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Coast Watching Service

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The Irish Defence Forces established a Coast Watching Service in the run up to World War II, known in the Republic of Ireland as The Emergency, while the State remained neutral. Between 1939 and 1942 the construction of 83 Lookout Posts, LOPs, took place at strategic points (every 5–15 miles) along the Irish coastline and the local volunteers (Coastwatchers) serving at these posts were responsible for monitoring the Irish coastline for belligerent activity at sea. The LOPS were designed by Howard Cooke RIBA of the Irish Office of Public Works in 1939.[1]

After the hostilities ended most of these buildings were abandoned and some were removed. Traces of a significant number remain in place and some are in relatively good repair. In general, structures in more isolated locations have tended to remain in place.

Coast watchers

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Coast watchers worked around the clock in pairs on eight- or twelve-hour shifts. One man operated the telephone inside the LOP, the other patrolled outside. They had to report every activity observed at sea or in the air in the vicinity of their LOP. Each LOP was assigned a unique identifying number starting with "LOP 1" in County Louth and continuing in a clockwise direction around the coast finishing with "LOP 82" at Inishowen in County Donegal.[2]

LOP 83 is located between LOP 35 and LOP 36 in County Kerry

Log books

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Each LOP had to keep a record of any activity at sea or in the air, and a number of logbooks have survived and are held by the Irish Military Archives. The number of surviving logbooks for each post and a sample ledger is available in the table below.[3]

EIRE markings

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EIRE Sign at Glengad Head, Ireland.

Following the construction of the network of lookout posts along the coast of Ireland, it was decided to add large signs marking the coast as EIRE. According to Michael Kennedy's book on the coastwatching service, Guarding Neutral Ireland,[4] it was "a way to reduce the number of aircraft landing because their crews had lost their bearings".[5] Kennedy's research indicates that these signs were constructed at the behest of the American authorities.

A number of signs such as the one at Cahore Point, Co.Wexford were built too small initially and so larger signs were built over them at a later stage.[6] A number of the signs still exist in varying states of repair, mostly along the west of the country. Some signs have been renovated such as the one in Loop Head, County Clare.[7]

Table of Lookout Posts

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List of World War 2 Lookout Posts around Ireland's Coastline
LOP Name County Latitude Longitude Google
Maps
Bing Condition Log
Books
EIRE
Mark
EIRE Mark
Condition
1 Ballagan Point Louth 53°59'47.63"N 6° 6'57.53"W View View Good 4 X X
2 Dunany Point Louth 53°51'34.29"N 6°14'21.96"W View View Poor 5 X X
3 Clogher Head Louth 53°47'39.60"N 6°13'11.83"W View View Dangerous 6 EIRE_3 Overgrown
4 Cardys Rock Dublin 53°37'45.92"N 6°11'15.76"W View View Collapsed 5 X X
5 Rush Dublin 53°31'15.65"N 6° 4'34.35"W View View Good 8 X X
6 Howth Head Dublin 53° 22' 15.9899"N 6° 3'18.81"W View View Restoration In Progress 2 EIRE_6 Excellent
7 Dalkey Dublin 53° 16' 17"N 6° 5' 36.9398"W View View Restored[8] 6 EIRE_7 Excellent
8 Bray Head Wicklow 53°10'33.02"N 6° 4'28.71"W View View Collapsed (Blocks Remain) 8 EIRE_8 / Image Overgrown, Not Visible
9 Wicklow Head Wicklow 52°57'54.55"N 5°59'58.51"W View View Good (In Use) 7 EIRE_9 / Image Not Visible
10 Kilmichael Point Wexford 52°43'55.81"N 6° 8'38.79"W View View Good None X X
11 Cahore Point Wexford 52° 33' 47.8001"N 6° 11' 41.1"W View View Collapsed (Blocks Remain) 6 X Disassembled
12 Ballyconnigar Hill Wexford 52°25'59.60"N 6°19'28.24"W View View Gone (Erosion) 12 X Gone (Erosion)
13 Greenore Point Wexford 52°14'26.03"N 6°18'51.63"W View View Good 5 X X
14 Carnsore Point Wexford 52°10'33.50"N 6°21'47.58"W View View Good 7 X X
15 Forlorn Point Wexford 52°10'22.59"N 6°35'33.40"W View View Good 5 X Not visible, being restored
16 Hook Head Wexford 52° 7'25.40"N 6°55'49.51"W View View Gone 5 X Gone, replaced by car park
17 Brownstown Head Waterford 52° 7'40.09"N 6'25.76"W View View Good 5 X X
18 Dunbratton Head Waterford 52° 7'59.96"N 7°18'25.11"W View View Good 3 X X
19 Helvick Head Waterford 52° 3'12.48"N ? 7°32'15.45"W ? View View Collapsed 1 X X
20 Ram Head Waterford 51°56'32.03"N 7°42'36.38"W View View Good 9 X X
21 Knockadoon Cork 51°52'43.44"N 7°52'21.97"W View View Good 2 EIRE_21 Excellent
22 Ballycotton Cork 51°49'30.09"N 8° 0'41.03"W View View Gone 7 X X
23 Power Head Cork 51°47'7.58"N 8°10'24.69"W View View Good 2 X X
24 Flat Head Cork 51°42'58.79"N 8°21'12.71"W View View Good 6 X X
25 Old Head of Kinsale Cork 51°36'19.81"N 8°31'58.11"W View View Gone 4 X X
26 Seven Heads Cork 51°34'15.66"N 8°42'59.34"W View View Good (2 LOPs) 6 X X
27 Galley Head Cork 51°31'50.76"N 8°57'15.98"W View View Good 6 X X
28 Toe Head Cork 51°29'21.04"N 9°13'13.77"W View View Good (In Use) 8 EIRE_28 Good (1, 2)
29 Baltimore Cork 51°28'28.23"N 9°21'14.12"W View View Collapsed, Walls Remain 9 EIRE_29 Barely Visible
30 Mizen Head Cork 51°27'15.80"N 9°48'47.02"W View View Good 5 EIRE_30 Ruins, Not Visible
31 Sheep's Head Cork 51°32'48.06"N ? 9°49'20.50"W ? View View Good 2 EIRE_31 Good
32 Dursey Head Cork 51°35'54.45"N 10° 7'52.36"W View View Good 7 EIRE_32 Ruins, Barely Visible
33 Lambs Head Kerry 51°44'25.76"N 10° 7'54.75"W View View Good 5 EIRE_33 Excellent
34 Bolus Head Kerry 51°47'34.13"N 10°20'12.10"W View View Good 6 X X
35 Bray Head Kerry 51°53'8.52"N 10°25'29.48"W View View Good 6 EIRE_35 Ruins, Barely Visible
83 Foileye Head / Feaklecally Kerry 52° 1'15.39"N 10° 8'53.62"W View View Good 1 X X
36 Eask Head Kerry 52° 6'56.35"N 10°16'54.41"W View View Good 5 EIRE_36 Dismantled, Barely Visible
37 Parkmore Kerry 52° 6'22.18"N 10°21'25.50"W View View Gone, Some Remains 2 X X
38 Dunmore Head Kerry 52° 6'36.47"N 10°28'25.08"W View View Good 5 X X
39 Sybil Head Kerry 52°11'0.06"N 10°27'52.92"W View View Poor None X X
40 Brandon Point Kerry 52°17'16.97"N 10° 9'48.67"W View View Good 5 X X
41 Fenit Kerry 52°16'9.04"N 9°51'48.47"W View View Gone 3 X X
42 Kerry Head Kerry 52° 24' 42.93"N ? 9° 55' 53.7899"W ? View View Gone 4 X X
43 Leck Head Kerry 52°32'11.89"N 9°40'15.30"W View View Collapsed, Blocks Remain 3 X X
44 Kilcreadun Point Clare 52° 34' 56.0701"N 9° 42' 35.05"W View View Good 7 X X
45 Loop Head Clare 52° 33' 37.12"N 9° 56' 1.7401"W View View Collapsed 5 EIRE_45 Excellent
46 Georges Head Clare 52°42'7.77"N 9°38'5.88"W View View Good 7 X X
47 Hag's Head Clare 52°56'53.69"N 9°28'4.38"W View View Only Base Remaining 2 X X
48 Black Head Clare 53° 9'14.19"N 9°15'53.67"W View View Only Base Remaining 7 EIRE_48a / EIRE_48b (2 Marks) Good
49 Spiddal Galway 53°14'33.99"N 9°19'35.38"W View View Only Base Remaining 5 X X
50 Kilronan Galway 53° 7'38.79"N 9°42'8.04"W View View Good 5 EIRE_50a / EIRE_50b (2 Marks) Good
51 Golam Head Galway 53°13'51.62"N 9°45'19.52"W View View Good 6 X X
52 Mace Head Galway 53°19'32.44"N 9°54'7.56"W View View Good 4 X X
53 Slyne Head Galway 53°24'53.73"N 10° 6'55.08"W View View Good 4 EIRE_53 Barely Visible
54 Auchrus Point Galway 53°32'57.63"N 10° 9'57.95"W View View Gone 3 X X
55 Renvyle Galway 53°36'11.52"N 10° 3'0.67"W View View Good 3 EIRE_55 Barely Visible
56 Rossroe Galway 53°37'20.20"N 9°51'57.14"W View View Good 4 X X
57 Roonagh Mayo 53°45'47.49"N 9°53'59.41"W View View Good 4 X X
58 Corraun Mayo 53°51'54.85"N 9°54'15.67"W View View Good 5 EIRE_58 Barely Visible
59 Moyteogue Head Mayo 53°57'44.10"N 10°11'43.89"W View View Good 1 EIRE_59 Good
60 Blacksod Bay Mayo 54° 6'14.86"N 10° 5'51.70"W View View Poor 10 EIRE_60 Barely Visible
61 Annagh Head Mayo 54°14'30.14"N 10° 6'22.87"W View View Collapsed, Blocks Remain 7 EIRE_61 Barely Visible
62 Erris Head Mayo 54°18'2.35"N 10° 0'0.78"W View View Poor, Collapsing 6 EIRE_62 Barely Visible
63 Portacloy, Benwee Head Mayo 54°20'35.34"N 9°46'49.74"W View View Poor, Roof Collapsed 12 EIRE_63 Good
64 Downpatrick Head Mayo 54°19'36.98"N 9°20'49.69"W View View Good 9 EIRE_64 Good
65 Kilcummin Head Mayo 54°16'56.80"N 9°12'55.41"W View View Good 10 X X
66 Lenadoon Point Sligo 54°16'49.60"N 9° 2'28.40"W View View Good 4 X X
67 Aughris Head Sligo 54°16'32.24"N 8°46'2.00"W View View Good 4 X X
68 Rosskeeragh Sligo 54°20'51.54"N 8°40'18.25"W View View Collapsed, Blocks Remain 4 X X
69 Mullaghmore Sligo 54°28'13.77"N 8°27'31.23"W View View Good 10 EIRE_69 Ruins ("E" Identifiable)
70 St. John's Point Donegal 54°34'12.50"N 8°27'16.42"W View View Good 9 EIRE_70 Excellent
71 Carrigan Head Donegal 54°37'10.46"N 8°40'47.24"W View View Collapsed, Blocks Remain 8 EIRE_71 Ruins, Visible
72 Rossan Point Donegal 54°42'4.70"N 8°46'47.34"W View View Good, Roof Collapsed 5 EIRE_72 Ruins, Barely Visible
73 Dunmore Head Donegal 54°50'41.16"N 8°29'9.53"W View View Good 4 X X
74 Crohy Head Donegal 54°55'13.35"N 8°27'10.38"W View View Good 2 EIRE_74 Excellent
75 Arranmore Point Donegal 55° 0'48.37"N 8°32'40.23"W View View Gone, Base Remains 1 EIRE_75 Barely Visible
76 Bloody Foreland Donegal ? 55° 8'51.01"N ? 8°17'17.09"W View View Gone 4 EIRE_76 Overgrown, Barely Visible
77 Horn Head Donegal 55°12'57.27"N 7°58'45.87"W View View Good 12 EIRE_77 Barely Visible
78 Melmore Donegal 55°14'13.92"N 7°48'18.60"W View View Good 2 EIRE_78 Overgrown, Barely Visible
79 Fanad Head Donegal 55°16'37.61"N 7°38'1.22"W View View Good 17 EIRE_79 Overgrown, Not Visible
80 Malin Head Donegal 55°22'52.02"N 7°22'27.29"W View View Good 20 EIRE_80 Excellent
81 Glengad Head Donegal 55°20'22.95"N 7°10'48.87"W View View Good 6 EIRE_81 Overgrown, Barely Visible
82 Inishowen Head Donegal 55°14'9.01"N 6°55'37.97"W View View Good 18 EIRE_82 Overgrown, Barely Visible

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Peter Homer, A Brief History of Malin Head, pp. 23-27, Inishowen Maritime Heritage Co., 2014.
  2. ^ "Building of the Month - January 2014: The Lookout Post". Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
  3. ^ "Look Out Posts Log Books Collection". Irish Military Archive. January 2014. Archived from the original on 23 May 2015. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
  4. ^ Guarding Neutral Ireland by Michael Kennedy, Four Courts Press 2008
  5. ^ MA General Report on the Army for the year 1 Apr 1943-1 Mar 1944 per Kennedy
  6. ^ https://instagram.com/p/v_3npjxuza/, Irish Defence Forces Instagram - historic photograph
  7. ^ "Home - Love Loop Head". loveloophead.com. Retrieved 2021-07-25.
  8. ^ "The second World War 'Éire' sign rescued from a Dublin cliffside". The Irish Times.
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