Alan Skeoch

Author: terraviva

  • 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