A guest post by Mike Hackett
As the summer approaches – we shall walk more in an effort to stay young and fit. Then when you think of where to go – consider the wonderful historical scenic route that is the Cliff Walk at Ardmore. Just three kilometres long – it reminds us firstly of St. Declan – who was here before St. Patrick.
The remarkable sights are almost too many to mention. St. Declan’s Well – it dates back to 5th Century when St. Declan landed at Ardmore (before St. Patrick came). The Napoleonic Tower – built in preparation for a French invasion. The Samson ship wrecked vessel – a large ship carrying a gigantic crane that broke the tow-rope during a storm while being brought from Liverpool to Cork. The WWII Look-Out post – Number LOP20. Then we see the gigantic Cup and Saucer rocks – a huge ball of rock sitting on a flat plateau. Fr. O’Donnell’s Well is said to have special cures (probably minerals). Beside that well you will find a handy seat to take a rest and admire the views at leisure. The seat is dedicated to Dr. Joe Meehan R.I.P. of Ardmore – a great doctor who saved many lives including that of my son. Sadly Joe died young. While seated there – you might see the dolphins playing off shore or maybe glimpse a whale coming to the surface. Also for those wild flower fans – you will find acres of blooms.
Talking about taking a rest and sitting down – let me tell you some stories about the Look-Out post during the 2nd WW as we sit on the seat dedicated to Dr. Joe Meehan. You can share these with your friends. The post at Cliff Walk is located on the peak of Ram Head – just South-East of the village of Ardmore and it is 200 feet above sea level. It is on the seaward side of the walk and enables a range of visibility for16 miles to the horizon.
A force to be known as the Coastwatchers was set up consisting of eight men and a corporal in each of the eighty-three prominent locations around the coast. The seven hundred and fifty men were to be an unarmed branch of the army. Initially the local unit was housed in a Bell tent – until an army lorry delivered prefabricated interlocking block sections to build a more permanent structure. Construction took just two days to complete. The huts were built to a basic design – had a footprint 9′ by 7′ and were 8′ in height. They had heavy clear plate-glass windows – all of which looked out on the sea.
It was now November 1939 and the Ardmore Coastwatchers were lodged in their crude quarters. There was only one chair supplied as it was felt that just one should be in-house while the other patrolled the cliffs.
To mention the squad of Ardmore Coastwatchers – Tom Mooney was the Corporal in charge – assisted by brothers Ned and Tom Foley. Then you had Pats Troy and Jerry McCarthy – Tom Monsell and Jimmy Troy – Willie Whelan and Tommy Hallahan. They made up the eight privates. Pay was three shillings and sixpence a day subsistence.
The post – number LOP 20 – was manned by two people around the clock and so neccessitated the staff of eight. This little Look-Out post played it’s part in guarding our coast during the ‘Emergency’ against invasion. It was Ardmore’s window on WWII. Night and day – the sea was watched for shipping while the sky was watched for planes.
On one occasion a German plane was spotted attacking a vessel as it swooped to drop a bomb. The bomb missed the target and the plane swooped around to drop a second bomb – but it also missed. The German then flew away – perhaps having used all his bomb load. All incidents like this were reported by the Coastwatchers and also entered into a log book.
There was always a fire of driftwood in the hut and it was a very attractive place to visit by the local rogues at night after the closing of the village pubs. When they were too merry to go home – they made their way up to the hut. Story telling and singing then rang out over the cliffs.
My Dad – Mick Hackett – was the night telephonist in Youghal telephone exchange from 1939 to 1969 – including the war years of course from 1939 to 1945. Every hour of every night he had to ring the Look-Out Post at Ardmore and also at Knockadoon (LPO21) to ensure that the Germans hadn’t landed . Knockadoon is about ten miles (as the crow flies) on the coast west of Ardmore. This hourly connection meant that the outposts got familiar with each other and would be chatting away across the lines. Willie Whelan told me of the ‘concerts’ over the telephone lines – especially as Thady O’Shea (Knockadoon Corporal) was a good melodeon player. They had to stay awake and alert all night so any type of amusement was welcome. Talking earlier about the drift wood fire – fishing from the rocks brought fresh food to be cooked and eaten.
In 1943 the post was supplied with a new set of binoculars that were superior to what they had been using. One man was asked if the new ‘glasses’ were good. He replied that they were so good that he could see Thady O’Shea at Knockadoon (ten miles away) lighting a fag.
We arise from our seat and start on the last section of our walk. Facing inland now – over a slight hillock – we see the famous Round Tower of Ardmore. This must be one of the best preserved towers of its type in Ireland. Then in the corner of the same graveyard you can see the large section where the crew of the ill-fated vessel ‘Ari’ are buried. It was lost off the Waterford coast in 1947 and just one sailor survived. The bodies were washed in along the shores for days afterwards.
Now we are at the end of our walk and hope you enjoyed it.
Before I finish – Buíochas mor do Tommy Mooney (son of the Corporal) for his invaluable research into this topic that included his own childhood memories of it. Buíochas freisin do Willie Whelan R.I.P. with whom I spoke in 1997. Agus duine eile Maurice Cronin mar gheal pictúiri.