EPISODE 68 BUNMAHON, IRELAND JULY 23, 1960 TO AUGUST 2, 1960
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”
alan skeochJune 2020
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 23,1960Note: Saturday July 23, 1960, I was told by Barney Dawn that it waspossible tp squeeze through an old adit (an air vent) and actually enterte Knockmaon mine. This event was a climax point in the Bunmahonadventure. I had a choice. Take a risk and enter the mine. Orplay it safe and do nothing other than our surface work. I chosethe risk taking venture. Why? Because I was 21 years old…youngand foolish. Adventure seeking. Crawling through that air ventwas not part of my job so, at first, Barney, Andy and I did it on eveningsor Sundays. Later both John Hogan and Dr. John Stam decidedto get involved in underground exploration when we were madeaware of a legend lost cow in an old mine entrance inland fromthe sea. The results of that venture were startling.So I have decided to give these ventures special consideration…anda special heading. A question for you to think about: Would you crawlthrough 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
“See the hole up there?”
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”
*DATE ERROR CRRECTED…. EPISODE 66 BUNMAHON, IRELAND SUNDAY JUly 17, 1960 TO jJuly 22 1960 CATTLE CHOMPING AND CASTLES BURNING
Begin forwarded message:
From: ALAN SKEOCH <alan.skeoch@rogers.com>Subject: EPISODE 66 BUNMAHON, IRELAND SUNDAY JULY 17, 1960 TO CATTLE CHOMPING AND CASTLES BURNINGDate: June 15, 2020 at 9:00:16 PM EDTTo: Alan Skeoch <alan.skeoch@rogers.com>
EPISODE 66 BUNMAHON, IRELAND, CATTLE CHOMPING , AND CASTLES BURNEDalan skeochJune 2020Our crew assembling on a roadside. The local newspaper from Waterford took this picture when they did along article on our poject. I count 7 men here. At one point I think we had 10 men employed. Quite a job tokeep things moving.SUNDAY, JULY 17, 1960I’m getting to be familiar with Mass at St. Mary’s RC church but todaywas a cold weather experience….no heat in church. What really amusesme at the church is the Holy Water urn at the door. My employees alwaystry to hit me with a handful. Sometimes successful.I spent the part of the day reading The Bramble Bush…very sad book about mercykilling, religions and, of course, sex. Not sure it was worth the time. In theafternoon we went down to Kirwin’s and Frank let us into the ‘secret’ room…the room hasconnection with Time of the Troubles and the IRA. I never know whenpeople are telling the truth as they love mysterious stories. Hard to imagineBonmahon people full of hatred.Then I went for a walk on Bunmahon beach alone. There were clustersof 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 tomy 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 Skeochbut 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 coupleof the girls were about my age.Then around 9 p.m. a couple of the boys arrived to take me to a dancein Tramore. We had a grand time. Dancing is a big time thing here inIreland. Both of the ‘boys’ were older and married.MONDAY, JULY 18, 1960The sea was changeable. In bad weather the waves came so far up the beach that our grounding rods were compromised. Waternever reachedthe 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 groundingpoint. I wish I knew more about grounding. Perhaps top of cliff would havebeen fine. Cliff climbing was frightening. No sooner did we get the base linein place than new herds of cattle began browsing on what looked like specialfood to them…our yellow wire. Five cable breaks reduced our daily mileageto 3,100 feet.I spent the evening working on my earphones and then Mrs. Kennedyasked 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 surehe could speak. Maybe he was just shy. He sure was dependable…almost like he wascamping at our motor generator.Bunmahon has quite a few handicapped people. We hired one younglad to guard our motor generator. He is handicapped. Overjoyed to havea 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. 1960This was our first full working day on new base line. Disappointing. The localcattle destroyed 1,500 feet of new cable…wire a jumble as cattle draggedlengths of the cable into a tangled mess. Then they ate some.Worse still today the ocean got to our grounding rods. My error. Relocatedthem. By 11 a.m. we were ready to try to get some readings done. Managedto do four lines. Not bad.Passed through a tiny chapel with an ancient graveyard…all that remainsof 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 shenow had enough peanut butter as she drove to Waterford where it wassent from Dublin. Nice of her. Seems she did know about peanut butter’sexistence. Sometimes her dialect confuses me but she is a quite outstandingwoman and certainly has strong opinions about human behaviour. Neithershe wore her husband go to Kirwin’s pub. She disapproves of local peoplespending money there because they have so little money.WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 1960John 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 electrifiedbase line. I was able to read a signal at 4300 feet. but only faintly. Weusually 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 sowe have hired more men to did trenches down to bed rock just incase there are mineralized exposures. I visited our first trench todaywhere we found a little quartz exposed. I do not know if this wasimportant or not.What is most amusing, however, is the way a herd of pigs clusteredat the top of the trench while the men were digging. Barney thinkssome pigs are dangerous but this group were just curious. When I getstrapped in to the Turam receiving coil and console and battery packI 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 tobelieve. 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 gother. All that was found were her boots with her feet in them.” Chuckle…chuckle.Took a bath tonight. Needed itTHURSDAY, JUlY 21, 1960Today we entered the O’Shea forest at Garnemorris. Purgatorywould be nicer than this expanse of tangled Holly and Ivy. Dense.Higher than any person on our crew and difficult to cut. All part ofof 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 protestingthe large landowners wealth at the expense of ordinary Irish who livedin poverty. Must check out the name “Power O’Shea”.Mr. Cunningham arrived to check out our Turam work . He representsthe Geological Survey of Ireland. We picked up a hue anomaly. Not sureif 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 wecould hardly move and I was not sure the compass baring was accuratewhen the lines were cut.NOTE: Before we attempt to ‘read’ the Turam, a linocutting crew issent to cut and mark lines 3,000 feet on either side of the electrified baseline. The line cutters pound in stakes marking 50 or 100 feet‘stations’ as they proceed. Usually a two or three man crew do thisusing a compass for accuracy…ie. to ensure the lie is straight. In theO’shea forest errors occurred because straight line compass sightingswere difficult.Fener Bog, County Waterford…where Larry Deygot caught and was sinking. Fenor Bog began to grow 10,000 years in a lake basin at the bottomof 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 andsinking when Johny came along and pulled him out. Probably wouldnot have sunk much deeper. But bogs can paralyze.FRIDAY, JULY 22, 1960We got an early start todayThe day was full of troubles as rhe staking crew were inaccurate dueto the heavy forest and low brush and bog vegetation. Very difficult tokeep the lines straight. I was irritated but should not have beensince the crew tried hard to keep at right angles to base line.I should not have been angry…but the feeling of responsibility overcamegood sense … and good public relations.WHAT HAPPENED IN THE TIME OF THE TROUBLES?upload.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 associatedwith the IRA movement.NOTE: While there were almost constant references to the “time of the Troubles” byour Irish hosts, the Kennedy family…and also by our work force and people at Kirwin’spub, these comments were never made in a hostile manner. The Irish were warm andfun loving in my experience. When one of our workers father died i went to thewake which was a warm tribute to the man… feeling of warmth…of acceptance…of sincere interest. It wasvery hard for me to visualize either the potato famine of the 1840’s or the violence ofthe 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 IRAin 1922 was an offhand remark. I thought it might be an isolated event. Wrong. In the Timeof the Troubles IRA men burned 274 Irish mansions mostly owned by Protestant Irish (manyof them former English). The goal was to get land back to Irish peasant farmers but much ofthat had already been done. A Land Reclamation program had been redistributing land forsome time. As a result The burnings backfired on the IRA since many jobs on theseestates 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 thingwas happening to English country housesby the hundreds….in1955 one was being demolished every five days… auctioning contentsand demolition because aristocratic familieslost their heirs in the World Wars or the owners could no longer pay the taxes on big estatesthat amounted unto 65% Succession duties. In both cases…Irish violence and English post warpoverty 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 grandfatherEdward Freeman had been he head gardener on the estate Mom was born there. I wonderedwhat 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.” Wikipedia2) 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 thehouse 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 ofthe English oppression of the Irish. The OShea house was only partially destroyed so it was subsequently rebuilt. Lost in the fire, however, were the artworksand the library. Other Country Houses had a much darker fate .. i.e. totally destroyed.Quote below:
“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 muchof which was blamed on the English. Negative comments made in the 1850’s by the local Protestant ministerin Bonmahon, Rev. Doudney. who left Bonmahon in 1857 nearly triggered a blood bath but thatcould be an exaggeration. No one seems to have lost their life. People just moved on.Postcard pictures of Bonmahon between 1900 and1920’s. Mr. andMrs. Kennedy’s home survived but other homes were gone by 1960END EPISODE 66
EPISODE 65 BUNMAHON IRELAND JULY 5, 1960 TO
EPISODE 65 BUNMAHON , IRELAND JULY 5,1960 TO JULY 16, 1960
EPISODE 63: BUNMAHON JUNE18, 1960 to June 23, 1960
Method[edit]
EPISODE 62 BEGINNING THE JOB…ADJUSTING TO AN OLD WORLD
EPISODE 62: BEGINNING THE JOB
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“Alan, what can you tell me about Bunmanon?”
Fwd: EPISODE 61: UNFORGFETTABLE SJUMMER 1960….13 days in DUBLIN, IRELAND THEN SOUTH TO THE KNOCKMAHON MINE SITE
This is my journal…the beginning of a great adventure.IN DUBLIN’S FAIR CITYalan SkeochJournal 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. Thatwas my destination in 1960 but it would take 13 more days to get there. MeanwhileI 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. Thesmell is intoxicating. The main street, O’Connell Street is wide and busy and for the most part happy in spiteof bullet holes deliberately left to remind Irish people of the ‘time of the troubles’. The people are superfriendly…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 themand a huge 700 acre park near the city centre. Problems? Of course. Some obviously deranged peoplehere 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 mightresent the stereotypes but I thoroughly enjoyed them with no expectations they would be part ofmy experience on the Bunmaahon job. But so much happened that was similar. Not that I felt Iwas John Wayne. I was however a North American stepping into a cultural milieu of which I wasunfamiliar.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. Visitedthe 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 housetomorrow when Kevin Behan gets back from Italy. Very tired. Fell to sleep three times during the day. Beingalone is not that enjoyable. Need other people to make life really interesting but it looks like I willbe stuck here in Dublin for some time. No point in heading south the County Waterford and village ofBunmahon 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 breakfastfor a week to save the company money as my expense check was only 200 pounds…not enoughfor me to stay at the Gresham so after a week I found a cheap hotel in Clontarf, the Hollybrook, whereI seemed to be the only guest and the staff made it clear my breakfast as included. Even then by theend of my stay in Dublin the money was almost gone.June 2, 1960I woke up late so skipped breakfast and walked to the Department of Justice to get my work clearance. Had to prove I was doinga 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 aspecial spot. Few people know how to run it…and it is quite complicated…motor generator, base line a mile or so long, two receivingcoils with 100 for separation, a console, picketed lines running 3,000 feet from the base line at right angles, etc. Had to explainthis 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 smellof the horses and the Guinness is wonderful to me. The tour included a pile of Guinness post cards featuring men lifting bull dozersor 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 shewants 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 throughnitrogen…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 caloriesper pint …less than a pint of milk. Drinkers of Guinness get an ‘enhanced feeling of well being’ , an advertising statement frownedon by the government. Created in 18th century by Arthur Guinnessand apparently one of the most consumed beers worldwide. Guinness does seem to be good for drinkers though…lots of healthyantioxidants…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 knowBreakfast was included in the room rate so skipped breakfast for that week. Fancyhotel but very unfriendly.Bought some tomatoes and meat pie to eat in my room while reading a book. Sort of lonely feeling…neededa 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 Englishand Irish. This will take some time to do…will pay extra to get faster work done. Decided to go back tothe 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 inblood while singing and dancing and jumping around. Very sad. She even relieved herself by lifting her skirtand pissing without care. Most on lookers did not stop…treated her as if a normal situation. I kept walkingas 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 withthe Kennedy family in Bunmahon.Then I bought some flowers and took a bus to the Behan home. Mrs. Behan poured tea and a little laterKevin Behan came bursting on the scene. He had just landed from Italy. Grand fellow. He took me to apub for another Guinness. Driving back he tried to run over a ‘teddy boy’…or at least to scare him. ‘Teddyboy’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…coupleof my friends had the greased down haircuts although most of them had brush cuts and were not nearly asfancy dressed as the Irish Teddy Boys who tried to wear the fancy clothing of Edwardian England. Some TeddyBoys did run in tough gangs though. I think Kevin Behan’s hatred was triggered by the Notting Hill race Riots inLondon where some 300 Teddy Boys targeted black people using iron bars and butcher knives. That was really badbut most Teddy Boys were just mild rebels like a lot of kids in my high school days back in Canada. I kept mymouth shut. Maybe Kevin had a bad experience. To me those Teddy Boys and Teddy Girls wereThe kind of kids that lovedthe 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 lookedmuch like the Rock and Roll kids so common in Canada in 1950’s and 1960’s.June 3, 1960I 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 mapsand he in turn sent me to the Ordinance Survey Office in Phoenix Park. What an immense place… with so many cattle I couldnot 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 daywalking through PhoenixPark. A bunch of soldiers were lawn bowling at one spot. Then visited the Dublin Zoo. Wish I hadn’t becausewhen 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 tomatoesfor 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 whichI 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 intoloneliness. Wrote letter to Marjorie and went to bed.Phoenix Park has large herd of semi wild deer that have been there from the 18th centuryStreets of Dublin, in 1960, still had presence of horses. This man was just leading four of them casuallydown the street…note evidence of Horse manure indicating this was not an unusual sight. a hundred yearsago these horses numbered in the thousands. i.e. There were 100,000 horses in London in 1850 and Dublinwould have about the same. Dung abounded. Human escrement was eventually linked
to outbreaks of Cholera because water supply was contaminated with manure.
June 4, 1960Got 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 Behantook 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…endedevening 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. hada rally on O;Connell Street. Met Joe Malone. This is a strange summer…first prospecting job with so many peoplearound 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, 1960Rose 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 Churchwhere 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 andher 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 thatoverpopulation 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 Kevintook 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 gunson 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 informedme 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 somemoney. 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 reallya little charmer. She was so glad to see me each visit that her greetings made me feel embarrassed. The Behans made suchan impression that Marjorie and I named our first born Kevin.June 6, 1960Today 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 Harbourwhich 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 misnomerfor 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, 1960Received word from McNabb and Timins that the Ronka has arrived but no sign of the Turam. Moved my bag to the Hollybrook Hotelon the Howth Road … had a nice pastoral setting and comfortable old pub kind of registration desk. Decided to tour the Guinness Breweryagain. “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 infront of a charging bull.At that remark the guy went wild. Seemed to want a fight. I decided best course of action was to getthe hell away from him but he followed me yelling who knows what for his accent was thick. A policemanrescued me and advised I take a long ride on the bus and keep away from throwaway comments aboutreligion.Why did I say that remark…Why trigger animosity? It was a mistake, of course, but I was thinking backto the St. Skeoch legend.Our Skeoch relatives, ancient kind, were Catholic. Most Scots were in the early centuries. And there wasa connection with the Book of Kells and the Scottish Isle of Iona. A misty connection…likely false. A connection even more ancient thanthe 10th century Book of Kells. At some point I had heard or read that St. Skeoch was one of the 12 disciplesof St, Columba when he left (fled?) Ireland in the sixth century for the Scottish Island of Iona. At that timethe use of the term saint was loosely interpreted…i.e. without the approval of Rome. Was St. Skeoch oneof 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. Andthe St. Skeoch convent could have been a St. Skeoch monastery. All perhaps nonsense since much relieson hearsay. All this was in my mind as lined up to see the Book of Kells. Were our roots as much Catholicas 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 ofKells 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 illustratedaround 800 A.D. when Most people could not read. Sometimes called the Book of Columbabecause St Columba and subsequent Columban monks did much of the work between the sixth and ninth centuries.Back to my Journal: June 7, 1960Bad weather barreling in from the sea. Wrote a letter to Barrie Nicholls and John Hogan. Hogan is a geologistrepresenting 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 themwhich made for a perfect evening.June 8, 1960Arose late after the party last night with Joe and Moira. Went downtown and bought field books, electric tape and signsto alert local people to dangers of our project, particularly the base line wire and generator. Surprised when a cyclistfell off his bike into the Liffey canal. Ambulance came fast. The German sailors and officers from the Graf Spee arein Dublin. Since I am the only guest in the Hollybrook Hotel I feel like the lord of this ancient manor house and gettreated 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 showand 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, 1960UP 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 westernpart of County Waterford… Gave Mr. O’Brien a quick briefing the Turam operation. Checked with Arbuckle butTuram has still not arrived.John Hogan and I toured the Guinness Brewery … my third visit. Then we had a lousy meal at the TemperanceHotel. Then visited head office of Irish National Sweepstakes and bought 5 shillings tickets for Marjorie. Walkedback to hotel then walked to the Behan home where kids were really cute. Yvonne and Denise kept bringing mecorn 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 ironedmy shirt afterwards then Kevin drove me back to the Hollybrook.June 10, 1960Had big breakfast … bacon, eggs, fried tomatoes….topped off with a rack of cold toast and marmalade. What shouldI do for the rest of the day now that John Hogan has gone south? Tour! Dublin is a city of wonderful smells. GuinnessBrewery covers over 60 acres making lots of beer. But there is also a strong smell of cookies being baked at the Jacobsfactory. So I followed my nose and had a tour. 250 employees mostly girls who gave me plenty of attention…includingwhistling 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 whileI 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 thehell is going on? They told me the crates were there the other day.June 11, 1960Getting better sleep now that I am having big breakfast. Afterwards I went down to Arbuckle to pick up the part of shipmentthat has arrived…i.e. the Ronka E.M. unit. I will take it south on Monday. Sent telegram to Dr. Stam in Amsterdam and wrotea 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.supperin Irish lingo) then Kevin took Ronnie and me to movie “Once More with Feeling” (no good). After we took girls home Kevin tookme to meet his mother snd father…all are in the car business.June 12, 1960Wind is blowing from the sea…smashing windows. I walked to Clontarf Presbyterian Church where Rev. Moore greeted me warmlyand asked me to join him for s few minutes in the vestry Guest speaker was a methodist, Rev. Livingston who spoke about ‘HappyHarry 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 refusewould be an insult. Ronnie prepared another great meal. Yvonne was full of beans as usual…crawling all over me. We droveto 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.Brendon Behan and Kevin Behan were not related. Two very different people who shared one common wonderful trait. They loved people andan 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 saythe 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 BehanBrendon Behan was a man of the 1950’s snd 1960’s. He had strong opinions even as a teen ager joiningthe Irish Republican Army at 14 years of age. He was an ardent republican. Regarded the Englishmonarchy with disdain. That said, he became very popular and his quick wit amused not just the Dublin Irishbut the literary world in general. His most famous play is titled “The Quare Fellow” which is setin a prison in the heart of Dublin. “Quare” is Irish for “Queer.” Brendon Behan’s one linerswere quoted again and again by people with both a sense of humour and a knowledge that thereis 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 absenceand sentenced to death in my absenceSo I said they could shoot me in my absence.”“There is no such thing as bad publicityExcept your own obituary.”“The most important things to do in the world are toget something to eatget something to drinkand get someone to love you.”Monday June 13 LAST DAY IN DUBLINHow 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 villsgeof 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 hadmet…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 Waterfordwhere 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 theedge 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 Bunmahonwhere 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 innerworkings 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 nowon 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. Butmany more will be hired. Eventually I hired the whole village. More of that later.
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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
- 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.
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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.