EPISODE 68 BUNMAHON IRELAND ALAN SKEOCH’S JOURNAL July 23, 1960 TO AUGUST 2M 1960

…HERE IS THE JOURNAL CONTINUED
NOT A LONG PIECE THIS TIME…KEEPS ME GOING
TO GET A STORY DONE EVERY DAY BUT SO FAR
I HAVE MANAGED TO DO IT.  THIS IS MY GIFT TO
EVERYONE SUFFERING FROM COVID 19 ISOLATION
JUNE. 2020


EPISODE 68  BUNMAHON,  IRELAND    JULY 23,  1960  TO AUGUST 2, 1960


ALAN SKEOCH’S JOURNAL


If you look closely you will see a fairy ring…an old  enclosure , maybe a village as old as 2,000 years.   I did not see any fairies.


alan skeoch
June   2020

SATURDAY JULY 23, 1960

Raining heavily…John Hogan sent word he would stay in bed.  Wish I had that
luxury.   Worked  in pouring rain all morning, soaked…the boys are a bit
perturbed.   We only managed to get one moraine done in the Killmacthomas forest.
returned  home for  lunch and got lots of mail.  My slides are good …35mm.
Eric sent nice letter about trip to Manitoulin Island .  Marjorie always  nice to hear
from.  Don Van Every who I worked with in Alaska last summer is now working
at secret radar sites in Arctic for far north.

In the afternoon, Barney, Andy and I entered entered the Knockmahon mine via
an old adit on the face of the cliffs…we spent several  hours in old tunnels…could
not stand up but had to crawl on stomachs in places.  In other tunnels we were
waist deep in water.   We had  to jump over a  shaft…or use old  ladder to crossit. 
Walls are covered with beautiful blues and greens…some pink.




SUNDAY  JULY 24, 1960

Skipped Mass today.  Then had to play pinochle for another few hours…boring.
Then in afternoon John Hogan drove us to Tramore to see movie with Stirling Hayden…
there were 3 adults and 100 kids there  (estimate) in the ‘pit’ which was cordoned off
for them.Then played  miniature golf and had a great fish and chip  supper. 
Visited a pub where bar maid seemed quite interested in me.  then back  home
to more pinochle…damn.

MONDAY, JULY 25, 1960

Finished the long lines in the Kill forest and then entered the big bog.
The boys cut line as I followed with the Turam.  paid Mrs. Kennedy for the
rent of their vans…10 shillings = $1.40 more than reasonable.   Spent 
evening working on the instrument.  Then pinochle.

TUESDAY, JULY 26, 1960

We got a good early start and  managed to cover 18,000 feet of line.  Bitten and
scratched. 

We  passed over a  spot where a German bomber came down in World  War II and
all  escaped  alive.   Barney told me some of the crew visited Bonmahon recently.
Returned home to get mail from Alaska, Florida, Lake Louise and Toronto.  Marjorie
seems in a quandary about next year which is  disturbing.  

The boys  took me down to the pub for a Guinness.  Then one of the farmers
came in raising hell about his barley field which  we had trampled.

Letters from Jim Romaniuk and Mom.

WEDNESDAY  JULY 27, 1960

Rose at 6 a.m.  Pouring ran outside…a soft day in other words.  No chance
of taking day  off.  The boys are grumbling about conditions.  By noon we
were all thorooughly drenched so cancelled afternoon.

The boys  did not like working in the pouring rain.  I was used to doing that in Canada.

The staking crew revolted  when they saw I was gone and they also went home…
can’t blame them really.   In the afternoon John and I drove to Waterford to fix 
his car…Fiat.  I bought mom a  sweater … most expensive I could find at 61 shillings.

In the evening I tried to save as much cable as possible from the cattle.

Got word that job may end  in mid August.

THURSDAY   JULY 28, 1960

 rain again…Steady drizzle all day…but must work…boys grumbling as  rain soaked us.
Managed cover 10,000 feet of line even after the cattle had destroyed a large
section of your base line that had to be repaired first.  We are working in an
Irish  bog…kind they get peat from…ancient ..huge area.   Willy went up to
his waist in bog water on one occasion.  Nasty place.

FRIDAY JULY 29, 1960

Rose at 6 am and wrote for an hour or so.  Began my expense account.  Then
took the lads  out and finished the northern section.   Then we wound up the
base line cable which disappointed Tiny Tim who had to break up his camp
at the grounding rods.   Tim was hit on the head with a sickle … split his
head…made him limited in ability.   Nice kid but so shy he could not look
at me or talk.  Unsure if he can  speak.  Loves job though.  Moved  his
tend into new forested location.  

Had lunch overlooking the sea.  John Stam leaves  This Monday for
Amsterdam  which mean  I will be in charge.   So we went to Kirwin’s
and celebrated sort of with with Guinness as usual. All in good spirits.

SATURDAY JULY 30, 1960

Arose at 6 a.m. and began working at expense account again. Then  John
Stam  and I had a private discussion about the project.  By nine I was
on the job and covered a  fair bit of ground  by 1 p.m.

A bull nearly did  me in from behind but I heard him roar and was
able to dodge his charge.    The boys thought this was a safe field.
No damage but must be careful.  Once I am  harnessed  there is
no chance of  running.  Wonderfujldayh for working.   In  late afternoon
Barney and I visited  an  old adit that had been closed  for the past 50  years
or more.  Mystery legend  told to me by Barney. “Farmer lost a cow
up this  boreen…an old adit.  The cow went in and  could not get out.
died there.  Hidden under that patch of Gorse.   We hired a  man
to clear the spot just incase the legend was true.  We had high readings
over the spot.  Pressure of walled up water caused a minor
explosion of ancient mine water.  Man we hired fled. We let it drain
and  then walked in….yes,walkedin…and there about 60to 70 feet
inside was the skeleton of the cow.  We all shook Barney’s hand.

Cattle are curious  just like people….also omiverous just like  people

SUNDAY  JULY 31,  1960

Awoke at crack of dawn.  Writing.  Skipped church  much to the dismay
of  Bridey, Mrs.  Kennedy  and the boys.  I think I heard  the word Pagan
used in jest.  In the afternoon we drove to Tramore for miniature golf Then
to the pub to celebrates  John’s golfing victory before he left for Amsterdam.
We had  another lousy  greasy fish and chip meal in Tramore.

Another game of pinochle beside the fireplace. 

Tomorrow I will be in charge of the project.  Flattered to be trusted.
Big shoulders.  

MONDAY  AUGUST 1, 1960

Dr. John Stam…off to Amsterdam

Saw John Stam off to Amsterdam.  Braidy cried…hated to see him go.
Got good  start on the job…mended a number of cable breaks.  Everything
seemed to be going well until noon when we were stopped dead by
five farmers who refused to let us on their land.   Tense situation.
Lasted for two hours.  Stand off ended when they realized I was
willing to pay damages.  Farmers…O;Sullivan brothers,  Casey, Welsh,
Fling, Magnar.   Managed  to get some work done in the fields.
Then at night I  started to do  the calculations and plotting.

Farmer Casey came around  drunk and demanding money.

Would YOU expect to be paid if a  mining company came and dug up your farm?  Of  course you would

TUESDAY, AGUSUT 2, 1960

Spent very busy day…10,800 feet of line…had four cable breaks
….cattle…no end  to it…they eat cable everything day then regurgitate
balls of copper wire and plastic.   Little wonder the farmers are upset.
Must plan a way to pay them same amount … big mistake if one farmer
gets more than others.

Washed  and shaved quickly then John  Hogan drove me to Killmacthomas
to see a travelling circus…the John Duffy circus…We sat in the 6 shilling
special reserve  seats.  I felt more like a  spectacle than the circus performers
as people in the unreserved seats stared at us  a lot. The circus was
great….clowns, jugglers, a grizzly bear, horses and  lots of girls.

Below are two pictures of Tom Duffy’s circus…John Duffy might have been  a relative.


www.dochara.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/duffy-340×230.jpg 340w, www.dochara.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/duffy.jpg 1181w” sizes=”(max-width: 691px) 100vw, 691px”>


END EPISODE 68

Fwd: EPISODE 67 BUNMAHON, IRELAND “WE CSN CRAWL INTO THE OLD MINE THROUGH A HOLE”





EPISODE 67   BUNMAHON , IRELAND” “WE CAN CRAWL INTO THE OLD MINE THROUGH A HOLE”


UNDERGROUND WITH BARNEY DWAN


alan skeoch
June 2020

BARBET  DWAN…”I KNOW HOW  TO GET INTO THE OLD MINE”


THE  RUINS OF THE KNOCKMAHON MINE


THE HOLE BARNEY FOUND…LED INTO THE OLD MINE

“I know where there’s a hole.”
“A hole ?”
“Yes,, a hole in the cliff.”
“So?”
“So we can squeeze through the hole and get into the old mine.”
“You must be kidding, Barney”
“No,  I’ve crawled  into the hole many times.”
“Why?”
“Curiosity.”
“Can you take me there?”
“Sure, this Saturday if you want.”

SATURDAY JULY 23,1960

Note:  Saturday July 23, 1960, I was told  by Barney Dawn that it was
possible tp squeeze through an old adit (an air vent) and actually enter
te Knockmaon mine.   This event was a climax point in the Bunmahon
adventure.   I had a choice.  Take a risk and enter the mine.  Or
play  it safe and  do  nothing other than our surface work.  I chose
the risk taking venture.  Why?  Because I was 21 years old…young
and foolish.  Adventure seeking.  Crawling through that air vent
was not part of my job so, at first,  Barney, Andy and I did  it on evenings
or Sundays.  Later both John Hogan and Dr. John Stam decided
to get involved in underground exploration when we were made
aware of a legend lost cow in an old mine entrance inland from
the sea.   The results of that venture were startling.

So I have decided to give these ventures special consideration…and
a special heading.   A question for you to think about: Would you crawl
through that hole in the cliff face?   Would you do it when you were 21?

GOING UNDERGROUND WITH BARNEY 

That’s Barney Dwan relaxing on the cliffs he knew so well.  Just above him, almost invisible, is the entrance to our first underground

mine adventure.


“See the hole up there?”

“Looks like a break in the cliff face.”
“We can crawl in there quite a distance but
we’ll need flashlights.”
“And  maybe candles just in case the air turns bad.”
“And hard hats in case of trouble.”
“Trouble?”
“There are places  where the ceiling has collapsed..we may  
have to crawl over the rubble…some might be loose.”
“Barney, let’s just keep our options open…if we find  a collapse we can
back our way out.   If we crawl over a collapse then escape is less likely
in case of trouble.”
“Fine.  Only one touchy area and I’ve squeezed over it several times.  Safe
I would  say.”
 

Initially John Stam and john Hogan were not aware of  the mine adits.  When  they discovered we could check  out anomalies
easier than digging trenches they became interested.  Which  led to the legend of cow (still to come).


(And so it began.  Exploration of a different sort.  I did not make a big deal  of our
plan to Dr. Stam or John Hogan.  Sort of a casual mention about an old mine adit
perhaps…”halfway  up the cliff  face directly below the mine ruins”.  Working underground
in abandoned  mines was not a new experience.  I spent a couple of weeks  underground
at Can Met uranium  mine at Elliot Lake.  That was exciting especially when our
flashlights were turned off.   Darkness like I  had  never seen before.  “Seen” is the wrong
word.  We got down deep in the mine using an elevator though.  In mining parlance the term
is ‘cage’ which has a foreboding ring to it. a stope as ceiling bolts gave way and a ceiling
collapsed.  Never close to us though. The pillars had been pulled as the mine was vacated.
Yes, disconcerting.  But Underground at Can Met there gave us
lots of room.  Room enough for mining machines to move along the passageways.  Like a 
highway.

In the Yukon we found some old mine workings that were hand dug but never really deep.
Inside the walls were protected from collapse because the  overburden was frozen deep enough.
That job was exciting in its own way.  Gold dust could be panned  and a few specks I sent
to Marjorie on strips of black electric tape.  More interesting to me on that job was the presence
of mastodon or hairy mammoth tusks and  bones.   The owner of Dublin Gulch had a pile of them leaning against his
cabin.  He gave me a mammoth  tooth about the size of a baseball glove.  Somebody stole it my first
year teaching at Parkdale C.I.

Underground at Knockmahon was considerably more intimidating because we could not stand up.
At times we walked hunched over.  At other times we crawled on all fours.  And, one, just once,
we squeezed on our stomachs through an area where the tunnel (the adit) had collapsed.  Squeezed is the 
right word as  you can see in the picture.  Just enough room to get to the other side.

I am not sure how far we got.   Perhaps to one of the vertical shafts.   At least I think that
was what we found.  We  were crawling along the horizontal adit and came upon a larger
shaft that went straight down vertically.   There was an old mine ladder lying across 
the shaft which we crawled over.  Sounds dangerous but the danger was minimal because
the shaft was filled with water.  The water was clear as  daylight in Our flashlight beams.

I think this shaft went down deep.  Perhaps 300 meters.  A long way down.  At the bottom
there would be passageways  that went under the Atlantic Ocean for some distance according
to mine records  at neighbouring Tankardstown Mine.   Pumps were installed to try and
keep the mine dry.  Sort of dry.  When mining was abandoned in the 1870’s the ocean
flooded all the deep workings.   (P.S.  A video has been made of the passageways and stopes
of the Tankardstown mine.  Just search he internet.)

This  ladder crosses the deep  shaft in the mine that bottomed  out about 300 meter below.  We used the ladder to cross
the shaft.  It was not as  dangerous as  it looked because the shaft was filled with crystal clear water.   We could swim across if
we so desired.


Barney, Andy and I crossed he shaft and continued deeper into the mine where we found
some abandoned  mine tools…shovels I seem to remember.  I think we reached the main
shaft through which the ore was lifted but I cannot be sure.  That was a long time ago.
Five years later, in 1965, I brought Marjorie and my brother to Bunmahon and  we crawled
back in this adit for a short way.  I think we stopped where the roof had collapsed.  By then
Marjorie had backed out remarking “This is crazy,” or some similar remark.  She climbed
down the seashore and waited for Eric and I to emerge.  There was one terrible stink
where Marjorie sat on a rock.  A big dead pig had floated in from the sea  or fallen off
the cliff.   Marjorie did not smell a thing because she was so worried  we would  never
emerge.


Below the cliffs were the broken bodies of  animals that fell.


This adit was remarkably beautiful inside.  In many places the walls were green from
Oxidized chalcopyrite    In other place a deep  dark blue.  And  still others were pinkish.
Samples have been removed  and photographed by the Copper Coast tourist promoters
and displayed today (2020) since the site has become attractive to the general public.
It is even possible to go deep in the mine on escorted tours that must provide access  from
the main  shaft area.  I am not sure if the mine has been drained but doubt it.  That would
cost too much  money for the limited  number of people that might be interested.

In 1960, when Barney and I got out of the adit, I told Dr. Stam  and John Hogan
about the colours on the adit walls.   They tried  to see if the old adit linked up with
some of the anomalies  we found.   We were already hiring crews to dig surface
trenches to check  out anomalies.  Barney’s ‘secret’ tunnels did the same thing with
less effort.

“Any more adits along the coast, Barney?”
“Yes.  There are two big ones almost directly behind  Kirwin’s pub.”
“Safe?”
“Think so…people once hid out in one of them.”
“Hid?”
“Time of the Trouble in the 1920’s…IRA men  lived there…stored
their weapons in one of them.”
“Who knows about them?”
“Everyone knows but they do not tell strangers.”
“Let’s take a look.”




Can you find the adit holes here?



This was an entrance at sea level.



Almost beside Bunmahon beach there was a huge gouge
in the rock.  Sort of a cave.   At the end of the cave was a
hole about five feet from the ground.  Small hole.  Smaller than
the other adit.   Not far inside it opened into a larger
room and then continued horizontally.  We did  not go
much  deeper because the second  adit was  much  more
interesting according to Barney.So  we moved along to
another, larger hole, about 6 feet above the ocean.  High enough that
the storm waves would not be a problem.


Here are three entrances.  The second  from bottom was the entrance we used lest the
sea tide flood the other while we were inside.


“Wow!  The adit leads  into this  large open room”
“Angled room…piles  of broken rock…with some kind
of iron machinery at the bottom”
“What’s down there?””
“May have been an ore crusher…not sure what is down at the bottom.”
“Is the place stable?”
“Don’t know.  Want to try to cross over….the adit continues on the other side.?”
“Sure…but slowly/“

(We had entered to large room about midway up the wall.  In front of us was
jumble of rocks with a 45 degree slope.  To reach the adit on the other side
we had to cross this talus  slope.  We did  so  carefully.  But not careful enough.)

“Damn…damn…damn…the rocks are moving…the whole
slope is tumbling down…”
“Stand still…do not move.”
“Trouble. Can we turn around?”
“Movement is slowing down.”
“Turn around…see if we can get back to the adit.”

(We made it back.   The rock  slide had taken us  down a few
feet before the ricks  got hung up. )

“Let’s get out of here.  Is this the IRA  hideout?”
“So I was  told.”
“On the other side of the loose rock.”
“Maybe.”
“is this your first time in here, Barney?”
“No.  But first time I tried to cross the boulders.”
“Are you putting me on, Barney?”
“Just saying what I was  told.  Apparently they 
lived here…even had  a stovepipe hole to let smoke
of  cooking and fireplace out above.””
“On the other side of the rock slope?”
“Apparently.”
“How did  they get across  when we could not?”
“Beas me.  I do not know.”

(That was  the end of seascape explorations.    Are the holes
sealed  up  now?  Probably. But I do not know. Tourists who want to 
enter Knockmahon mine must have an escort and  prior booking.
Barney Dwan is no loner available.    But Barney’s influence on
our project was not over yet.  His  biggest contribution came one
day when I mentioned we had a big anomaly up a boreen (valley)
about a mile or two North West of Bunmahon.)



Trenches were done at several locations just to check out the geology beneath anomalies
we discovered with the Turam.



“Well. Master Skeoch, there is a story about that place.. Once
around 1900 there was a mine opening dug into the hill.  But
it’s not there anymore because the farmer lost a cow in the
mine so he had the opening covered up with dirt and rocks
Now it’s overgrown with gorse and brush but I can show you
the spot.”

“John, we got big anomaly over there, Barney
says there was once a min opening.  Legend  about
a lost cow.  Is it worth checking out.”
“May as well. “
“Chasing a legend?”
“Let’s do it…Get one of the boys to dig there…will take
a few days…may prove nothing.”

“Dig here…clear the brush and dig straight into
the hill for few feet…see  what you can find.””
“Just me?”
“yes,  you will likely find nothing…then again you
might find a mine opening…maybe even a dead cow.”

(We all found this venture quite amusing.  But there was an 
anomaly … and  a  legend.   We did not hear anything for
two or three days.  Then one of the men came to the Kennedy
house.”


Legend had it that a  cow disappeared in this  old  mine adit (horizontal mine opening).   The legend
led us into one of the great adventures  of the job.


After 3 or 4 days the mine had  drained enough for us to enter.  John  Hogan and Barney Dwan with flashlight.




Other animals seemed to have been trapped here as well.  But where was the cow?

In the still air of a century, crystals had time to form.


Timbering was OK…not great, but OK.


Most of the legendary mine was slathered  with this material.


“He hit something big.”
“Who?” Where?”
“Digging job up he boreen…explosive.”
“Explosive?” 
“He was  digging when suddenly a river of water blasted  out…scared
him badly.  He ran.”

“When will he show up for his
money yet.”
“He will.”
“Must have been quite a scene…shoving the shovel blade into
the slil … then a blast of water under pressure.
“What will we do?”
“Let the shaft drains for a day or so…then we’ll all  go up there
and take a look.”


(Everyone was interested  in the discovery.  We walked inside a few
days  later.  A lot of muck.  Deep rust colour.  Some crystals that had
formed in the stillness of a century.  And best of all, we found the cow.  She
had got wedged in the tunnel…her hips.  She could  not get
out and there she was. Her bones told the story…confirmed the legend.)



And, sure  enough, there was the cow.  Her hip bones must have got caught.  And there she died.  


END EPISODE  67    UNDERGROUND WITH BARNEY DWAN

EPISODE 67 BUNMAHON, IRELAND “WE CSN CRAWL INTO THE OLD MINE THROUGH A HOLE”

John,  EPISODE 67 will be coming soon…but first let me introduce a change
in approach.  I will suspend the journal for a moment because this mine adventure
was  a major turning point in the project for me.  It was not company policy until
a little later.  Send the note below to our readers.

alan



EPISODE 67   BUNMAHON , IRELAND” “WE CAN CRAWL INTO THE OLD MINE THROUGH A HOLE”


alan skeoch
June 2020



“I know where there’s a hole.”
“A hole ?”
“Yes,, a hole in the cliff.”
“So?”
“So we can squeeze through the hole and get into the old mine.”
“You must be kidding, Barney”
“No,  I’ve crawled  into the hole many times.”
“Why?”
“Curiosity.”
“Can you take me there?”
“Sure, this Saturday if you want.”

SATURDAY JULY 23,1960

Note:  Saturday July 23, 1960, I was told  by Barney Dawn that it was
possum;e tp squeeze through an old adit (an air vent) and actually enter
te Knockmaon mine.   This event was a climax point in the Bunmahon
adventure.   I had a choice.  Take a risk and enter the mine.  Or
play  it safe and  do  nothing other than our surface work.  I chose
the risk taking venture.  Why?  Because I was 21 years old…young
and foolish.  Adventure seeking.  Crawling through that air vent
was not part of my job so, at first,  Barney, Andy and I did  it on evenings
or Sundays.  Later both John Hogan and Dr. John Stam decided
to get involved in underground exploration when we were made
aware of a legend lost cow in an old mine entrance inland from
the sea.   The results of that venture were startling.

So I have decided to give these ventures special consideration…and
a special heading.   A question for you to think about: Would you crawl
through that hole in the cliff face?   Would you do it when you were 21?

GOING UNDERGROUND WITH BARNEY 

(coming next)


*DATE ERROR CRRECTED…. EPISODE 66 BUNMAHON, IRELAND SUNDAY JUly 17, 1960 TO jJuly 22 1960 CATTLE CHOMPING AND CASTLES BURNING

DATE ERROR CORRECTED  … ORIGINAL HAD JUNE, SHOULD BE JULY


Begin forwarded message:


From: ALAN SKEOCH <alan.skeoch@rogers.com>
Subject: EPISODE 66 BUNMAHON, IRELAND SUNDAY JULY 17, 1960 TO CATTLE CHOMPING AND CASTLES BURNING
Date: June 15, 2020 at 9:00:16 PM EDT
To: Alan Skeoch <alan.skeoch@rogers.com>


EPISODE 66   BUNMAHON, IRELAND,     CATTLE CHOMPING , AND CASTLES BURNED


alan  skeoch
June 2020

Our crew assembling on a roadside.   The local newspaper from Waterford took this picture when they did a
long article on our poject.   I count 7 men here.  At one point I think we had 10 men employed.   Quite  a job to
keep  things  moving.  

SUNDAY, JULY 17, 1960

I’m getting to be familiar with Mass at St. Mary’s RC church but today
was a  cold weather experience….no heat in church.  What really amuses 
me at the church is  the Holy Water urn at the door.   My employees always
try to hit me with a handful.   Sometimes successful.

I spent the part of the day reading The Bramble Bush…very sad  book about mercy
killing, religions and, of  course, sex.  Not sure it was worth the time.  In the
afternoon we went down to Kirwin’s and Frank let us into the ‘secret’ room…the room has
connection with Time of the Troubles and the IRA.  I never know when 
people are telling the truth as they love mysterious stories.  Hard to imagine
Bonmahon people full of hatred.

Then I went for a walk on Bunmahon beach alone.  There were clusters
of people walking along the cliffs higher up.  Every evening. So I was not alone.
  A group of girls appeared  and greeted me by my name much  to
my surprise.  Scared me a bit really.  I think they used my first name, Alan,
rather than  the usual Master Skeoch.  Sounds odd to be called Master Skeoch
but it is very natural and I think a term of respect.   Certainly funny.
We  talked but I never quite understood  the accent.  Nice kids…a couple
of the girls were about my age.

Then around 9 p.m. a couple of the boys arrived to take me to a dance
in Tramore.  We had a grand time.  Dancing is a big time thing here in
Ireland.  Both of the ‘boys’ were older and married.

MONDAY, JULY 18, 1960

The sea was changeable.  In bad weather the waves came so far up the beach that our grounding rods were compromised. Waternever reached
the generator.  My fault for thinking grounding rods were secure.  


Today we attempted to lay a new base line east of Bunmahon.  Not easy.
Barney and I had to scale down a  200 foot cliff to get a good grounding
point.  I wish  I knew more about grounding.  Perhaps top of cliff would have
been fine.  Cliff climbing was frightening.  No sooner did we get the base line
in place than new herds of cattle began browsing on what looked  like special
food to them…our yellow wire.  Five cable breaks reduced  our daily mileage
to 3,100 feet.

I spent the evening working on my earphones and then Mrs. Kennedy
asked me to repair her vacuum cleaner.

I think this lad’s name was Tim.  He never spoke to me but loved the job.  I am not sure
he could speak.  Maybe he was  just shy.   He sure was  dependable…almost like he was
camping at our motor generator.


Bunmahon has quite a few handicapped  people.   We hired one young
lad to guard our motor generator.  He is handicapped.  Overjoyed to have
a job so  he set up a campsite beside the motor generator   Very cute.
I estimate there are 5 severely handicapped people in and around the village.

TUESDAY, JULY 19. 1960

This was  our first full working day  on new base line.  Disappointing. The local
cattle destroyed 1,500 feet of new cable…wire a jumble as  cattle dragged
lengths of the cable into a tangled mess.  Then they ate some.  

Worse still today the ocean got to our grounding rods.  My error. Relocated
them.  By 11 a.m. we were ready to try to get some readings done.  Managed
to do four lines.  Not bad.  



Passed through  a tiny chapel with an ancient graveyard…all that remains
of a monastery.  The boys told me the “chapel jumped across the stream”
and that is why it was saved.  Believe it or not.  

Returned home quite pleased with the day.  Mrs. Kennedy assured  me she
now had enough peanut butter as she drove to Waterford where it was
sent from Dublin.  Nice of her.  Seems she did  know about peanut butter’s
existence.  Sometimes her dialect confuses me but she is a quite outstanding
woman and certainly has strong opinions about human behaviour.  Neither
she wore her husband go to Kirwin’s pub.  She disapproves of local  people
spending money there because they have so little money.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 1960

John Stam and John Hogan drove to St. Patrick’s, a mining community,
in search of more business for the Turam…or maybe just curiosity.

The boys and i pushed  the distance we could be from the electrified
base line.  I was able to read a signal at 4300 feet. but only faintly. We
usually terminate the lines at 3,000 feet distant at a right angle from the base line.

Dr. Stam thinks some of our anomalies merit deeper consideration so
we have hired more men to did trenches down to bed rock just in
case there are mineralized exposures.  I visited our first trench today
where we found a little quartz exposed.  I do  not know if this was
important or not.

What is most amusing, however, is  the way  a herd of pigs clustered
at the top of the trench while the men were digging.  Barney thinks
some pigs are dangerous but this group were just curious.  When I get
strapped in to the Turam receiving coil and console  and battery pack
I cannot get away should  the pigs let hunger trump curiosity.


Barney tells me stories endlessly.  Always with the hint of a smile so i am never sure what to
believe.  The pig story for instance.  He mentions it every time we meet a gang of pigs.
“Story is told of a Nun taking a short cut to church across a farm field.  The pigs got
her. All that was found were her boots with her feet in them.”  Chuckle…chuckle.  

Took a  bath tonight.  Needed it

THURSDAY, JUlY 21, 1960

Today  we entered  the O’Shea  forest at Garnemorris.  Purgatory
would be nicer than this expanse of tangled Holly and Ivy.  Dense.
Higher than any person on our crew and  difficult to cut.  All part of
of a large heavily treed  forest.   Part of the 1500 acre O;Shea estate.




The manor house was set on fire in 1922 by IRA members protesting
the large landowners wealth at the expense of ordinary Irish who lived
in poverty.  Must check out the name “Power O’Shea”.

Mr. Cunningham arrived to check out our Turam  work . He represents
the Geological Survey of Ireland.   We picked up a hue anomaly.  Not sure
if reading is  reliable though as  signal was  very weak due to leak.

We  had to give up around 3 p.m. because foliage was  so dense we
could hardly move and I was not sure the compass baring was accurate
when the lines were cut.

NOTE:  Before we attempt to ‘read’ the Turam, a linocutting crew is 
sent to cut and mark lines 3,000 feet on either side of the electrified base 
line.   The line cutters pound in stakes marking  50 or 100 feet 
‘stations’  as they proceed.  Usually a  two or three man crew do this
using a compass for accuracy…ie. to ensure the lie is straight.  In the
O’shea forest errors occurred because straight line compass sightings
were difficult.

page1image2866760544

Fener Bog, County Waterford…where Larry Dey
got caught and was sinking. Fenor Bog began to grow 10,000 years in a lake basin at the bottom

of Ballyscanlon Hill. Peat – the partially rotted remains of plants filled the basin to form a raised bog. 

In historic times the bog was cut by local people. The turf removed was used to heat family homes. 

About 100 years ago, turf cutting ceased and the bog began to regenerate into the wet fen habitat we see today. 



Larry Dey got stuck in the Fener bog hole today.  He was trapped and
sinking when Johny came along and pulled him out.  Probably would
not have sunk much deeper.  But bogs can paralyze.


FRIDAY,  JULY 22, 1960

We got an early start today   

The day  was  full of troubles as rhe staking crew were inaccurate due
to the heavy forest and low brush and bog vegetation.  Very difficult to
keep the lines  straight.   I was irritated but should not have been 
since the crew tried hard to keep at right angles to base line. 
I should not have been angry…but the feeling of responsibility overcame
good sense … and good public relations.   


WHAT HAPPENED IN THE TIME OF THE TROUBLES?

File:A family pose beside a make-shift shelter Alexander Street, Waterford, Ireland, 1920s (6805869735).jpgupload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b9/A_family_pose_beside_a_make-shift_shelter_Alexander_Street%2C_Waterford%2C_Ireland%2C_1920s_%286805869735%29.jpg/1575px-A_family_pose_beside_a_make… 2x” data-file-width=”2485″ data-file-height=”1890″ class=””>
Pictured above are three generations  of a poverty stricken Waterford family living under a old tarpaulin.
The picture may have been  staged somewhat .  photo credit 1900 to 1920 by a reporter associated
with the IRA movement.

NOTE:   While there were almost constant references to the “time of the Troubles” by
our Irish  hosts, the Kennedy family…and also by our work force and people at Kirwin’s
pub, these comments were never made in a hostile manner.  The Irish were warm and
fun loving in my experience. When one  of our workers father died  i went to the
wake which was a warm tribute to the man… feeling of warmth…of acceptance…of sincere interest. It was
very hard for me to visualize either the  potato famine of the 1840’s or the violence of
the move to independence in the 1920’s.   But there were definitely bad times.





The mention by Mrs. Kennedy that the O’Shea manor house had been burned by he IRA
in 1922 was an offhand remark. I thought it might be an isolated event.  Wrong. In the Time
of the Troubles  IRA men burned 274 Irish mansions mostly owned by Protestant Irish (many
of  them former English).  The goal  was to get land back to Irish  peasant farmers but much of
that had already been done.  A Land Reclamation program had been redistributing land for
some time.  As a result  The burnings backfired on the IRA since many jobs on these 
estates were lost. That was the 1920’s. But the IRA was making a point no matter what the cost.

So in the 1920’s many great mansions were lost.   In the 1950’s and the 1960’s the same thing
was happening to  English country houses
by the hundreds….in1955 one was being demolished  every five days… auctioning contents
 and demolition because aristocratic  families
lost their heirs in the World  Wars or the owners could no longer pay the taxes on big estates
that amounted  unto 65% Succession duties.  In  both cases…Irish violence and  English post war
poverty resulted in the loss of hundreds of magnificent buildings.  National treasures gone.

(Later I hoped to visit the Eywood Estate in England which was demolished  in 1955.  My grandfather
Edward Freeman  had been he head  gardener on the estate  Mom was born there.  I wondered
what would be left standing.  I knew the huge country house was gone.  Was it all gone?)




How much of this violence happened near Bunmahon in the 1920’s?   Two events stand  out.

1) THE BURGERY AMBUSH:
(Dungarven)

“On the night of 18–19 March 1921, IRA volunteers of the West Waterford flying column ambushed a British military convoy at the Burgery, about a mile and a half northeast of Dungarvan. The convoy included Black and Tans and a Royal Irish Constabulary Sergeant, named Michael Hickey.[2] In overall command of the IRA unit was IRA GHQ Officer George Plunkett. Also present were West Waterford Brigade Commandant Pax Whelan, ASU leader George Lennon, and Mick Mansfield. A British Crossley tender was set on fire and prisoners taken by the IRA, including Sergeant Hickey. Hickey was later killed by an IRA firing squad[3] with a sign reading “police spy” affixed to his tunic. He was later buried in an unmarked grave.[2] Other prisoners including Captain DV Thomas, the commander of the British garrison, were released.
After the ambush, a group of volunteers under Plunkett returned to search for any armaments left behind by the British forces. Crown forces who were now searching the area engaged the IRA party; IRA volunteers Seán Fitzgerald and Pat Keating were shot dead. A Black and Tan, Constable Sydney R. Redman[3] was shot dead during the return fire.”  Wikipedia


2)  BURNING OF THE POWER O’SHEA ‘BIG HOUSE
(This mayor may not be the O’Shea big  house  (Country House, Mansion…other terms).  After the fire the 
house was  rebuilt and repaired)

The ‘big house’ on the O’Shea estate was one of the nearly 300 country houses set on fire by the IRA in the 1920’s…set on fire  because they were symbols of
the English oppression of the Irish.  The OShea  house was only partially destroyed so it was subsequently rebuilt.  Lost in the fire, however, were the artworks
and the library.  Other Country Houses had a much darker fate .. i.e. totally destroyed.
Quote below:

QuoW “

Ballynastragh House depicted in 1826, typical of the “Big Houses” targeted by the IRA.

 “By the start of the Irish revolutionary period in 1919, the Big House had become symbolic of the 18th and 19th-century dominance of the Protestant Anglo-Irish class in Ireland at the expense of the native Roman Catholic population, particularly in southern and western Ireland.[4]
The Anglo-Irish, as a class, were generally opposed to the notions of Irish independence and held key positions in the British administration of Ireland. The Irish nationalist narrative maintained that the land of Irishmen had been illegally stolen from them by the landowning aristocracy, who had mostly arrived in Ireland as Protestant settlers of The Crown during the late 16th and 17th centuries. The Irish Big House was at the administrative centre of the estates of the landowners, as well as being the family seat from which the Anglo-Irish exerted their political control over the island.[5]
This perception was popularly held by nationalists, despite a considerable increase in Irish landownership in the previous decades due to the Irish Land Acts. Whereas in 1870, 97% of land was owned by landlords and 50% by just 750 families, by 1916, 70% of Irish farmers owned their own land.[6] Catholics had been emancipated in 1829 and the political dominance of the Anglo-Irish in Ireland had consequently declined following the electoral successes of the Catholic nationalist Irish Parliamentary Party through much of the 19th century.[7]
The former Protestant Ascendancy had lost its economic power following the Great Famine of 1845-49, and the Long Depression of the 1870s; and then lost its political power after the Representation of the People Act 1884. By 1915 the Irish Land Commission had transferred over 60% of Irish farmland to tenant farmers, leaving most of the former landed gentry with a house and a home farm known as a “demesne”. The former landlords could afford to employ gardeners and household staff as they had received, as a group, the equivalent of over €60 billion (in 2019 euro).[8] Burning country houses from 1919 was therefore largely symbolic, and removed the former landlords’ capital from the Irish economy when they emigrated, as well as ending the employment of thousands of their staff, with an inevitable knock-on effect on local economies. “ (wikipedia)

Bonmahon was not such a peaceful friendly place  in the years of the Great Potato Famine much
of which was blamed on the English.  Negative  comments made in the 1850’s by the local Protestant minister
in Bonmahon, Rev. Doudney. who left  Bonmahon in 1857 nearly triggered  a blood bath but that
could be an exaggeration.   No one seems to have lost their life.  People just moved  on.


Postcard pictures of Bonmahon between 1900 and1920’s.  Mr. and
Mrs.  Kennedy’s home survived but other homes were gone by 1960



END EPISODE 66



EPISODE 65 BUNMAHON IRELAND JULY 5, 1960 TO


NOTE:  All jobs  eventually become routine.  Our job had many failures but those
became routine.  Our enemy was not the weather or the IRA.  Our enemies were the cattle
of Ireland.  

Marjorie thinks some of these stories are too long…so I will shorten the Episodes…which
means there will be more Episodes.  Lots of weird things happened that should keep
your attention

alan 


EPISODE 65   BUNMAHON , IRELAND   JULY  5,1960 TO JULY 16, 1960


alan skeoch
June 2020


Behold…THE enemies we had to face every single day.  Above.

TUESDAY  JULY 5, 1960

Stan Holmes is a very interesting man who has been to every corner of
the earth.  

We put in a long day today which included wading across a river.  Cold
and depressing but still managed to do  6 lines…a record so far on this  job.
A  long walk home…we really should have a car on this job.  Did you know
that there are more cattle in Ireland than people?  4.5 million cattle and
2.5 million people.  Supper was  very nice…food and  stories …tales
of  Bombay and Casablanca.   John Hogan seems nervous with Stan
Holmes…why?  Insecure?   

Big tide is  coming which makes me  worry about our motor generator
…too close to the sea.  No mail for past two days.

WEDNESDAY  JULY 6, 1960

Everything seemed to be going well today until 3 p.m. when we had
another cable break…cattle chewing cable I imagine.  So I let the men
off for rest of  day.   John Stam had  a  phone call from Waterford
asking me to demonstrate the Ronka.  Hitch hiked all the way but
had to walk  all 11 miles  back  to Bunmahon.  My feet were so  sore
I could barely climb the stairs.

Stan  Holmes entertained us with stories of the hill people of
Tennessee.

THURSDSAY ,  JULY 7, 1960

Got up late.  Had one hell of  a  day…hot as hubs of hell.
Cattle were running through our cable…broke it in 8 places which
was damn  maddening . Result was we only completed  400 feet 
of  line.    We saw plenty of rabbits.   I made an arrangement to
rent Mr. Kennedy’s  van which looks  like a relic  of the 1930’s…floorboards
gone in place so  we can see the road  go by under our feet.  John Hogan
and  Stan Holmes left for Wales.  No idea  why.

John Stam and I has long discussion  of  Catholic Church and
bias in education.  Relaxed discussion   Mrs. Kennedy  arrived with
tea for us  and she joined the discussion.

FRIDAY,  JULY 8, 1960



Herds of cattle were the biggest problem on the job.  Count these cattle.  They are likely
carrying balls  of copper wire in their first stomach (cattle have two stomachs) which they
will regurgitate.  They made work nearly impossible at times



Got an early start but had mystery problem with our Base Line Cable.
An  invisible break in the copper line but no brisk in the yellow insulation.
We spent two hours tracing down the break.  Cattle did  it again.
The ocean is  a beautiful blue today. Most of  our work was done
on the hill that rises over Bunmahon village.  Stunning vista.

Spent part of the evening repairing cable heading.  Then John
and  I went to the pub for a Shandy.   Returned  and read a
bit about World War II.   I hear stories about German bombers
ditching in Ireland…one right on Bunhmahon beach.

Mr. Kenneday asked for a demonstration of our Turam
equipment.

SATURDAY  JULY 9, 1960

Got an early start.  But all in vain.  Hoped to finish part lines and
get start on full lines but failed  as we had two breaks in the base line cable.
It might be worth hiring kids to patrol the base line and keep herds of
curious cattle away.  But that won’t happen.  

Horse  drawn caravans like this  could be rented for a  leisurely tour of Ireland.  No danger of thievery in that case.  Real  gypsy  (Tinker)
caravans were a different matter.    They look the same really.  

A gypsy caravan moved into Bunmahon today.  The Irish  call the Gypsies
“Tinkers” and  are a little nervous concerning them…thieves many think.

In the afternoon I drove the Kennedy van into Waterford which
was  quite exciting .  “When will the truck quit?” that thought was on
my mind all the time we were moving.  “Keep moving”  When I stopped
the truck ….it quit …snd each time I had to get out and start it again
with the crank.  That happened at stop lights especially.  Maddening
but also amusing.  Three features of the truck   1) quitting suddenly
2) smoke coming from the engine.    3) wobbly steering.
Managed to get the Ronka back from the possible client in
Waterford…arrived home at 6 pm. and fell asleep immediately.

We  rented this  panel van from Mr Kennedy occasionally.  It was not dependable.  Every time we stopped at a stop sign
or behind a herd of cattle, the van stopped and someone had to get out and crank.  This is  John Stam’s turn.

Heavy rain helped me sleep.  did not need to count sheep.

SUNDAY  JULY 10, 1960

The sea  is  very rough today.  Another of those so called  ‘soft’ Irish  
days which means it is  pouring rain.   John Stam and I walked to St. Mary’s
church in Knockmahon…on the east side of the Mahon River.  The church
was full to capacity.   Funny how I have become immune to the stares of
the local  people…probably the staring is  caused by the fact I do  not know
when to kneel and when to sit back so I only sit back.

My confidence in our cook was  somewhat shaken today when a
rather large gray worm peeped  at me from a piece of pork.

The new pub law came into effect today  and disrupted the social 
life of Bunmahon

I got the resistivity motor generator in operational  order today.

Then I had my first bath in two weeks.


MONDAY JULY 11, 1960

The spring tide rolled in today flooding our grounding site …motor 
generator got wet…caused  fluctuations in  the voltage.  Salt Water.
But we still managed  to do 6 fill-in lines.

We  found one good sized  anomaly in farmer Fitszgerald’s pig pen.
Speaking of pigs  we also saw a boar with its  ears ripped  off  from fighting.

In the afternoon I tripped and fell  into a thorn hedge.  Two thorns went through
my pants into by knee.  About 1 inch deep.   Barney had to pull three times
to get one of the thorns out of my flesh.   Gouged out.  Severe pain in
the evening.  Mrs.  Kennedy applied a poultice .  I don’t think I will be
able to work tomorrow.

TUESDAY, JULY 12, 1960

My leg  is  better as  I can now hobble around….but very slow going. To make
matters worse we had many cable breaks.  Maybe copper wire and yellow plastic is
tastier than it seems.  Cattle.  Job is getting routine now so we expect massive delays
as just part of doing business.  

We passed through an ancient fort today.   How ancient?

John Hogan returned from London  with many stories and a few 
goodies  such as a copy of the June issue of Playboy.  The cover passed
censorship.   Confiscated other things such as  liquor.

Today is  the twelfth of July…Celebrated in Northern Ireland but not even
mentioned  down here.  

I picked three ticks out of my legs this evening.  Nasty little things that are
almost invisible going in the leg…but bloated with blood coming out  Thankfully
these three did not get a good start so easy to remove.

Line mileage covered   4,800 feet





Picture 1 of 6
This is the july 1960 cover of Playboy Magazine which John Hogan smuggled  into Ireland when
he returned from London.   Not very revealing so the border censors let it through.  Collectors copy
today.  


WEDNESDAY  JUNE 13, 1960

Started doing the short lines today…short because of obstructions such as a cliff.
Covered all short lines on the west side in the morning then had lunch  with
the boys on the sea  shore  Like a big tourist picnic.  Stunning beauty with no sign
of any other living creatures.
Brisk  offshore breeze made big waves.  I  wondered why  Barney sat on top of 
the cliff during lunch.  “The girls are changing into bathing suits behind the rocks,
Master  Skeoch…should have told you earlier….  I  gave them all a whistle.”
 Now that could have got
me into serious trouble, glad Barney did not tell me.

Just a fast note about my lunch.  Mrs. Kennedhy makes me an elaborate
lunch each day, often she favour lobster meat sandwiches which I do not
like.  Sounds great…lobster.  But hard to eat.  Ticklish situation but I
asked her if she could  make peanut butter sandwiches  
“Never heard of peanut butter”  So she ordered it from Dublin.  Today
I had peanut butter by the sea shore while Barney ogled  the girls.

The afternoon turned very stormy  bit we kept working which did not
please the crew.  Managed  to get all west side of Mahon River completed.
(more a creek than a river).   We vsisited the 1500 acre estate of Major O’Shea 
which was  burned by the IRA in 1921.John.

Tomorrow John wants me to use the resistivity unit which is a new 
one on me so I am studying the electronics  manual.

I asked Mrs Kennedy to mend  my trousers that were torn after too
many brushes  with the Gorse.

THURSDAY JUNE 14, 1960

AH, what a day…up early in morning, wrote some letters and then got
the crew organized for the day.  Andy must overhaul the resistivity engine
as there is rust in the fuel pump from just sitting around and not being
used.  Perhaps problem in tank as  well.

We finished the Turam statins  on the salt flats quicklythen Ilet the boys knock off
until noon while I worked on the  resistivity  set up.   Motor is  not operational  so
went back  to the Turam in the afternoon.  Not nice work as we 
had three rainstorms.   I managed to sew up my pants in the evening.
Got letter from home today.

Tommy and  Andy took up to a pub in Ballyaneen…a singing pub.
Delightful folk songs sung by everyone.  Andy wanted me to take
one of the local girls  on a date…Anne Porter.   Not such a good idea.

FRIDAY JUNE  15, 1960

Slept Late in my nice warm bed while cold winds blowing from the sea
We still cannot get the resistivity motor working.

Mrs. Kennedy told us that there  were living ghosts prowling around…
I am not sure if  she was a believer or not.  Then John Hogan said
that ghost stories were told by local miners to disguise  places
in the Knockmahon or Tankardstown mines where high grade ore
had  been found.  Now that makes  sense.  Ghost stories were  
profitable.

SATURDAY JUNE 16, 1960


Mahon River, County Waterford…flow through the centre of our survey area.
I fell into the river once…but not from these high cliffs…much lower cliff
face…not dangerous but wet.

Started early today reclaiming base line cable.   Wire  got snagged
in Mahon river bottom so Tom had to wade in to cut the snag…sounds
simples but area was thick with Gorse (Brier) and Tom was bleeding
by time job was done.    I slipped and fell headlong down
cliff face  into the Main River.  Had to wade  down the river to meet the
boys.

A storm blew up in afternoon …violent wind.  at home we lit
a fire in the fireplace…imagine that in mid July.   In evening
Andy. Barney and I went to Bjuckley’s pub…the Anglican
pub in Bunmahon.  We played game of  football ,,, Pub was
nearly  empty.

END  EPISODE 66   BUNMAHON, IRELAND   JULY 5 TO JULY  16, 1960

EPISODE 63: BUNMAHON JUNE18, 1960 to June 23, 1960

EPISODE 63    BUNMAHON, IRELAND,  JUNE 18 TO JUNE      1960


alan skeoch
June 2020

Dunhill Castle…I think this is the castle attacked by Oliver Cromwell in 17th century.  Ruins on way to Tramore from Bunmahon.
(as told to me by Mrs. Kennedy)

The Kennedy family who hosted us while we did the Turam survey in Bunmahon, Ireland.   Gerald in the foreground
was a constant companion.  Mrs  Kennedy was  the town leader.


Saturday June 18, 1960

“Got up at 8.00 a.m. Late.  Out on job by 9, worked until 3 pm.  extending base line
from 2400 to 7600 feet over and  through some very rough patches of Gorse  (Briar)
and  Nettles.   Herds of cattle at various places in he open gulches.  Will cattle be
a problem?  Unsure. John Stam and I had a discussion about the project.  We returned
to the pub for lunch which  included  a 2 shilling bottle of Cidona (sparkling cider).
Returned to our rooms for a bath and  also washed  some clothes.  Then changed
quickly for a drive to Tramore for games  of miniature golf and an elaborate 5  course
dinner not including our beer.  Cost 12 shillings, sixpence. Then carried on to
Waterford for Creme de Menthe and  a movie (Carry on Nurse).  Big time Saturday
night.  Quite a  contrast to my evenings  in Dublin.”

One  of the men we hired.  Named John.    Look at the greenery.  Imagine trying to get through this with the Turam console.  Often
these walls of green were made of Gorse  (Brier)…thousands  of needles.

Sunday, June  19, 1960


That is St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church in distance….and ing line of row housing on the left.  Housing may  die back
to time when Bunmahon was thriving mining community of 2,000 people.  Picture taken from ruin at back of Kennedy  home where
we lived.


“Today i  attended Mass for the first time in my life.  St. Mary’s Catholic Church in
Bunmahon is a very simple kind of building that was once the Temperance Hall
back in 19th century when a spirited reformer persuaded the poor paid miners
to stop wasting their money on beer and whisky.  Stam and  Hogan are both
practising Catholics.  We exchange points of view often in a friendly way.
Going to Mass was not exactly my idea.  Bridey, our maid, arrived in my bedroom
this morning…ripped off the quilt…and firmly said “Time for Mass!”  She would
not take no for an answer.  The more I thought about the more I realized she
was correct.  If we are going to work together in Bunmahon then Mass  on 
Sundays would help a lot.  Not a very religious point of view I know that.
Played cards all afternoon then went to Kirwin’s pub for a pint.  Stayed there
for some time then went for a walk along the sea shore which
comes right up to the back of the pub.  Startled to find a huge cast iron
explosive mine that must have floated to the beach in World War I or World
War II.  Empty of  course. But huge. 

World War II floating mine … empty.   Sits on Bunmahon beach.



Talled tp Mrs/ Kemnedy  about Dunhill castle which was stormed by
Oliver Cromwell way  back in the 1660’s.  She  also got around to mentioning
the MacPhare group, a Canadian mining company that she said set
a bad example for Canadians.  I think she liked  us  better…not carousing
around but spending spare time playing pinochle and miniature golf.
When she discovered I was a Presbyterian she said “a Presbyterian built
the new bridge across the Mohan river’  to which  John Hogan responded
with “Christ that bridge will never last long.”

I am getting damn tired  of  playing pinochle every free moment.
But i guess that is better than spending time an money in Kirwin’s
like most of the local drinkers do.  They really cannot afford it.
Joke I was told tonight: “A visitor asked When do pubs close?”
Irish response, “I don’t rightly know…think September”
Not so funny.  The Irish do  like telling stories and jokes. I  rather
enjoy that although the dialect is sometimes hard to understand.

MONDAY JUNE 20, 1960

“Arose early and wrote Marjorie.  Another Beautiful sunny day. We managed
to cover 12,000 feet of line.  John Stam came with me.  We now have
three local employees…Andy, John and Larry.  Tough land today so
did not get as much done as we had hoped.  Took over with Brunton
compass for first time.  Worked right through lunch for first time…stopped
at 6 p.m.  Returned  to Bunmahon to get official notice from Arbuckle and
company to say Turam would arrive tomorrow. Stopped at pub for a beer
then home for a grand supper made by Mrs.  Kennedy. I think she likes
having us in her house because we do  not carouse around although 
we do visit the pub of which  I am sure she disapproves.  Back to Kirwin’s
pub after supper and Mr. Kirwin  showed  me his collection of old
weapons.

A rather well off man arrived  with his dog and a  shotgun. Dog
took a fancy to me.  Better the dog than the shotgun.
Four girls sit on the bench  outside Kirwin’s each  night.
They seem very interested..   We had another round  of pinochle.
The village is  coming  alive as we are providing work for more
and more men.  Terribly low wages.  Embarrassingly so.  How can
a  man  earning only a pound (about $2.50 to $3) a day afford to
drink a pint of  Guinness regularly at the pub?

TUESDAY JUNE 21, 1960

THE TURAM FINALLY ARRIVED…LOTS OF CRATES.

Today I went to Waterford to get the crates of Turam equipment.
Hired the local publicans, Frank  and Kevin, along with their
ancient Ford panel van.  Picked  up everything including  gas and oil
then  took the boys to a local pub for a drink.  Bad decision because
the pub chosen  was a political  hangout.  Did not feel welcome.
Strange  to call Frank and Kevin ‘boys’ since they are twice my
age or more.  Of course the  word ‘boys’  here  in Ireland is not
an age  term.  Unpacked the crates  in the back shed
of the Kennedy store/farm (it is both).  Shed has become my
office where the men meet every day before work.  Hired two
men to help me clean  out the shed and set up a kind  of
shipping clerks desk.  Andy Kirwin is so shy that he cannot
even speak to me.  Tom Powell is the  reverse. Not sure
which I prefer.   John (Irish employee) returned after coiling
15,000 feet of  insulared wire we had just laid down. Tangled
as  a result. 

Big rolls of single line insulated cable became our base line.  This  roll is mounted on a back pack.  Some 15, 000 feet needed. Unfortunately
herds of cattle loved eating the cable.  When generator was working and a cow or steer bit into the cable there was enough shock to knock
the animal down…or so I was told by local  farmers irate at what was  happening.



Wrote letter home after trying a new drink called a shandy…lemonade
and ale.  Nice to have clean clothes to wear thanks to Bridey  and 
Mrs.  Kennedy.   Examined  that big explosive mine on the Bunmahon 
beach.  Locals said it was from World War II

THE TURAM  EXPLAINED
(Some readers may want an  explanation)
Bill Morrison  taught me how to set up and  operate the Turam when we worked together 
in Alaska…summer 1959.   Once strapped into the Turam mobility was very limited.  The
long white tube is  filled  with coiled copper wire…very heavy.  Note the cable.   My partner
keeps a100 foot separation .  He also  has a tube like mine.  A heavy battery pack is attached
to my belt at the back.  See if you can find my field note book.
 In Alaska it was hopeless to run from a bear.   In Ireland it was
super difficult to climb the stone fences  covered with Gorse.  Neeldes by the thousands.


Some readers may wonder “What on earth is a  Turam?”   I wondered the same thing when
sent to Alaska in the summer of  1959 with a 5 man “Turam” crew.  That summer I learned
how to conduct a  Turam survey which sounded very complicated.  The practical side of
doing difficult tasks was easy.  I did  not have to know  everything about the physics of the
Turam.   All I had  to do  was copy down the correct readings at hundred feet stations
and then turn the numbers over to expert geophysicists who did the interpretation.  Even
the interpretation was rather simple.  We were looking for anomalies.   High readings
that were unusual when compared to the background readings.  In this way it was possible
to find  areas of high conductivity as would happen if there was a big lump of chalcopyrite 
beneath my feet.  The Turam could detect such at depths as much as  400 feet
according to the manual.  

There you have it.  You are now an ‘instrument’ man or woman.  (Not that simple…there
were lots  of problems as you will see if you continue to read  my Irish journal).  Below
is the Wikipedia explanation of the Turam.  It is a bit more complicated than  my explanation.

No  doubt my former boss, Dr. Norman Paterson, will be sending me corrections.  He is
thriving and  has recently written a fascinating book on our years of mining exploration
in which I had a very tiny part. 

 Book:  MINING GEOPHYSICS: A  CANADIAN STORY,
by Norman Reed Paterson, published by Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum, 2019.

alan

Turam operating in an Irish grain field.  I do not know if we paid for damages.


The Turam method is one of the oldest geophysical electro-magnetic methods used for mineral exploration, devised by Erik Helmer Lars Hedstrom in 1937.[1] Its name is derived from Swedish “TU” (two) and “RAM” (frame), referring to the two receiving coils.

Method[edit]

An insulated cable a few hundred meters to several kilometers long is laid parallel to the geological strike direction. The cable is either grounded at both ends or laid out in a large loop, and energized at low frequencies (less than 1 kHz). Two receiving coils are moved on lines outside of and perpendicular to the long side of the loop or grounded cable and two components of the resultant field are measured. The primary field generated by the large loop or cable interacts with the soil and subsoil and with a conductive body if present which could be a mineral and creates a resultant electromagnetic field. The electromagnetic field is measured according to two values: the Field Strength Ratio and the Phase Difference occurring between the two receiving coils . It is a fixed source horizontal loop method. Separation of the two moving coils is usually from 10 to 30 metres. Using an AC bridge (also called compensator bridge), Field Strength Ratio is measured in percent and Phase Difference in degrees. In-phase (Real) and quadrature (Imaginary) values can be calculated from these data. Observed field strength ratio readings are used to calculate reduced ratios using a formula determined by the loop size and shape or the grounded wire length and the position of the receiving coils relative to the loop or grounded wire. The Turam method is a frequency domain method and in a way is the precursor of the time domain fixed loop methods. It is claimed to have detected large flat lying conductors to a depth of 400 metres.

Aside:  I can drive a car even though I do not know the ins and outs of the internal combustion engine.  Same as you.  I also  got to know that there was a master cylinder in our
old 1953 Meteor.  This cylinder controlled the brakes.  It was  leaking so I had to pump the brake pedal a few times to get the car to slow down or stop.  One day  Marjorie was 
driving the car as we headed for North Bay.  We were getting very close to the car in front of us.  “Better slow down now.”  Marjorie did not know about the leaking master cylinder so kept
going.  When really close she softly touched the brake.  Nothing happened.  “Forgot to tell you … master cylinder leaks ..needs pumping a bit.”   Why tell you this?  Because there
were always  practical  difficulties doing the Turam work.  Like suddenly getting no readings.  Was the machine broken?  Nope.  Problem was usually a  cow in the next field who had 
decided our yellow base line cable looked edible.  Trouble shooting.  Instrument men like me always faced problems that had a simple answer.  Marjorie’s comment…”Why did  you
not tell me?”   “Forgot…did not cross my mind…I thought you knew.”  Driving a broken down car and operating a 1937 invented  Turam required  practical skills.  Simple skills.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 1960


ONE end of our base line.  Motor Generator behind the rocky  outcrop.  Not sure this was best place to drive in grounding rods but
it worked fine.  Needed a man to make sure motor did not run out of gas while we were miles away with instruments.  Sorry the picture
is backwards.  The Irish government insisted  we have that Danger sign made in both languages.


Rose early and packed the cable in  our Fiat.  Drove to site we had chosen and then laid
out our first base line…14,500 feet long…nearly 3 miles.  Very rough going at times.  Installed
the motor generator near ocean located grounding rods.  Pounded  in grounding rods at
both ends of the cable.  Them Moment of truth arrived.  Damn motor generator would not start.
It was  the  gas.  Took some time to figure that out…needed  regular gas.  I did  not know
what the hell was wrong but managed to bluff my way through while being watched  by
our new employees lounging along the cliff top.  New men…Andy and Tom.  

Today I saw my first Irish Hare.  Magnificent runner.  In the evening Hogan and  Stam
discussed the issue of the local Catholic priest.  Do not know why.  Then back to pinochle.

THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 1960

Late getting up after stress of yesterday.  Drove to generator and  did a few tests
with the tachometer.   Base line cable broken in three places.   Thousand  feet 
from generator.  Why broken?   Likely cattle or foxes or rabbits.  Chewing the attractive
yellow insulation.   Repaired.  Also  made repairs to switch  box operating at 660 c/p/s frequency.

Spent whole day explaining jobs to new crew.  Not so easy. Discovered that Willy cannot count
and  Larry can’t read.   Of course they did not tell me that.  Why would they?  Feared losing
their jobs. We only managed to do  two lines.  Lines run at right angles  to the base line.
Each line is marked with pickets every 100 feet.where readings are taken.  Our Lines
can  extend as far as 3,000 feet out from the base line.

Discovered  an old…ancient…bridge buried in a clothing of Ivy.

Plotted  results in the evening.  We had located two anomalies.  Surprised to do so.

Received a nice long letter from Marjorie who seems to be having a grand time in Canada.
Then we went down to the pub as usual.   The owner insisted on treating us  Probably
felt we were really good for his business.

END EPISODE 63  BUNMAHON, IRELAND





EPISODE 62 BEGINNING THE JOB…ADJUSTING TO AN OLD WORLD

Note:  It has  been a  long time since I did this job…61 years…so  I hope those of
you who are professional geophysicists will forgive my memory and my ignorance.


EPISODE  62:  BEGINNING THE JOB



As early 1500 Danish sailors noticed blue, green and  pink  stains on the cliffs along the south coast of  Ireland.  Samples  from 
the Knockmahon and Tankardstown mines show  the bright green and blue oxidized  minerals.  The boom years for mining
were 1826 to 1877.   Around 1840 these mines  were of  world wide significance.  Since 1877 the area has been in decline…sadly so  for
many local residents… fortunately Bunmahon and Knockmahon  have
become a tourist attraction recently now renamed  the Copper Coast.   If you want a project see if you can find  holes in the cliffs
through which two young men could crawl and thereby enter the century old Knockmahon mine.




alan skeoch
June 2020

Tuesday June 14, 1960

I spent a terrible night.  My whole body  twitched…nerves.   Got up and wrote a 
letter to Marjorie.  I think the 13 days spent in Dublin waiting to get going on rhe
job was the reason for the twitching.  In the morning all was fine.  My room
in Mrs.Kennedy’s house is quite  large…big enough for three religious Ikons which
did not help me sleep.   Above my bed there is large picture of Jesus with his
chest opened  to his heart.   The picture must be comforting to some people
but I found it made me uncomfortable.  Imagine yourself lying in bed and looking
upward.

The meals  prepared  and served  by the Kennedy
family are very good. Mrs. Kennedy runs the show with grace
and a bit aloof.  She also turned  out to be the moral  conscience of
Bunmahon and she was not afraid to say so.  I  think she is also nervous.  
Mr. Kennedya does
not talk much.  He spends his time farming while Mrs. Kennedy
operates the only store in the village selling essentials from clothing
to non perishable canned goods and hardware.  The store is dark
on the inside.  Not much business because most villagers seem to
be unemployed.  Both their children are charming.  Especially Gerald
who suffers  from Downs Syndrome which  makes  him very interested
in our project.  There is  a fifth member of the household who is  exclusively
Gerlad’s caregiver and  partner…their black Labrador dog.






A GLIMPSE INTO THE PAST:  KNOCKMAHON MINE CIRCA 1900 (speculating the mine could  be reopened)


Knockmahon Mine Test:  This photograph was taken around 1900.   Imagine you
were down in the mine 30 years earlier, around  1970.


1) What is  the difference between the men in white coats and the other men? 
  Why would those four men wear white jackets?
2) No one seems happy but which group is distinctly unhappy?
3) Why are they carrying candles that are lit?
4) Can you find the basic mining tools?
5) What is the purpose of that metal reinforced bucket?
6) Where in the mine  would  you guess they are standing?  Stope, Passageway,
Shaft?
7) What do  the high rubber boots worn by the white coated men tell you about 
conditions underground…and perhaps how deep in the mine the men are standing?
8) What footwear are the others wearing?  Does this say anything?
9) Notice the ladder.  How many ladders  would be needed to get here at
the 100 foot level of the Knockmahon mine?  Miners descended  in the dark.
10) What does the rope indicate about the Knockmahon Mine?
11) How did miners find their way from place to place in the mine when there
was no light other than candles (for oxygen test) and Kerosene lanterns (which
were dangerous).
12) No mine carts visible. Odd?
13) Who  would take this  kind  of work?
14) Feeling the way up, down and through  a pitch black
mine is dangerous.  Also it could be fatal if a ladder rung
broke. (which happened)  Who looked after injured miners?
15) Did children  work deep in the Knockmahon mine.  Take a guess.
16) What work  could  women and girls do in the Knockmahon
mine operation.   Take a guess.
17) Why were many of these men originally from Cornwall?
Hint: What was special about the geology of  Cornwall.  Search
and  find  out.

One Fact:

Did you know that the miners had to bid for their jobs?  i.e. If a miner wanted
access to high grade ore, he had to bid  for the location. How did  this system
of bidding function?



Ladders were left in position when the mine was abandoned in 1877.  

Main Streetupload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5e/Main_Street_Bunmahon_-_geograph.org.uk_-_708592.jpg/500px-Main_Street_Bunmahon_-_geograph.org.uk_-_708592.jpg 2x” data-file-width=”640″ data-file-height=”480″ style=”border: 0px; vertical-align: middle;” class=””>

“Alan, what can you tell me about Bunmanon?”
“Well, the village is at the mouth of the Mahon River…’ Bun Mahon’…located on the
western edge of Waterford County,  Southern Ireland.  Overlooks the sea.”
“Peculiar rock formations were noticed by Danish sailors long long ago.  Greens, blues, pinks…strange
colours caused by oxidation of metal ores, principally  copper.  Some lead. Some cobalt…perhaps some silver.”
“Tunnelling began from the cliff face… tunnels called adits are still there but hard to find.”
“Not much left of the old  town. But once in the 1850’s and  1660’s there were 2,000 people live here.”
“Hardly 100 in 1960.”
“What happened?”
“The Knockmanon mine thrived for a few decades then the seams of copper ore just
petered  out.  And most of the miners boarded immigrant ships for jobs as  miners
in the United States.”
“Bunmahon is almost a ghost town.”
“Not quite.  Kirwin’s pub is thriving and will do even better now  that you are here, Alan.”
“Strange thing about Bunmanon is the strong presence of a Temperance Movement…the old
Temperane Hall  is now the roman Catholic Church.”
“But there were once 21 pubs.”
“There would have been a  lot more if the Temperance people had not been present.”

“Why are we here in 1960?”
“World is  worried about copper reserves  because of  Idi Amin in Africa.  So Dennison Mines
thinks maybe a good supply of copper ore  was missed  by 19th century mining methods.”
“A lot of people are counting on us….dream of reopening the mine.”
“Massive unemployment in Ireland.”
“Wages of those working is as low as one  pound a day…about $2.50 Canadian.”
“Maybe  we can help for a couple of months.:
“And if we are successful Bunmahon may come alive again.”
“What are the chances?”
“Mining is a crap  shoot…win some, lose many.”



THE CANADIAN TEAM:  STAM, HOGAN AND SKEOCH



Dr. John Stam, John Hogan and  I had  our first glimpse of the old Knockmahon mine,
The ruins are impressive  … not far from a hundred to two hundred foot cliff face that goes down  
to the sea.  Stark.  Beautiful.  Intimidating.  Mysterious. All those and more
  John Stam  took over as leader of the project.   He has a phD in geophysics…knows
how the earth works…the magnetic
field that is an envelope around our world. It shields us from solar radiation
Without that shield life could not exist.  At Least life as we know it.  The magnetic field is
not uniform.  There are blips where minerals are concentrated.  These  minerals
…copper in particular…elevate our lives.  Electricity…power to elevate us lowly
humans from a brutal  dog eat dog existence to a life where books, romance, food,
music…the finer things  in life are taken for granted.  Dr. Stam will spend his life in search 
of copper.   

What creates this magnetic field?  The molten core of the earth is a dynamo.

John Hogan is a geologist employed by Denison Mines to sleuth out those pockets 
of minerals concentrated  here and there in the earths crust.  Hogan deals
in minerals he  can  touch.  Mmierals he can crack  with a hammer.  In truth, John Hogan
does  not have that  specific job here in Bunmahon.  He really is  sent to
oversee what we are doing.  He is a watchman.  I was instructed to pretend I was
a permanent employee who had worked for the company for years.  Part of that
was true.  But I was really just a summertime person.  Best to just button my lif.
John Hogan is A nice guy.  Both Johns, Stam and Hogan, 
spend a lot of  their time in the big drawing room we have rented.   They will take the numbers
from my field book and  plot them on graph paper  looking for anomalies.   Looking for
evidence that there  is something unusual  beneath our feet.



My job is important.  I am not just a ‘hewer of wood and  hauler of water’.  At least I like
to think that is  the case.  Professionals in the mining business might differ. My job is to
use  sophisticated geophysical instrument called the  Ronka and the Turam that pump 
electricity into the ground via a
mile long grounded cable… an artificial electrical field … a loop cmpleted via the rock.  Electricity forced
into the overburden  and rock  beneath my feet.  An anomaly is a blip.  ff the background
readings are 20 let’s say…just an imaginary number.   And  all around the readings on my
console are 20 then nothing is found.  If however the console readings suddenly  jump to 30 or
40 or 50 over a particular location then we have an anomaly.  We have something odd…maybe
we have a pocket of chalcopyrite.  Maybe we have a  mine. Maybe we have nothing which
is true most of the time  Geophysical  prospectors are dreamers as much as gold  banners
were in the Yukon.  Must ask Dr. Paterson how many mines he has found.

But the area east of Bunmahon has already been a mine in the 18th and 19th centuries.  Miners from 
Cornwall lived here.. .They blasted and dug their way down into the bowels of the earth extricating
lumps of copper ore.  They blasted there way under the sea for hundreds of feet.
When the ocean  leaked into the depths of the mine, pumps were kept going to
keep the stopes  open.  Once down  deep they hammered chunks  of ore free from the rock 
and  had these chunks hauled up to the light of  day where they were processed into copper
post, pans, wire…mostly wire.   Copper wire carries that mystery of mysteries called electricity.

If  the Knockmahon mine  was mined out then  why are we here.  we are here in hope that the
Knockmahon mine overlooked seams  of chalcopyrite.   Nineteenth century mining was less 
sophistcated.  We could do better.  Arrogance.

Bunmahon was once a boom town with 21 pubs and a population of hundreds, perhaps thousands.
All  dependent upon the riches processed from seams  of  copper.  In 1960 only two pubs survived
Kriwin’s was  the Catholic pub and across the road was the much  smaller Anglican pub.  It surprised
me to discover that drinking beer and sipping whisky was considered a religious addiction.

The social life in Kirwin’s was focused on a dart board.  But most patrons came to drink
beer…pints of  Guinness principally.  Our social life initially centred  around games
of pinochle played in our suite of  rooms.  Hogan and Stam  seemed content 
playing cards.  I went along with them for a while but soon found that isolating
ourselves  from the community was rather stand offish.   

A man approached us first evening.  “would  there be any work I can do for you fellows?”
And so began our hiring program.   Eventually we hired most of the villagers and many living
in cottages on nearly forgotten gravel trails where once there were streets in better times.

Wednesday June 15, 1960

“Rose early for a fine Irish  breakfast.  The Kennedy house is cold.  Unpacked the 
Ronka instrument and test operated it along the roadway.  The machine did not
work!  What was I to do? Had that sinking feeling.  We have flown thousands of
miles…sent crates equipment…made promises…and then find  the machine
does not work.  My fault?  So I Spent afternoon checking connections and  found break  in 
a cable connector.  Fixed it.  Amazed  at myself.  Went to lumberyard and ordered
1,000 stakes  for linocutting crew.   Stake every 50 feet for readings.  We  planned
a  grid  for Turam readings once equipment arrives.  Meanwhile we will use the
Ronka.   Ocean waves are huge today.  Mrs  Kennedy laid  out a grand supper for us.
Played pinochle all evening with Stam and Hogan.”

Thursday  June  16, 1960

“Heavy fog this  morning…damn cold without proper clothing. Poppies grow wild  
everywhere.  John Hogan and John Stam wanted  to go to some kind  of special 
Catholic  Mass today but the car would not start.  I took the Ronka and worked
the whole  day  doing 62stations, 3 lines, dual frequency.   Surprised  by the 
number of  old  mine shafts here and there across the fields.  Dangerous…open.
One big shaft is being used as a garbage dump recently filled  with huge pile of
glass milk bottles.  Strange they were not saved…risky to rescue  any. Lots
of  donkeys and horses…thatched grooves. Bunmahon has two couches one
of  which is closed and  cemented up.  Protestant.  For some strange reason  
Mrs. Kennedy told me about a local author (female) who wrote ‘dirty’ books
about Ireland but the books are banned in Ireland.  The Priest says ‘burn
them!”  But she never said the book title.  People approach us everywhere
for jobs.  I saw a badger today.  The brier patches  are nasty…thorny…pierce
flesh.  After plotting results we played  pinochle all evening.  Seems we could
be doing something more interesting.”




Friday June 17, 1960

“Oh what a beautiful morning…Oh, what a beautiful day!  Well, things did not
quite work out that way.  T he morning, yes…beautiful. The afternoon…not so great.
While  busy staking the intervals I fell headlong into a six  foot deep briar (gorse)
patch filled gully.  Ripped  skin on arms  and tore my pants.  Lay there for
15 minutes swearing…every word I knew and then some.  Face down surrounded
by thorns making each  move torture.  Survived.  A learning situation.  Managed
to get 2,400 feet of survey data from the Ronka.  Later I phoned Timlin in Dublin.
The Turam crates  have arrived but is currently getting customs clearance. Who
knows how long that will take.  Got letters from home but none from Marjorie.
Drove to lumberyard at Kill to order long pickets…short ones no use.  Then drove
on to Waterford to make insurance was in place. Bought socks at 50 cents a pair.
Then dropped in to Doolan’s Bar.  Doolan himself was there.  Doolan’s was 
 100 years old…current Doolan must be son.  Noted many beggars on the streets
of Waterford.  Drove back to Bunmahon to meet the local police  officer just to
let him know what we would  be doing.   Herds of  cattle on the road…sheep as
well…then donkeys and  wagons.   Made it back to Kennedy’s  in time for supper
and pinochle.  We are being approached by men needing work constantly.”

END PART TWO:  BUNMAHON JOB IN IRELAND


Fwd: EPISODE 61: UNFORGFETTABLE SJUMMER 1960….13 days in DUBLIN, IRELAND THEN SOUTH TO THE KNOCKMAHON MINE SITE




EPISODE 61   SUMMER 1960…SENT TO IRELAND TO SEE IF AN ANCIENT MINE COULD 
BE REOPENED.  

alan skeoch
June 7, 2020

       Too Long?  I know that.  Stick with me…the job will get interesting.

       I was 21 years old when I wrote this journal.  I am now 81.  Please  keep that in mind and try to imagine
       yourself at that age.  Dr. Norman Paterson, geophysicist with Hunting Technical and Exploration
      Services put a big responsibility on my shoulders.  The Irish contract…to see if  an ancient copper
      mine at Knockmahon, County Waterford, Southern Ireland, could be reopened.  Why me? Simple
      answer was the I knew how to operate the Turam, a sophisticated instrument in the search for
     copper mineralization.  I was just a kid…as you will see.  A lonely kid in Dublin.
     They gave me 200 pounds expense
    money never expecting I would have to live  in Dublin for 13 days.  But I managed…thanks to
    the Guinness Brewery, meat pies and the generosity of the Irish. I was lonely. I worried that I would cost
   the company too much so lived as frugally as possible. Some of the entries
    you will read may seem humdrum.  That’s because  you are no longer 21 years old.


This is my journal…the beginning  of a great adventure.

IN DUBLIN’S FAIR CITY

alan Skeoch
Journal June 1 to June 13, 1960
(No one predicted I would have a two week holiday in Dublin)

This is the ancient Knockmahon copper mine on the south coast of Ireland.  That
was my destination in 1960 but it would take 13 more days to get there. Meanwhile
I lived in Dublin.


Dublin, quite a city.  Circumstances prolonged my stay in Dublin so let me give you a short impression.
First thing is the city smells…Jacob’s cookie factory, Guinness 62 acre brewery, Tea shops and horses. The
smell is intoxicating.  The main street, O’Connell Street is wide and busy and for the most part happy in spite
of bullet holes deliberately left to remind Irish people of the ‘time of the troubles’.   The people are super
friendly…policemen who paid my bus fare, citizens who helped me find my way, and one family…the Behan’s,
who sort of adopted me.   Lots of pubs to visit.  Lots of meat pies and sweet rolls to eat.  Trees!! Lots of them
and a huge 700 acre park near the city centre.  Problems?  Of course.  Some obviously deranged people
here and there.  Violence?  Never had trouble except one incident that I foolishly precipitated myself.
To top the visit off, I was able to see The Quiet Man, the charming John Wayne, Maureen Ohara, and’
Barrie Fitzgerald movie about an Ireland that seemed mythical but turned out to be true.  Some Irish might
resent the stereotypes  but I thoroughly enjoyed them with no expectations they would be part of
my experience on the Bunmaahon job.  But so much happened that was similar.   Not that I  felt I
was  John Wayne.  I was however a North American stepping into a cultural milieu of which I was
unfamiliar.

MYJOURNAL:  I thought it was lost until by good fortune in April, 2018, I found it among some old  books in the cellar.  Quite amazing detail.


JUNE 1, 1960


Smooth flight across to Ireland with Air Lingus.  No one there to meet me so I can do whatever I please I guess.
Dublin is  a beautiful city with throngs  of people on OConnell Street.  Friendly.  Girls are very pretty.  Visited
the art gallery and then the museum like a normal  tourist.  Had to remind myself that I was not a tourist .
Found offices of Arbuckle – Smith and Company only to discover our Turam shipment had not arrived yet.
Called Barrie Nichols in Toronto to let him know there will be a delay then went shopping for shirt and shoes.
Supper was no good. Toured Gresham Green.  Called  Mrs.  Behan who  invited me out to their house 
tomorrow when Kevin Behan gets back from Italy. Very tired.  Fell to sleep three times during the day. Being
alone is not that enjoyable.  Need other people to make life really interesting but it looks like I will
be stuck here in Dublin for some time.  No point in heading south the County Waterford and  village of
Bunmahon without all our crates of instruments. Toured Gresham Green.







Huntec had booked  me into the high class Gresham Hotel expecting my stay in Dublin would be short.
But our crates of equipment did not arrive for nearly two weeks.  The Gresham was fancy and expensive
.  NO one told me the breakfasts were included in the room price.  I skipped breakfast
for a week to save the company money as my expense check was only 200 pounds…not enough
for me to stay at the Gresham so after a week I found a  cheap hotel in Clontarf, the Hollybrook, where
I seemed to be the only guest and the staff made it clear my breakfast as  included.  Even then by the
end of my stay in Dublin the money was  almost gone.









June 2, 1960

I woke up late so  skipped breakfast and walked to the Department of Justice to get my work clearance.  Had to prove I was doing
a job that nn Irish person could not do.  Lots of unemployment here.  Looks like my training on the Turan E.M. unit has put me in a
special  spot.  Few people know how to run it…and it is quite complicated…motor generator, base line a mile or so long, two receiving 
coils with 100 for separation,  a console, picketed lines running 3,000 feet from the base line at right angles, etc.  Had to explain
this  to an official.  Tough situation.  Never expected to be grilled.



        


After that I took a bus to the the Guinness Brewery at St. James Gate, Since I had no bus fare the chap beside me paid my fare.
Guinness is the national drink of Ireland, unless you are a non-drinker.  What a rare privilege to see this massive brewery in operation.
They even have big draught horses harnessed to wagons loaded with barrels of Guinness to be delivered to pubs in Dublin.  The smell
of the horses and the Guinness is wonderful to me.  The tour included a pile of Guinness post cards featuring men lifting bull dozers
or pulling beer wagons with the horses as passengers. Humourous.   And the end of the tour was best. We all got a full pint of Guinness…
my first.  I wasn’t to struck on the black liquid at first but soon overcame that problem.  Seems a tourist can have as much as he or she
wants but I stuck to one pint.  I should have eaten breakfast. Felt a bit woozy…warm and woozy.  Not staggering.

Ah, yes, Guinness is the national drink of Ireland… made from barley, hops, yeast and water.  That does not sound complicated.  
Why is the beer black?  Roasted barley rather than malted which makes a thick creamy head on the pint.


 The thickness of the head is achieved by passing the beer through
nitrogen…smaller bubbles result.  Guinness is so thick that each pint needs  time to settle.  
Is Guinness really ‘good for you’ as the advertising says on billboards across  Dublin?  Some call Guinness ‘a meal  in a cup’ …198 calories
per pint …less than a pint of milk.  Drinkers  of Guinness get an ‘enhanced feeling of well being’ , an advertising statement frowned
on by the government.  Created in 18th century by Arthur Guinness
and apparently one of the most consumed beers worldwide.  Guinness does seem to be good for drinkers though…lots of healthy 
antioxidants…like fruits and vegetables…slow deposit of bad  cholesterol on artery walls. Or so the story is told.  My ‘meal in cup’
certainly replaced breakfast and gave me an enhanced feeling that the world around me is good.  So there you have it…obviously

       I took the tour to heart.


This  is  high tea at the Gresham Hotel where I stayed for the first week.  I did not know
Breakfast was included in the room rate so  skipped  breakfast for that week.  Fancy
hotel but very unfriendly.



Bought some tomatoes  and meat pie to eat in my room while reading a book. Sort of lonely feeling…needed
a pint of Guinness I guess but afraid to go into a pub alone.  Not fear just felt being solitary would be uncomfortable.
Contacted a sign painter as Ministry of Justice insisted I have a road sign saying Danger in both English
and Irish.  This will take some time to do…will pay extra to get faster work done.  Decided to go back to
the Guinness factory , now have bus tokens, but found place closed.  Got some good pictures though.

I was startled by a crazy woman in middle of the cobbled street near St. James Gate.  She was covered in
blood while singing and dancing and jumping around.  Very sad.  She even relieved herself by lifting her skirt
and pissing without care.  Most on lookers did not stop…treated  her as if a normal situation.  I kept walking 
as well.  Returned to my room to finish off the meat pie.

Phoned down to The Kennedy’s to see if  gear had arrived.  No luck.  Our crew of three will be staying with
the Kennedy family in Bunmahon.  

Then I bought some flowers and took a bus to the Behan home.  Mrs. Behan poured tea and a little later
Kevin Behan came bursting on the scene.  He had just landed from Italy.  Grand fellow.  He took me to a
pub for another Guinness.  Driving back he tried to run over a ‘teddy boy’…or at least to scare him.  ‘Teddy
boy’s are street gang members I assume.    Then he drove me home to my hotel room.

I Was quite surprised at Kevin’s hatred of these Teddy Boys.  Seemed just like rock and roll kids to me…couple 
of my friends had the greased  down haircuts although most of them had brush cuts and  were not nearly as 
fancy  dressed as the Irish Teddy Boys who tried to wear the fancy clothing of Edwardian England.  Some Teddy
Boys did run in tough gangs though.   I think Kevin Behan’s hatred was triggered by the Notting Hill race Riots in
London where some 300 Teddy Boys targeted black people using iron bars and butcher knives.  That was really bad
but most Teddy Boys were just mild rebels like a lot of kids in my high school days back in Canada.  I kept my
mouth shut.  Maybe Kevin had a bad experience. To me those Teddy Boys and Teddy Girls wereThe kind of kids  that loved 
the movie Blackboard Jungle.  I did not tell Kevin that I skipped school one afternoon just to see the movie.
Gutless.




Teddy Boys, so names by their Edwardian dress, were seen as rebels.  Really they looked
much like the Rock and Roll kids so common in Canada  in 1950’s and 1960’s.


June 3, 1960

I woke up at 9 and made my so called breakfast…crumpets and Quosh, an orange  fizzy drink.  Then went to see Mr. O;brien about maps
and he in turn sent me to the Ordinance Survey Office in Phoenix Park.  What an immense place… with so many cattle I could
not count them.,,and a herd of wild deer that had been there since the 17th century Got maps of old mines in western part of County Waterford. 
Not sure they will be of any use at all. 
Spent rest of  day
walking through PhoenixPark. A bunch of soldiers were lawn bowling at one spot.  Then visited the Dublin Zoo.  Wish I hadn’t because 
when I put the lens of my camera  close to the monkey enclosure one big monkey jumped  at me with sexual intent.  

What generous people…an off duty policeman paid my fare back to my hotel.  Bought sausage rolls, buns and tomatoes
for my supper…alone in my room…saving company expenses.  Phoned  Mr. Timlin, our shipment of crates from Canada have arrived in Liverpool.  Went to a movie after which
I was cornered and badgered by a family of beggars on a side street…five them…really dirty.  Dangerous.  My nice feeling of independence is turning into
loneliness.  Wrote letter to Marjorie and went to bed.



Phoenix Park has large herd of semi wild deer that have been there from the 18th century




Streets of Dublin, in 1960, still had presence of horses.  This man was just leading four of them casually
down the street…note evidence of Horse manure indicating this was not an unusual sight.  a hundred years
ago these horses numbered in the thousands.  i.e. There were 100,000 horses  in London in 1850 and  Dublin
would have about the same.  Dung abounded.  Human escrement was eventually linked

        to outbreaks of  Cholera because water supply was contaminated with manure.


June 4, 1960

Got up late, very late…around noon.Went to bakeshop for my  breakfast (tomatoes, meat pie, crumpets). Spent most of the day absolutely bored.
Phoned  Kevin Behsn and went over to his house in the evening.  Their daughter Yvonne was very cute showing me her pictures.  Kevin and Mrs Behan
took me on the rounds of the local pubs.  Made me feel like home. One pub hd  a creek running through the middle of it, another pub was a castle…ended
evening in fish and chip  store.  I was startled to see so many Presbyterian churches in Dublin…thought all churches would be Catholic.  The I.R.A. had
a rally on O;Connell Street.   Met Joe Malone.  This is a strange summer…first prospecting job with so many people
around me.  Not the usual  wilderness  of black flies  and endless  boreal forest. All the Catholics I have met so far have been quite wonderful.
I expected hostility but found none so far.

June 5, 1960

Rose early and phoned Dr. John Stam in Holland. He will join me in Bunmahon once our crates get here.  Went to the Gresham  Green Unitarian Church
where Rev. Hicks was quite funny and very British.  Then he spoke about the absence of national Birth control as a cause of war… citing the Irish lady who had 24 children and 
her daughter who had 15.  I suppose that could be a criticism of Ireland’s Catholic majority and the church influence.  But I think his real point was that
overpopulation of planet earth would lead to the three horseman of the apocalypse…famine, plague and war.  

Caught a bus to Kevin and Ronnie’s house where Yvonne was very friendly crawling all over me.  Then we went for a very nice drive in the country.
Many old  castles.  Had ice cream. Mrs. Behan had a nice supper during which Yvonne gave me a carnation.  Yvonne is 6 or 7 years old.  Then Kevin
took me to a pub where we discussed the Irish Republican Army…kevin concluded that “the poison is being drawn out’.  But there are still machine guns
on the border.  I took a picture of the family.  Kevin informed me I would be wise to find a better hotel.  Why? Because my fancy hotel had never informed
me that Breakfast was included in the bill…I had been skipping breakfast or just having another meat pie just to save Huntec and Dr. Paterson some 
money.  My stupidity I guess.  Hotel was so high class  that nn one spoke to me at all.  ‘Snob hotel’


What wonderful people…Kevin and Ronnie Behan.  They sort of adopted me for my stay in Dublin.  Their oldest, Yvonne, was  really
a little charmer.  She was so glad to see me each visit that her greetings made me feel embarrassed.  The Behans made such
an impression that Marjorie and I named  our first born Kevin.

June 6, 1960

Today is a national holiday in Ireland.   Took a bus to Malahide and walked back to hotel.  A farmer struck up a conversation in which he said
“Irish people are the laziest people on the earth”…strange comment, perhaps  made as a joke or maybe to draw out an anti-Irish comment from me.
Got caught in deluge of rain while walking to Kevin’s house.  Soaked.  Yvonne and family very glad to see me.  Sincere.  Took a drive to the North Harbour
which was charming except for the fact some man committed suicide there.  Went to a pub then returned to the Behan  home for ’tea’ which  is a misnomer
for a full supper…then watched BBC television for a while before taking whole family to the movie ‘Who Was That Lady’

On Kevin’s advice I made plans to move to the Hollybrook Hotel in Clontarf…cheaper, friendly, with full breakfast.

Picked up a strange fact…Ireland has the lowest marriage rate in the world.

June 7, 1960

Received word  from McNabb and  Timins that the Ronka has arrived but no sign of the Turam.  Moved my bag to the Hollybrook Hotel
on the Howth Road … had  a nice pastoral setting and comfortable old pub kind of registration desk.  Decided to tour the Guinness  Brewery
again.  “Will you be wanting another pint, lad?” said  the man who joined the tour but did not drink.  “Temperance…call us Pioneers over here.”
Later I decided to line up at Dublin University to see the Book of Kells, an illustrated manuscript.  

The BOOK OF KELLS…

An unfortunate event happened while standing in line to see the Book of Kells.  Mostly my fault. I tapped the shoulder of the man in front of me and asked:

“Are you Irish?”
“No, Scottish…visiting.”
“Is this University secular?”
“What do  you mean by that?”…  he said  in rather angry manner
“I mean is it attached to the church or the state?”
“What do you mean by that?”…  he got more angry, I could not see why.
“Just wondered.”
“Are you Catholic?”… now he was really angry, perhaps disturbed. 
“Born Catholic but not so any more.”  Bad  comment on my part…a mistake…like waving a red flag in
front of a charging bull. 

At that remark the guy went wild.  Seemed to want a fight.  I decided best course of action was to get
the hell away from him but he followed me yelling who knows what for his accent was thick. A policeman
rescued me and advised I take a  long ride on the bus and  keep  away from throwaway comments about
religion.

Why did I say that remark…Why trigger animosity?  It was  a  mistake, of course, but I was thinking back
to the St. Skeoch legend.

 Our Skeoch relatives, ancient kind, were Catholic.  Most Scots were in the early centuries.  And there was 
a  connection with the Book of Kells and the Scottish Isle of Iona.  A misty connection…likely  false.  A connection even more ancient than
the 10th century Book of Kells.  At some point I had heard or read that St. Skeoch was one  of the 12 disciples
of St, Columba  when he left (fled?) Ireland  in the sixth century for the Scottish Island of  Iona.  At that time
the use of the term saint was loosely interpreted…i.e. without the approval  of Rome.  Was St. Skeoch one
of the twelve?  Rome had no records but there are places  in Scotland where this St. Skeoch is mentioned.
Maybe our family legend about the rescue of two boys on the Bloody fields of Bannockburn was true.  And
the St. Skeoch convent could have been a St. Skeoch monastery.   All perhaps nonsense since much relies
on hearsay.  All this was in my mind as lined up to see the Book of Kells.  Were our roots  as much Catholic
as Presbyterian. So there are the  roots of my throwaway  comment that I was  ‘born Catholic but gave it up.’

What was I really doing?  Just putting in time awaiting our high tech survey equipment.  The Book of
Kells was fascinating…a  masterpiece of art that survived the Viking raids.

The Book of Kells is one of the finest illustrated manuscripts in the world. 340 folio pages. Written in Latin and illustrated
 around 800 A.D.  when Most people could  not read.   Sometimes called the Book of Columba 
because St Columba and  subsequent Columban monks did much of the work between the sixth and ninth centuries.









Back to my Journal:  June 7, 1960

Bad weather barreling in from the sea.  Wrote a  letter to Barrie Nicholls and John Hogan.  Hogan is a geologist
representing our client. I am worried that the delay in equipment arrival will  cost the  project a lot of money.
Maye I am the only one worried…hope so . Hotel resident  Joe and Moira invited me to have a drink with them
which made for a perfect evening.

June 8, 1960

Arose late after the party last night with Joe and Moira.  Went downtown and bought field books, electric tape and signs
to alert local people to dangers of our project, particularly the base line wire and generator.  Surprised when a  cyclist
fell off his bike into the Liffey canal.  Ambulance came fast. The German sailors and officers from the Graf Spee are
in  Dublin. Since I am the only guest in the Hollybrook Hotel I feel like the lord of this ancient manor house and get
treated as such.  Nice. The expense money if going awfully fast.

John Hogan made a surprise arrival so we finally got to discuss the project.  I phoned Mrs. Behan and then went to  show
and a dance with John Hogan.  One girl at the dance must have crossed herself 40 times while praising the I.R.A.
An interesting evening.  Washed my clothes and went to bed.

June 9, 1960

UP early and had first breakfast wince I arrived in Ireland…hotel dining room.
Sent most of the gear with John Hogan who was driving down to Bummahon … the project site in western
part of County Waterford… Gave Mr. O’Brien a quick briefing the Turam operation.  Checked with Arbuckle but
Turam has still not arrived.  

John Hogan and I toured the Guinness Brewery … my third visit.  Then we had a lousy meal at the Temperance
Hotel. Then visited head office of Irish National Sweepstakes and bought 5 shillings tickets for Marjorie.  Walked
back to hotel then walked to the Behan home where kids were really cute.  Yvonne and Denise kept bringing me
corn flakes on the dog’s plate.  Yvonne  seems to like my lap.  Other kids Anella  and Murial also cute.  Then Kevin.
Ronnie (Mrs. Behan) went to Houth for a drink.  A drunk woman was entertaining if a little pathetic.  Ronnie ironed
my shirt afterwards then Kevin drove me back to the Hollybrook.

June 10, 1960

Had  big breakfast … bacon, eggs, fried tomatoes….topped off with a rack of cold toast and marmalade.  What should
I do for the rest of the day now that John Hogan has gone south?  Tour!  Dublin is a  city of wonderful smells.  Guinness
Brewery covers  over 60 acres making lots of beer.  But there is also a strong smell of cookies being baked at the Jacobs
factory.  So I followed my nose and had a tour.  250 employees mostly girls who gave me plenty of attention…including
whistling and touching.  Good time if a bit intimidating.  


The Quiet Man is great entertainment…surprised me that much of the 1920 Irish stereotypes turned  out to be real in our little world  of Bunmahon in 1960.
The Dark Time of the Tourbles was downplayed.


“Alan, do not miss the chance to see “The Quiet Man” while here in Ireland,” said Kevin and  Yvonne Behan.
So I went alone to see the film featuring John Wayne, Maureen Ohara and Barrie Fitzgerald.  What a grand movie.
My work site in Bunmahon could not possibly be as joyful and humorous as the movie but I wish it were so.

Dublin has an under class.  I noticed  and felt sorry for an old one-eyed woman who was  having bread snd tea while
I had a steak with all the trimmings.

I am picking up the Irish lingo.  Today  was described as a ‘soft’ day which means it was pouring rain.

Got an urgent message from Arbuckle, Smith and Company saying the crates had not arrived in Liverpool yet. What the
hell is going on?  They told me the crates were there the other day.

June 11, 1960

Getting better sleep now that I am having big breakfast.  Afterwards I went down to Arbuckle to pick up the part of shipment
that has arrived…i.e. the Ronka E.M. unit.  I will take it south on Monday. Sent telegram to Dr. Stam in Amsterdam and wrote
a long letter to Barrie Nichols in Canada.  My money is very short…less than 20 pounds left. Kevin asked me up to tea (i.e.supper
in Irish lingo) then Kevin took Ronnie and me to movie “Once More with Feeling” (no  good). After we took girls home Kevin took
me to meet his mother snd father…all  are in the car business.

June  12, 1960

Wind is blowing from the sea…smashing windows.  I walked to Clontarf Presbyterian Church where Rev. Moore greeted me warmly
and  asked me to join him for s few minutes in the vestry  Guest speaker was a methodist, Rev. Livingston who spoke about ‘Happy 
Harry the Hare” which sounded weird at first but made sense in the end. 

Then another day with the Behan family.  I would not intrude normally but they really made me feel so welcome that to refuse
would  be an insult.  Ronnie prepared another great meal. Yvonne was full of beans as usual…crawling all over me.  We drove
to Houth and stopped at Claremont for a couple of draughts of Guinness…back for ‘tea’ and then to the movie ‘sweet smell of success’
This was my last day in Dublin.  Sad farewell to the Behan family.


Brendan Behan

Brendon Behan and  Kevin Behan were not related.  Two very different people who shared one common wonderful trait.  They loved  people and
an afternoon in their company was an  honour.  

Kevin Behan was my host for the Dublin interlude.  He and his family opened their hearts  and doors to me.  I cannot explain why they did this except to say
the they loved people, loved Ireland and waned to share this love with a young 21 year old  kid like me.  One result was the naming of our first born child, Kevin,
in honour of Kevin Behan.  Sadly, we never told that to the Behan family.

Brendon Behan

Brendon Behan was a man of the 1950’s snd 1960’s.  He had strong opinions even as a teen ager joining
the Irish Republican Army at 14 years of age.  He was an ardent republican. Regarded the English
monarchy with disdain.  That said, he became very popular and his quick wit amused not just the Dublin Irish 
but the literary world in general.   His most famous play is titled “The Quare Fellow” which is set
in a  prison in the heart of Dublin.  “Quare” is Irish for “Queer.”   Brendon  Behan’s one liners
were quoted again and again by people with both a sense of humour and a knowledge that there
is a dark side to the human condition.

“I am a drinker with writing problems.”

“Ah, bless you sister, may all your children be bishops.”

“When I came back to Dublin I was court mortised in my absence
and sentenced to death in my absence
So I said they could shoot me in my absence.”

“There  is no such thing as bad publicity
Except your own obituary.”

“The most important things to do in the world are to
get something to eat
get something to drink
and get someone to love you.”

Monday June 13  LAST DAY IN DUBLIN

How can I best describe this day?   Like a dam that has suddenly broken free…like  A clock that is out of control  and time spins free …like a race begun once the gun is fired.
Suddenly everything speeded up and I would be gone before the sun set.
This was  be my last day in Dublin.  I did not know that.  I did not know that events would move so fast that by evening I would be in the villsge
of Bunmahon nestled  in an ancient place with the ruins of the Knockmahon mine brooding black and foreboding as the sun set.



        

My first view of Knockmahon where i would have adventures not forgotten in 60 years.



Events of that fine Dublin day:

Began packing at 8.30…then phoned Arbuckle…our shipment had arrived. Dr. Stam coming by air…Hogan ready to pick us up in Waterford.
time to get s haircut then caught bus to the airport…watched  KLM flight land and Dr. John  Stam cleared  customs. Briefed  him on Irish  officials I had
met…back to hotel for dinner and beer. Back to American Express…then over to see Mr. O’brien.  Took luggage to train station…first class tickets to Waterford
where John Hogan met us with his Fiat…drove to Bunmahon on the edge of the sea..passed the ruins of the Knockmahon mine standing alone on the
edge of steep cliffs that fell down to the sea.  Empty.  No  houses.  No  living things.  Then road  dipped down to the Mahon River and the village of Bunmahon
where we were to be based for the duration of the survey.  Met Mrs. Kennedy who would be our landlady and Irish ‘manageress’ … an expert on the inner
workings of this sliver of Irish  society.  Very Catholic…My room has three Christian statues and  a large picture of  Jesus with his heart showing…hangs above my bed.
Surprised to get my mail…letters from Marjorie and  some.  Jan Stam said he was pleased with my handling of the situation.  He would  be in charge from now 
on and would do the interpretation of the notes from my field book each day.  John Hogan was a geologist and the Denison Mines company.  Three of us.  But
many more will be hired.  Eventually I hired the whole village.  More of that later.







EPISODE 60 FROGS…THOUSANDS…AND THEN THERE WERE NONE. WHAT HAPPENED. HOW DID THEY KNOW?

  • EPISODE  60:  FROGS BY  THE HUNDREDS, THOUSANDS…THEN THERE WERE NONE.  WHAT HAPPENED?

  • SETTING:  JULY 1980…SKEOCH FARM PONDS


IN 1980 when I took this photo there were so many young frogs that my camera could not
focus.  Then in 1981 most were gone, never to return

alan skeoch
June 2020

“Never seen anything like it, Marjorie…come over and take a look?”
“Are those baby frogs?  Must be a thousand  of them.”
“I’ve  witnessed big frog populations here all 
my life but never this many.  Thousands
sitting there looking at us.”

SKEOCH  FARM PONDS 1981

“We have no frogs.”
“A  few  are still in the ponds but very few.”
“What is  happening?”
“Something bad…very bad.  A whole
pile of creatures depend on those
frogs.”
“Snakes, Blue herons, fish, sapping
turtles, painted turtles, other frogs
(frogs are cannibalistic).”
“They will all disappear.”
“What is happening?”

SKEOCH  FARM PONDS  2020

“I have not seen a leopard frog yet this
year..”
“A few may be there though…something
splashes  and  wiggles away among the
weeds.  Must be a  few frogs.”
“But there were thousands”
“What is  happening?”
“Some scientists say we are in
the midst of the sixth mass extinction
and that the extinction are best noticed
with frogs”
“Do you believe that?”
“I do not know what to believe…but
what I  like to believe is that the 
disappearance is some kind of
natural cycle.”.
“Something is definitely wrong down
at the bottom of the food chain.”
“Can we do anything to help the
Leopard Frogs?”
“What can we do?”

“You want to hear something weird?
Back in 1980…when those thousands
of little frogs sat there looking at me…
I had the distinct feeling they were
trying to tell  me something..a kind
of  plea for help.”

“What did you do?”
“Nothing.  the only help given
was  by Marjorie when she pulled
a still living Leopard  Frog  from
the gaping mouth of a big garter
snake.”
“Lots of snakes, are there?”
“Not anymore.  They used to 
breed  in the greenhouse big
time.  Not any more.”
“A single blue heron landed in
the pond this year…and then 
took off.  No frogs to eat.”
“What can we do?”
“That is a very good question.”


  • WHAT HAPPENED  TO THE LEOPARD FROGS?

  • Although not recognized at the time, this event is thought to portend the worldwide amphibian decline that began about 1970 and continues to the present day. While many leopard frog populations have survived and returned to near normal levels, the leopard frogs of the Upper Midwest have a high incidence of developmental malformations.
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/61/Northern_Leopard_Frog.JPG/440px-Northern_Leopard_Frog.JPG 2x” data-file-width=”2816″ data-file-height=”2112″>


Why is the northern leopard frog endangered?
  • The northern leopard frog is experiencing threats from habitat loss, disease, non-native species, pollution and climate change that individually and cumulatively have resulted in population declines, local extinctions and disappearance from vast areas of its historical range in the western U.S. and Canada.




EPISODE 59 SCARED…REALLY SCARED…AND ONLY MYSELF TO BLAME (ALASKA, 1959)

EPISODE 59    SCARED…REALLY SCARED…AND ONLY MYSELF TO BLAME


alan skeoch
June 4, 3030

I have  done  my share  of stupid things so far but one
of the worst was on the prospecting job on the tundra of  western Alaska
in the summer of 1959.

We  had a day with not much to do for some reason or other.
Our camp consisted of a line of dark tents, a cook shack, and
two S52 (Sikorsky) helicopters.  We had lots of  daylight…sun
never really got far below the horizon.   We were a hundred of so
miles  inland from the Bering Sea…even more distant
was the Aleutian Island chain where the Japanese had faked an
invasion  of North America.   This remans an empty land.  Startling.
Fascinating.

This  is  Alaska…flat tundra for hundreds of miles, but occasionally cut by river and  creek valleys which you can see in the distance.
Thousands and thousands of years ago when the climate was colder, great hulking Mastodons and even larger  Mammoths   lumbered
across the land bridge that is now the Bering Sea because the seas were lower around the world and the ice caps of the globe
were larger.  It was thoughts like this that drew me to the tundra.  Historic.  No, Prehistoric.

TUNDRA

Tundra as far as the eye could see in any direction.  Very hard to get
lost I reasoned even if 30 miles or more away from camp.
So I grabbed A good book…I think it was Steinbeck’s East 
of Eden.  Then waited for the lead pilot to greet us like
he did every morning with his cheerful “Let’s Get Fucking Airborne”

One helicopter began the slow  “Whomp…Whomp…Whomp”
Then got up to speed.

“Can you drop me out on the tundra?”
“Sure…no equipment , how come?”
“Not needed today.”

I jumped in over the pontoon and we were airborne heading
north west.  Eventually the S52 would swing due west towards
the Bering Sea where we had a fuel drop.  Forty Five gallon drums
of Diesel.

It was a beaUtiful day around  mid-August.  The bugs were not nearly
as bad by then because  the birds had been feasting for months on the
little bastards.  So many birds nested in the tundra that we had to be
careful walking.

“Drop me here’” About 20 or 25 miles from camp.   It would  be
very hard to get lost since we could see great distances on the flat
treeless tundra.

My plan was simple.  I would find a nice folded slope on the tundra and tuck
myself into a depression…out of the wind…then spend a couple of hours
reading Steinbeck before walking back to camp.  That would take  a full
day…and  be delightful.   The Humble Oil Company of Texas to whom we
were subcontracted had armed us with big 30-06 rifles but we never felt
the need to carry a rifle on the open tundra so we stacked the rifles at
the helcopter drop sites.   This day I did  not even take the rifle. Too damn
heavy.

All worked  out quite well for an hour or two.  Then I got a bit worried. Suppose
a Kodiak bear did  happen to be crossing this great expanse of flat land.
It would get my smell I supposed and maybe want to check me out.  What the hell
could I do?   Climb a tree?  That’s a laugh.  

The only trees were down in the creek and river valleys that criss crossed the vast
flatness of the tundra.    Those valleys and creek bottoms were Kodiak country because
they had easy access to thousands  of big salmon heading up river to spawn.  And there
were lots of dead salmon floating down.  Up top on the tundra I felt safe.   Safe?  Felt
safe until I realized I was  all alone.  Alone!  No one even knew I was out here.  I had
walked miles  from the drop site.  I was alone.

That’s my partner Bill Morrisson, doing some fishing down in a creek bottom near our camp.  These deep incisions in the
tundra are where the Kodiak bears feast on salmon.  Around camp we were safe as there were so many guns.  Thirty men armed with 
rifles and pistols.  Disgusting.  In Canada, geophysical prospectors like us never carried  weapons. “Why are we not armed?”, I asked
on one  job.  “No guns for good reason…so we cannot shoot each other”.  In ten years prospecting this  was the only job
where there were guns.   




I had  been told  that the bears stay away from humans because we smell bad.
Hope that was true.  Must be true.  No bath for weeks except occasional dip
in tundra meltwater pools.

Then my mind shifted from Steinbeck to Kodiak bears   When alone, the mind
plays tricks…fears grow.  I decided
it might be best to start the journey back to camp which  was miles
away but visible.

The two big Sikorskys seemed busy for I could see them flying back
and forth far in the distance.   One even flew near me but I would be invisible
in my military bush  clothing.  And I did  not want to bother them.

To get back to camp I had to cross a couple of small creeks that were cut
into the tundra but no big river.   There was  some brush which made me a  little
nervous but not enough to raise the hackles  on my neck.

I  got back to camp.  And there was trouble.  “Where the he’ll have you been?”
“We found you missing.”  “Sent out the S-52’s”  “Heard you were dropped somewhere”

My partner, Bill Morrisson, sitting with feet dangling from a Sikorsky helicopter.  Doing what he must have done
the day I decided  to go for a long walk with a good book.  “Why the hell did you do that..got me worried sick.”

“Just reading a book?”
“Well, you are a goddamned fool.”
(True)
Those lectures were nearly as bad as  my slow awareness that spending a few hours
nestled in the trackless wilderness may not have been a good idea.

This story may  seem inconsequential.  Minor blip in life’s journey.  But I think of
it often.  

alan  skeoch
June 5, 2020




And so it ended.  I was chastised by everyone.  Then the whole incident was forgotten as the sun circled along
the horizon and then popped up again.   And the Sikorsky went to sleep.

alan skeoch
June 2020
(western Alaska, about 100 miles  inland from Dillingham, an mostly aboriginal
village, town, on the coast of the Bering Sea.)

Employed by Dr. Norman Paterson
Hunting Technical  and Exploration Services
-Canadian arew —Bill Morrison, Moe Chinery, Dr. John Stam, 
Don Van Every, Ian Rutherford, and  Alan Skeoch
-along with 25 American  diamond  drillers.