{"id":4991,"date":"2020-06-21T20:42:10","date_gmt":"2020-06-22T00:42:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/?p=4991"},"modified":"2020-06-21T20:44:25","modified_gmt":"2020-06-22T00:44:25","slug":"episode-71-bunmahon-ireland-alan-skeochs-journal-monday-agust-15-1960-to","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/?p=4991","title":{"rendered":"EPISODE 71 BUNMAHON , IRELAND, ALAN SKEOCH’S JOURNAL MONDAY AGUST 15, 1960 TO"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
EPISODE 71  BUNMAHON IRELAND  ALAN SKEOCH\u2019S JOURNAL   MONDAY AUGUST 15, `960 TO AUGUST 23, 1960<\/div>\n

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

<\/div>\n
IRELAND  THE BEAUTIFUL<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
This I think is Mr. Casey proudly posing in front of his cottage (home).  Most of our men had houses like this\u2026centre door, rooms<\/div>\n
on right an left.  Very few were as well manicured as this was.  The income for workers was  $1.40 per day in 1960.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
\n
MONDAY AUGUST 15, 1960<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
This is a big holiday in Ireland\u2026the day that the virgin Mary was automatically<\/div>\n
assumed to have entered Heaven.   John and I drove to Tramore and then<\/div>\n
on to Waterford to clean up our repair business.  Got a haircut and then went <\/div>\n
to the Tramore races in afternoon.  Lost on all my bets that were modest anyway.<\/div>\n
Races\u20262 shillings entry fee<\/div>\n
Betting\u20264 shillings<\/div>\n
Golf\u20264 shillings for two of us<\/div>\n
Meal\u20262 shillings, sixpence<\/div>\n
Dodge\u2019em cars\u20261 shilling<\/div>\n
Darts\u2026.sixpence<\/div>\n
Beer\u20263 shillings<\/div>\n
Total cost of  $2 Canadian<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The Tramore races\u2026not my picture but accurate pic  of Irish wagerers\u2026wit kids in arms.  Count the cloth caps.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
People  back in Toronto must be shocked at our lifestyle here in Ireland\u2026if<\/div>\n
they even hear about it.  Normally our work in mining  exploration is seven days<\/div>\n
a week no matter what the weather. A holiday  is the chance to stay asleep in<\/div>\n
a tent where the bugs can\u2019t get us.   So Ireland  must seem like a dream.<\/div>\n
Best not mention the trip to the racetrack on a Sunday.  If you need a  laugh<\/div>\n
just think of  two men playing Dodge\u2019em against 10 year old kids.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
The funniest thing today  was when a drunken woman went into the Men\u2019s<\/div>\n
washroom and stayed there.  The men carried on as if she was  not there.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
TUESDAY  AUGUST 16, 1960<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
I had to fire my first man today when Andy Kiely did  not show up for work.<\/div>\n
No explanation.  Sent day setting up  the base line (#3) Managed  to <\/div>\n
complete 12,000line feet after setting up the motor generator and the rounding<\/div>\n
rods. (* FIRING Andy was a  mistake on my part.  I did not know his<\/div>\n
91 year old father was dying and that Andy was the principal caregiver.<\/div>\n
I  should  have asked.  Makes me feel bad.)<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
I put John Fleming in charge of the staking crew. He is our oldest <\/div>\n
employee and the most highly respected.   All of the men live on<\/div>\n
one  acre lots with small houses.  John Fleming manages to keep<\/div>\n
two or three cattle and other farm animals on his tiny plot.  Gathers<\/div>\n
hay along road  allowance.  i do  not talk to him often but I\u2019ve given him<\/div>\n
the same respect that the men all do  A nice man scraping out an <\/div>\n
existence in difficult circumstances.  Grows  potatoes  as  well of <\/div>\n
course.  All the men seem to have gardens. <\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
Jo<\/div>\n
John Fleming (left), Barney Dwan (centre)\u2026forgot name of man on right.  I had feeling he disliked me on the job.  It is very<\/div>\n
difficult for gown men to take order from a 21 year old like me.  The bridge is permanent\u2026and inexpensive.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
Willy arrived today with an awful hangover from yesterday\u2019s celebration.<\/div>\n
So hung over he could not keep up with us.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
John Hogan made the front page of the Dublin newspapers\u2026subject<\/div>\n
of our Bonmahon mineral explorations.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
WEDBESDAT AUGUST 17, 1960<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
The damn  cattle destroyed about 1,000  feet of our baseline cable<\/div>\n
last night.  We are operating with a skeleton crew since Barney is<\/div>\n
sick.  He does the work of two men.  i depend on him to get me safely<\/div>\n
over the stone field walls tat are topped with gorse (brier). Sound  stupid<\/div>\n
to say this but getting over these small fields with their high brier fences <\/div>\n
is a tough job.  And Barney has to check in case there is a bull loose<\/div>\n
in next field.  <\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
A photographer came here from Waterford to take pictures of our<\/div>\n
crew in operation and get an interview.  The lads are quite excited<\/div>\n
about their sudden fame.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
Got a letter from the Scottish Forestry Commission today saying<\/div>\n
that the Skeoch Wood is located on the isle of Bute\u2026not too far<\/div>\n
from Prestwick where my return flight to Canada is booked.  If I<\/div>\n
can swing it I will try to find the Skeoch Wood.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
THURSDAY AUGUST 18, 1960<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
Photographers were here again today.  Had a very successful <\/div>\n
day\u2026.due in part to the two new employees I hired to try and<\/div>\n
protect the base line from cattle.  The young boys are really excited<\/div>\n
about the job.  Joyful.  <\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
Still no money sent from Toronto.  Must meet my payroll somehow.<\/div>\n
John Hotan  phoned ,  He is stuck in Carlow as the Fiat broke down.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
Barney and I worked our way into the old stopes (i.e. places<\/div>\n
where the high grade ore was  found).   West of  Bonmahon<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
This was a hair raising experience.  The ladder  we used<\/div>\n
just barely spanned a chasm at one spot.  And  a little <\/div>\n
further we were separated when a  rock slide pinned Barney<\/div>\n
to the support wall on the edge of a shaft that went straight <\/div>\n
down to who knows where   Very tense.  But the air was good<\/div>\n
as our candle lit without difficulty.  There must be other adits<\/div>\n
nearby.  Somewhere in these adits, shafts and  passageways<\/div>\n
the IRA hid from the British  Black and  Tans in the 1920\u2019s.<\/div>\n
Hard to imagine living in here.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
Found nest of boby rabbits when we crawled out\u2026missed them<\/div>\n
on the way in.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
FRIDAY  AUGUST 19,1960<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
The day looked foreboding but we got to work anyway  and  managed<\/div>\n
to get 11,600 feet doe before the deluge struck.  Finally received a telegram<\/div>\n
from Toronto that money was on the way.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
We had a  nice warm fire in the fireplace.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
The Waterford News and  Star gave us a front page spread with pictures.<\/div>\n
The article quoted  me but that was not what I said that I remember.  The<\/div>\n
whole village is excited as  a result of the story\u2026especially the families  of<\/div>\n
the lads.   I borrowed sixty pounds  from John  in order to make the payroll<\/div>\n
tomorrow.  <\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
Tommy told me that the caves  we explored yesterday were once the<\/div>\n
hideouts of the IRA back in the 1920\u2019s.  Confirmed what Barney said.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
SATURDAY AUGUST 20, 1960<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
Only achieved 4400 feet today but did  manage to tie in the base line.<\/div>\n
While working across the cliffs we encountered two young foxes.<\/div>\n
Then Barney and I visited an  island where the Danes  lived in past<\/div>\n
ages.   The Danish sailors  are reputed to have seen the mineral stains<\/div>\n
on the cliffs at Knockmahon and may have  done some mining.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
Returned to Mrs.  Kennedy\u2019s shed where the men had gathered as<\/div>\n
this  is payday.  Thankfully John Hogan had the cash I could borrow.<\/div>\n
Then John and I drove to Waterford to get the Avometer fixed.<\/div>\n
In the evening we amused ourselves  with a game of twenty questions.<\/div>\n
i.e.  \u201cI spy something that is orange.\u201d  \u201cIs it near me?\u201d \u201cIs it on me?\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cIs it on the table?\u201d YES.  \u201cIs it the left over package of Wild  Woodbine<\/div>\n
Cigarettes?\u201d YES.  \u201cNow it\u2019s my turn.\u201d  \u201cI spy something that is red.\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cIs  it the scar left by the tick that we had to cut out?\u201d  YES.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
SUNDAY AUGUST 21,1960<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
Typical  Irish soft day.  In other words it rained  all  day. Of course that<\/div>\n
is why the countryside is so  green\u2026lots of water.  Wrote letters<\/div>\n
in morning then did  topographical in afternoon. Then we <\/div>\n
drove to Waterford  to see \u2018A touch of Evil\u2019 which featured  Orson<\/div>\n
Welles.  All in all a  very dark,  dull and depressing day.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
MONDAY AUGUST 22, 1960<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
Started  early in morning and worked in spite of heavy rain.<\/div>\n
Managed to only cover 3,000 feet. <\/div>\n
Called  off the job\u2026pointless as we were all  soaked.<\/div>\n

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

<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
In the afternoon John Hogan drove me to Tipperary in<\/div>\n
a rented car<\/div>\n
where we saw the famous Cashel Rock.   <\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
The Rock of Cashel (Irish: Carraig Ph\u00c3\u00a1draig), also known as Cashel of the Kings and St. Patrick’s Rock, is a historic site in Ireland’s province of Munster, located at Cashel, County Tipperary. The Rock of Cashel served as the traditional seat of the kings of Munster for several hundred years prior to the Norman invasion. Few remnants if any of the early structures survive; the majority of buildings on the current site date from the 12th and 13th centuries. Cashel is reputed to be the site of the conversion of the King of Munster by St. Patrick in the 5th century AD. The buildings which crown the Rock of Cashel present a mass and outline of great complexity, rivalling for picturesque qualities other sites in western Europe. The complex has a character of its own, unique and native, and is one of the most remarkable collections of Celtic art and medieval architecture to be found anywhere in Europe. <\/span>

According to local lore, the Rock of Cashel originated from Devil’s Bit, a mountain 30 km north of Cashel when St. Patrick banished Satan from a cave, resulting in the Rock’s landing in Cashel. <\/span>





<\/p>\n

Buildings on the Rock<\/font><\/h3>\n

The earliest and tallest of the Cashel edifices is the very well preserved round tower (28 metres, or 90 feet), which dates from c.1100. Its entrance is 12 feet from the ground, necessitated by a shallow foundation (about 3 feet) typical of round towers. The tower was built using the dry stone method. Modern conservationists have filled in some of the tower with mortar for safety reasons. <\/span>

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


<\/div>\n
Then we toured through central and southeastern <\/div>\n
counties  to Carlow where John\u2019s Fiat was being repaired.<\/div>\n
Glad  to get back home\u2026long day.  Spent evening planning<\/div>\n
how to wind up and recover Base Line #3 and  begin<\/div>\n
layout of Base  Line #4.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
TUESDAY  AUGUST 23, 1960<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
What a great day.  We worked hard and managed to cover <\/div>\n
15,000 feet of line\u2026i.e. 3 miles.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
Tommy brought over a skin book\u2026i.e. book with sexy  pictures.  Censors<\/div>\n
do not allow such books in Ireland so they are highly valued.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
John Hogan is very easy to  get along with\u2026in other words  he does not<\/div>\n
seem  like he is scrutinizing everything I do.   He is Irish and  tries to<\/div>\n
get as much  touring in  as possible.  Often he wants company such as our<\/div>\n
visit to Cashel Rock which was  wonderful.  Built of stone.  Towers had<\/div>\n
entrances that were very high off the ground so that Monks and people<\/div>\n
could barricade themselves  in event of attack.  Inside the towers must <\/div>\n
have been claustrophobic \u2026 extremely so.  The towers must have<\/div>\n
been built overtop a source of water otherwise the protection provided by<\/div>\n
the tower would  be pointless.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
We had  the usual beer and dart game before supper then<\/div>\n
spent evening planning  tomoorow’s work day.  Mrs. Kennedy<\/div>\n
came up to say  I had  been quoted in the London Daily Mirror<\/div>\n
about the Postman mystery.  Then she told us the full story<\/div>\n
of the Postman.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
Larry Griffin was a popular postman who just disappeared into thin air on December 25, 1929.   He was last seen<\/div>\n
at the local pub in Stradbally\u2026not farm from Bunmahon.  He was thought to have been murdered\u2026then again<\/div>\n
he may have died from a fight\u2026or from falling down stairs at the local  police station.   His  disappearance is still<\/div>\n
a  matter of heated controversy to this (2020).   There are people in Stradbally who know what happened but<\/div>\n
they do not want to talk about Larry Griffin.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
WhenI was in Bunmahon the postman mystery was guaranteed  to trigger arguments.  That is still the case.<\/div>\n
A reporter visited the Stradbally pub in1986  intending to make a movie about the case of Larry Griffin.<\/div>\n
To start a conversation he said to a  local Stradbally citizen.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
  \u2018Was it upstairs or downstairs that it happened?\u201d<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
The response was quick<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
\u201cI think it might be a good idea if you fuck  off out of here.\u201d<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
So the mystery remains.   The mystery is not too difficult to solve think most people.  Larry Griffin was drinking in the Sradbally pub on Christmas Day.  He got into a<\/div>\n
fight with someone and got knocked down.  The local  police hauled him over to the police station where for one reason  or<\/div>\n
another he died.  The problem was that Larry Griffin was drinking on Christmas Day  If the publican was caught serving beer on that day he would lose his <\/div>\n
licence and Stradablly would lose its pub. Worse still, the local police were part of the cover up and they would be charged.  Someone or some group<\/div>\n
in Stradbally thought it best that Larry Griffin disappear otherwise they would lose both their pub and their police station.  Larry\u2019s body has<\/div>\n
never been found.   Sadly, Larry\u2019s wife became instantly poverty stricken.  No body, no pension.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
That is my interpretation of the evidence.  I would advise you say nothing if having a pint of Guinness in Stradbally. <\/div>\n
Ignore my advice and you will be told to \u2018Get the fuck out of here\u2019<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
When Mrs.  Kennedy told me the story she left out the word  \u2018fuck\u2019 but that was in 1960 when <\/div>\n
the word was not used quite as much.  Mrs. Kennedy  was  taking a big chance just telling<\/div>\n
me her interpretation of the mysterious disappearance of Larry Griffin.  <\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
Below is the Stradbaly pub as you will find it today.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
 \"\"<\/div>\n
\n

End episode 71<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

EPISODE 71  BUNMAHON IRELAND  ALAN SKEOCH\u2019S JOURNAL   MONDAY AUGUST 15, `960 TO AUGUST 23, 1960 alan skeoch June 2020 IRELAND  THE BEAUTIFUL This I think is Mr. Casey proudly posing in front of his cottage (home).  Most of our men had houses like this\u2026centre door, rooms on right an left.  Very few were as […]<\/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-4991","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4991","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=4991"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4991\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4991"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4991"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4991"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}