get is a first class piece of history on a subject which has been largely ignored both locally and within the greater context of WW2.
    This is a very good history and chances are when it sells out it will probably not be republished, as a student I could not afford Fisk's book in Hardback - now I can't fine one for love nor money - I have a feeling that Dr. Kennedy's book will go the same way.


  • #40
    FiSe
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 821 ✭✭✭FiSe


    You can get it in Ireland too... BTW if you are interested in the subject, worth every penny and would pay more without wink. Excellent book


  • #41
    retalivity
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,524 ✭✭✭✭retalivity


    did nobody look at tht '9 used' on the amazon link above? You can get it for 16quid plus 2.60 postage


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  • #42
    Jim S
    Registered Users Posts: 131 ✭✭Jim S


    A good point, and always do a "Google" on the title - some Amazon prices are good some are not so good, I "saved" £37 on a second hand title offered via Amazon - I paid £3.70 for a book I was looking for - a huge difference between that and £42.00 odd.
    £16 for "Guarding Neutral Ireland" is money very well spent and having read it I must at some time make a point of making the trip down to look closer at the Donegal Bay LOP records.


  • #43
    Durnish
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 692 ✭✭✭Durnish


    Brilliant thread.
    Was delighted to find and trace the St John's Eire stones last week. The trick is to find the low boundary wall which appears as a rectangle. Once you have that you are home and dry.
    Thanks all.


  • #44
    yuloni
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,040 ✭✭✭yuloni


    This post has been deleted.


  • #45
    Durnish
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 692 ✭✭✭Durnish


    I tried all that as well. I was wondering if they faked the video.


  • #46
    yuloni
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,040 ✭✭✭yuloni


    This post has been deleted.


  • #47
    muckish
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 610 ✭✭✭muckish


    http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V1,556260,875317,7,0


  • #48
    Durnish
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 692 ✭✭✭Durnish


    Brilliant. Thanks. I was looking at the wrong bend in the road. So, did they move it to the more prominent position on Bunglas or did they just do two for good luck?


  • #49
    Durnish
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 692 ✭✭✭Durnish


    Also, asking around in Portnoo (Dunmore Head has a lookout) I was told that there was an Eire Sign in a field below the old hotel but the latest owner dismantled it some time ago. I expect it would be visible from the air when there's a drought.


  • #50
    patspost
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 251 ✭✭patspost


    there is a structre on the hill just Glencolmcille. It may have Eire sign too.


  • #51
    muckish
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 610 ✭✭✭muckish


    Durnish wrote: »
    Also, asking around in Portnoo (Dunmore Head has a lookout) I was told that there was an Eire Sign in a field below the old hotel but the latest owner dismantled it some time ago. I expect it would be visible from the air when there's a drought.

    Here's the LOP in Portnoo http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V1,568729,899837,6,0 Where is the old Hotel?


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