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
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