{"id":4955,"date":"2020-06-19T19:22:14","date_gmt":"2020-06-19T23:22:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/?p=4955"},"modified":"2020-06-19T19:26:14","modified_gmt":"2020-06-19T23:26:14","slug":"episode-69-bunmahon-ireland-alan-skeochs-journal-wednesday-august-3-to-august-7-1960","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/?p=4955","title":{"rendered":"EPISODE 69 BUNMAHON IRELAND ALAN SKEOCH’S JOURNAL WEDNESDAY AUGUST 3 TO AUGUST 7, 1960"},"content":{"rendered":"
EPISODE  69   BUNMAHON IRELAND <\/p>\n

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ALAN SKEOCH\u2019S JOURNAL  1960  AUGUST 3, 1960 TO AUGUST 7, 1960<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Part of our crew.  John Hogan on the left\u2026Dr. John Stam on the right.  Tommy, second right,  Barney, fourth right, Andy, fifth right.<\/div>\n
The staking crew is not in the picture nor are the men and boys that guarded the base line.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
Farmer Casey wanted payment for the damage done to his barley crop by our crew. He was very angry and very drunk when <\/div>\n
he confronted  me for the second time..I have forgotten how<\/div>\n
he was reimbursed.   Perhaps  paid by John Hogan.  Other farmers were equally irate..<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
This very pretty hedgerow is made of Gorse\u2026thousands of thorns that cut the flesh  when given a chance. We had to get through<\/div>\n
these thorn fences dozens of times a day.  We never knew where the blood sucking ticks hid while waiting for a warm blooded<\/div>\n
creature but i suspect many were here.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
alan skeoch<\/div>\n
June 2020<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 3, 1960<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
Finished expense account before breakfast.   Then had very successful<\/div>\n
day in the field\u202618,000 feet which kept the lads  moving.  Passed two<\/div>\n
dead  steers (cows?) in advanced state of decay.  The smell was terrible\u2026<\/div>\n
suffocating.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
In evening John Hogan  and I went down to Kirwin\u2019s for a game of<\/div>\n
darts and a Guinness<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
All evening I worked  with our completed  lines\u2026plotting results.  Then planned <\/div>\n
tomorrow\u2019s adventures.  I expect to finish the Turam this week if<\/div>\n
the weather and the cattle behave.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
THRUSDAY  AUGUJST 4, 1960<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
This cut in the fields  led down to the cliff face and then down to the sea.   It was in such steep place that an Irish family<\/div>\n
raised nine kids while living in a cave.  Believe it?  Maybe.  Sometimes i did not know what was fact and what was fiction.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
Spent very full day finishing the base line near the ocean\u202612,000 feet finished<\/div>\n
which  leaves  3,000 feet for tomorrow.  I  will have to close up tis Saturday<\/div>\n
unless there is to be an extension.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
Saw ruins of a house  half way down a cliff \u2026 not really a house.  It is a cave<\/div>\n
where an Irish family lived and raised nine children.   Don\u2019t know how they did it.<\/div>\n
Barney and I explored the \u201cseven  drifts\u201d \u2026a mine shaft that goes in from the<\/div>\n
ocean.   Two great chasms within \u2026 including much  loose rock  at a 45 degree<\/div>\n
angle\u2026we got part way across the loose rock and the whole face began to<\/div>\n
tumble.  We froze.  Then carefully retreated. A dog howled  all the time<\/div>\n
we were in the drift.  Was the doge  worried about us?  When we came out<\/div>\n
the moon was glowing in an empty sky.  I wonder if that is why the mackerel<\/div>\n
are jumping tonight.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
FRIDAY, AUGUST 5, 1960<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
Rose early and wrote my weekly report to the Toronto office.  Then planned<\/div>\n
a full day of  work with Turam, Resistivity, Ronka.  The Turam was soon <\/div>\n
finished (5,300 feet).  The resistivity unit was  a disappointment as the motor<\/div>\n
will not start.  Then the Ronka was a failure as well.  I decided to let the boys<\/div>\n
have a half day holiday with pay  of course.  A very sad day as the lads now  know<\/div>\n
the job may come to an end soon. Barney was  close to tears.  Johnny, always<\/div>\n
the leader and  senior person, accepted things  passively.  No one was glad<\/div>\n
and that includes me.  <\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The Bally Inn: Ballyaneen, Ireland:  IN this tiny 2 roomed pub gathered a  huge crowd  for a night of music and  dance.  Lots of beer as well.  The music was terrific but<\/div>\n
the lyrics of the songs were even better.  Nostalgic music designed to make a grown adult weep.  Absolutely wonderful.  <\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
I took the engine to Ballyaneen in the evening. Then  John and I went to Tramore<\/div>\n
and  drove the Dodgems.  then tried the rifle range shooting corks, then <\/div>\n
played  the slot machines\u2026had  a beer, played golf and  then went to a dance.<\/div>\n
Bet the boys back in Toronto will not believe this.  Part of my job description as <\/div>\n
told by Dr. Paterson: \u201cMake sure you get along with John Hogan\u2026he is the rep of our client.”<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
SATURDAY AUGUST 6, 1960<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
Had trouble  getting out of bed this morning\u2026too much done yesterday..<\/div>\n
Did manage to get the lads and the resistivity unit on the job but the<\/div>\n
cattle played havoc with the spread wire.  Got some mail from Marjorie<\/div>\n
today.  <\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
John Hogan and  I drove to Waterford where I bought a bottle of<\/div>\n
Hennesey\u2019s Cognac for the folks back  home.  I do  not even know<\/div>\n
what Cognac  is\u2026nor did I know it was French\u2026thought iii was Irish.<\/div>\n
Then we went to the afternoon show  \u201cThey Came to Cordura\u201d\u2026disappointing<\/div>\n
Somehow I managed to spend 97 pounds this week\u2026270 dollars.<\/div>\n
I like being in charge\u2026feel confident I know what i am doing.<\/div>\n
Getting job done.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Payday\u2026cash based on rate of one pound per day\u2026about $1.40 Canadian per day.  Toronto wondered why we needed  so  many men<\/div>\n
but we did.  Everything had to be guarded  from the cattle and other nibbling creatures. I needed help getting over the Irish thorn bush fences<\/div>\n
and  to try and avoid long grass where the little ticks were waiting to suck our blood.  Each man got a bonus of cigarettes  and chocolate bars.<\/div>\n
Extravagent.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
   <\/div>\n
My payday arrangement occurs weekly.  the men line up beside the<\/div>\n
little shack\u2026a  kind  of  office\u2026I get cash from Mrs. Kennedy and pay<\/div>\n
her\u2026then pay the men at rough rate of 1 pound per day ($1.40) which<\/div>\n
seems awfully cheap  but that is he going rate in Ireland.  I also give each<\/div>\n
man a pack  of cigarettes (10 to  pack, Wild  Woodbine) and  a chocolate <\/div>\n
bar.  Seems sort of silly but I  do  it anyhow.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
SUNDAY, AUGUST 7, 1960<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
Woke up to heavy rain on my window\u2026so will have to postpone our<\/div>\n
planned trip to the mountain north of us.    Spent morning writting.<\/div>\n
Then sky  cleared  so John Hogan and i drove to the mountain<\/div>\n
and  had a  grand time stalking mountain sheep and enjoying the<\/div>\n
grandeur of  the heather covered  barren land.  Stopped for a look<\/div>\n
at a peat bog which was being harvested as blocks of peat for fireplaces.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
END   EPISODE 69  BUNMAHON IRELAND JOURNAL OF ALAN SKEOCH             TO AUGUST 7, 1960<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

EPISODE  69   BUNMAHON IRELAND  ALAN SKEOCH\u2019S JOURNAL  1960  AUGUST 3, 1960 TO AUGUST 7, 1960 Part of our crew.  John Hogan on the left\u2026Dr. John Stam on the right.  Tommy, second right,  Barney, fourth right, Andy, fifth right. The staking crew is not in the picture nor are the men and boys that guarded […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4955","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4955","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4955"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4955\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4955"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4955"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4955"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}