Artists and community activists have collaborated to restore a second world war look-out post on a North Mayo headland which was destroyed by a storm ten years ago.
Teachaín a’ Watch – Look-Out Post 63 – was constructed on the edge of a precipitous headland overlooking Portacloy bay as part of a network of such posts during the second world war.
After a storm in October 2014 severely damaged the structure, it was restored by the local community, particularly the Cill Chomáin Rural Social Scheme, and various agencies including the Air Corps, which airlifted building materials to the site.
Seán Ó Gearbháin (Johnny Mhicheáil), An tAthair Ford agus Tomás Ó Broin (Tommy Bhess) at Teacháin a’ Watch. (Photographer unknown)
Comhar Dún Chaocháin Teo, a community co-operative based in Ceathrú Thaidhg, has worked closely with photographer Amelia Stein to tell the story of Teachaín a’ Watch – LOP 63.
Supported by Ealaín na Gaeltachta, the project team has collated documents, maps, photographs and details from the logbooks from Military Archives, Cathal Brugha Barracks, combined with oral histories.
The visual art response consists of works from Pat Harris, Selma Makela, Mick O’Dea, Noah Rose, Linda Ruttelynck and Amelia Stein, all of whom have interpreted this story with poignancy, consideration and great visual impact, according to Treasa Ní Ghearraigh of Comhar Dún Chaocháin Teo.
As Ní Ghearraigh notes, the Coastwatching Service was set up to monitor and record belligerent activity around the Irish coast at the beginning of the second world war in 1939.
A total of 83 look-out posts (LOPs) were built in strategic locations along the Irish coast stretching from Co Louth clockwise to Co Donegal to help maintain Ireland’s neutrality, ensuring that the entire coastline came under observation, she notes.
The second world war look-out post is located on a North Mayo headland
“These small pre-cast concrete buildings had large windows facing seaward. They were sparsely furnished with a small chimney in which to light a fire, and a telephone connection to enable contact to be made with the relevant authorities,”Ní Ghearraigh says.
“ LOPs were manned day and night, seven days a week, by the coastwatchers, local volunteers who received training to carry out their observation duties efficiently. They worked in pairs, travelling on foot from the surrounding villages to take up their shifts,”she says.
Duties included “keeping accurate and detailed handwritten records in the LOP Logbook of belligerent forces sighted, describing weather conditions, aircraft in the vicinity, marine traffic (including troop ships, convoys, destroyers, submarines and lifeboats), onshore mines and, tragically, the bodies of army and civilian casualties of war being washed ashore”.
This information, gathered at a local level, was crucial in building up military intelligence at a national level. Information from LOPs was transmitted to Defence Forces jeadquarters, to the Taoiseach and ultimately to Irish military intelligence (G2) for strategic analysis.
In 1943, nearby, and outlined on the ground in bright-coloured stone, huge ÉIRE signs and the number of the station were laid out, Ní Ghearraigh says.
Measuring on average 12 metres x 6 metres, and built with up to 150 tonnes of stone, they were easily spotted by overflying aircraft whose pilots now knew they were over neutral Ireland.
“During the Battle of the Atlantic, information gathered from LOPs was also passed on by Irish diplomats to Britain’s Royal Air Force and the British Royal Navy to assist in locating lost trans-Atlantic aircraft and the hunt for German U-boats,”she says.
“ In return Ireland sought military equipment from Britain. The crucial role played by the coastwatchers while manning their posts in remote locations was a significant part of Ireland’s second world war engagement, ensuring that Ireland, while often co-operating with the Allies, could remain neutral overall through the conflict,”she says.
A two-day programme of events was held last month, and two information signs were launched near Portacloy pier by Dr Michael Kennedy, author of Guarding Neutral Ireland.
A group exhibition runs this month at Custom House Studios, Westport (F28 CD39) consisting of the artists’ works and exhibits from Military Archives, Comhar Dún Chaocháin Teo, Pádraig Ó Dochartaigh, Helen Keogh and Treasa Ní Ghearraigh.
The exhibition can be viewed every day, from 29th August to 22nd September. Gallery Hours: Monday to Friday,10am-5pm; Saturday & Sunday, 1pm-4.30pm.
Website for the project is here
