WW2 Pillboxes in Ireland

Mahatma coat

Theres a load of them dotted along the coast down In wexford,

Rosslare
Carne
Kilmore
Lough
Cullenstown
Blackhall
Fethard
Bagginbun
Duncannon
Slade
Dollar bay
Hook Head

We always called them coast guard lookouts when I was a kid

a fair few of the ones I listed there have been knocked down tho since I were a kid

but you can still see the concrete slabs for a few of them and as has been mentioned some are still standing, there was a fair network of them along the Wexford coast at one point AFAIK

FiSe

Mahatma coat wrote: »

Theres a load of them dotted along the coast down In wexford,

Rosslare
Carne
Kilmore
Lough
Cullenstown
Blackhall
Fethard
Bagginbun
Duncannon
Slade
Dollar bay
Hook Head

We always called them coast guard lookouts when I was a kid

a fair few of the ones I listed there have been knocked down tho since I were a kid

but you can still see the concrete slabs for a few of them and as has been mentioned some are still standing, there was a fair network of them along the Wexford coast at one point AFAIK

I still think that we are talking and mixing two or three different things together.

Coast Watching Service posts were build from concrete blocks during 1939-1942 as a pre-fab square structures, with 6 bay windows looking towards the sea, entrance on 1 side, small fireplace and square chimney on the roof. They were build on 82 places around the coast of Ireland.

There's and were only 8 of these posts from Arklow to Tramore:
- Kilmichael Point
- Cahore Point
- Ballyconnigar Hill
- Greenore Point
- Carnsore Point
- Forlorn Point
- Hook Head
- Brownstown Head

But there is a lot of structures from different eras, like WWI, Napoleonic wars...

Heisenberg.

This post has been deleted.

Mahatma coat

Thanks FiSe

that makes a bit of sense alright.

I did just lump a lot of structures I remember from my childhood into the one category.

RadioRetro

Hi guys, mind if I contribute a wee bit?

The structure in Rosslare Harbour is a pillbox built into the cliff face facing out over the harbour close to the current Coastguard hut (here; 52°15'0.07"N 6°20'7.30"W). As a youngster I crawled into it but it was empty. It's still there and I dare say it's full of detritus left by youngsters now though!

There is a pillbox/LOP on a rocky outcrop with a good view of the approach to Wexford town from the harbour at Kerlogue. There's a GE marker at 52°19'4.77" N 6°27'33.27"W.

chem

Morlar wrote: »

I went down to some of these a few weeks ago with some guys off another forum, found one straight away but the ones I could not find were the ones at the back of the battle of the boyne centre at oldbridge, does anyone have more specific directions to locating them ?

Hi Morlar, The pill box at the oldbridge enterance is found between the old Iron bridge and the stone bridge beside the enterance to oldbridge. Its not sunk into the ground. But has a doorway and rifle slits. If you drive over the old stone bridge from the Duleek side its straight infront of you.

Also another pillbox as you come into Drogheda from the collon road. Its down abit from lidal on your left after the 1st junction, after the roundabout. Its on the right hand side of the road before the pub. Hope this helps.

Morlar

chem wrote: »

Hi Morlar, The pill box at the oldbridge enterance is found between the old Iron bridge and the stone bridge beside the enterance to oldbridge. Its not sunk into the ground. But has a doorway and rifle slits. If you drive over the old stone bridge from the Duleek side its straight infront of you.

Also another pillbox as you come into Drogheda from the collon road. Its down abit from lidal on your left after the 1st junction, after the roundabout. Its on the right hand side of the road before the pub. Hope this helps.

Cheers - I think that is the one that I found the one just over an old stone bridge, about 40-50 feet up the road in to the left facing down to the bridge at a slight slope. You can still get into it as a matter of fact. Have some photos of it so must put them online when I get a chance. I was looking for a bunch of other ones up near the battle of the boyne visitor site as I saw on an internet site that there are supposed to be 4 or 5 right beside the b.o.b visitor site - right at the curve of the river there.

Morlar

Here is the one I am thinking of

chem

I was talking to a man from N.I he was saying that during the cold war there was underground nuclear bunkers built in almost every major town. They were just man hole covers to the public, but were stocked bunkers for important people who would be needed. He said most of them have been welded closed now. Just some interesting info

[quote=Fuinseog;62156358
there is another in the woods overlooking Blessington. not marked on any OS map.

I was at both 20 years ago. i would be surprised if they have been removed.[/quote]


Any idea where the Blessington one is, possibly with a vague Google Maps link? I'd be fascinated to see this.

drumaneen

There is a guy on WW2talk site that has an interest in Pillboxes in Eire so if anybody ahs any info, locations, photos etc I'm sure he'd love to hear from you.
See http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/barracks/20572-pillboxes-eire.html

FiSe

If you are on that forum, maybe it would be easier to post a link to this thread. As would be, probably, impossible to pour all the information from one forum to the other forum without loosing continuity and the information themselfs. Just a thought....

drumaneen

FiSe wrote: »

If you are on that forum, maybe it would be easier to post a link to this thread. As would be, probably, impossible to pour all the information from one forum to the other forum without loosing continuity and the information themselfs. Just a thought....

Good Idea .... done

bobby wade

There was one as you leave wexford to go to Rosslare on a rocky outcrop, don't know if it was world war II or even if it's still there. i remember being in it as a kid but havn't seen it in years (overgrown or tore down I don't know)

Morpheus

As posted on that thread on IMO....

There are a number of pillboxes at gormanston, one at the camps entrance, one situated directly on the railway bridge that leads to the farm style gate that opens onto the lane for the ranges - smelly and dirty but grateful to sit in it when doing security on rainy days.

Also if you go down to the beach that is situated UNDER the iron bridge over the delvin rivers mouth, and turn left and walk towards ben head (which is quite a distance from there) keep looking up on your left and you will see a concrete lookout point which looks out over the sea halway to ben head, there is usually a rope you can use to climb up the cliff face into it.

Finally in the fields around the range there are one or two more pill boxes discernable but i have not been in them.

BrianD

I recall that there's one or two around the Boyne in Co. Meath as well.

RadioRetro

bobby wade wrote: »

There was one as you leave wexford to go to Rosslare on a rocky outcrop

See post #36. It's still there.

bobby wade

RadioRetro wrote: »

See post #36. It's still there.

No this one wasn't in rosslare harbour It was above the nursing home as you turn of the rosslare road towards killinick

sickpuppy32

ttm wrote: »

Often seen that one and wondered why it was there, another is/was on the North side of the River bridge at Fidown (on the old road), but you can correct me on that as I havn't been on that road in a few years.

yeah thats still there, across from the bridge and the Morris oil depot

Morlar

BrianD wrote: »

I recall that there's one or two around the Boyne in Co. Meath as well.

You wouldn't happen to know where exactly in Boyne would you ?

I dug up some maps from the council site earlier in the thread and was down there behind the Battle of the Boyne site at oldbridge but either the bunkers were removed postwar or they were super secret bunkers that rise up out of the ground and submerge again when the danger is passed cos I couldn't bloody find them !

ttm

From one of the reviews this book available on amazon.co.uk might be a bit lacking on the "Ireland" side of things but might be a nice Christmas stocking filler all the same

If anyone already has it you comments would be very welcome?

FiSe

Looks interesting.

Just noticed, that used book bargain on the Amazon page :

RRP: £19.99
Price: £13.99 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £6.00 (30%)

Usually dispatched within 3 to 4 weeks.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.



1 used from £31.07

ttm

FiSe wrote: »

Looks interesting.

Just noticed, that used book bargain on the Amazon page :

RRP: £19.99
Price: £13.99 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £6.00 (30%)

Usually dispatched within 3 to 4 weeks.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.



1 used from £31.07

Its on my wish list I'm hoping if nothing else it will give enough detail so if I come across a Pillbox here I can indentify when it was built.

RadioRetro

bobby wade wrote: »

No this one wasn't in rosslare harbour It was above the nursing home as you turn of the rosslare road towards killinick

Again I refer you to my previous post;

There is a pillbox/LOP on a rocky outcrop with a good view of the approach to Wexford town from the harbour at Kerlogue. There's a GE marker at 52°19'4.77" N 6°27'33.27"W.

diverdriver

There were several around Baldonnel that I'm aware of. One was actually off the base covering the road where the new car storage area is now. That was demolished when they built that place. I'm sure there's others but of course you have to be careful given that it's an active military barracks. But like the one now gone, many should be off the base.

soldering iron

Pillar box Tramore Road








View from top of Pillar box

BuckJamesRogers

theres a couple on Rossnowlagh (wrong spelling) beach outside of Donegal Town, Co. Donegal

citizen_p

there is another in the woods overlooking Blessington. not marked on any OS map.
I was at both 20 years ago. i would be surprised if they have been removed.[/

Deleted User wrote: »

Any idea where the Blessington one is, possibly with a vague Google Maps link? I'd be fascinated to see this.

id be interested too...i live around there.

citizen_p

Deleted User wrote: »

Any idea where the Blessington one is, possibly with a vague Google Maps link? I'd be fascinated to see this.

i found it.
i drove by it nearly everyday for the last few years, thought it was a lime kiln until i seen how small the slit in it was and i asked my father what it was, only to be told it was a bunker (after a year or two earlier when he old me it was a lime kiln :mad:)

as soon as you go across the bridge (the millbank one) look up the field infront of you and mid way up beside the ditch, there it is.

ill have to go look around it and get a few pics if i can get it opened.( i know the owner )

dont go in with out permission though lads...

Dummy

I have seen two of these pillboxes during recent fishing trips near Cavan.

One is in Butlersbridge, on the old road heading for Cavan town.

The other is on the outskirts of Cavan town, on the left heading towards Granard. This one more formidable than the first, embedded into a hillside.

I had no camera with me, but there will be another opportunity over the Summer.