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

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

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

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 and in addition some of have been renovated such as the one in Loop Head, County Clare.[7]

Table of Lookout Posts

List of World War 2 Lookout Posts around Ireland's Coastline
LOP Name County Latitude Longitude Google
Maps		 Bing Condition Log
Books		 EIRE
Mark
1 Ballagan Point Louth 53°59'47.63"N 6° 6'57.53"W View View Good 4 X
2 Dunany Point Louth 53°51'34.29"N 6°14'21.96"W View View Poor 5 X
3 Clogher Head Louth 53°47'39.60"N 6°13'11.83"W View View Dangerous 6 EIRE_3
4 Cardys Rock Dublin 53°37'45.92"N 6°11'15.76"W View View Collapsed 5 X
5 Rush Dublin 53°31'15.65"N 6° 4'34.35"W View View Good 8 X
6 Howth Head Dublin 53° 22' 15.9899"N 6° 3'18.81"W View View Restoration In Progress 2 EIRE_6
7 Dalkey Dublin 53° 16' 17"N 6° 5' 36.9398"W View View Restored[8] 6 EIRE_7
8 Bray Head Wicklow 53°10'33.02"N 6° 4'28.71"W View View Collapsed
(Blocks Remain)		 8 EIRE_8
9 Wicklow Head Wicklow 52°57'54.55"N 5°59'58.51"W View View Good
(In Use)		 7 EIRE_9 Flickr
10 Kilmichael Point Wexford 52°43'55.81"N 6° 8'38.79"W View View Good [No
Logbooks 0]		 EIRE_10
11 Cahore Point Wexford 52° 33' 47.8001"N 6° 11' 41.1"W View View Collapsed
(Blocks Remain)		 6 EIRE_11
12 Ballyconnigar Hill Wexford 52°25'59.60"N 6°19'28.24"W View View Gone
(Erosion)		 12 X
13 Greenore Point Wexford 52°14'26.03"N 6°18'51.63"W View View Good 5 X
14 Carnsore Point Wexford 52°10'33.50"N 6°21'47.58"W View View Good 7 X
15 Forlorn Point Wexford 52°10'22.59"N 6°35'33.40"W View View Good 5 X
16 Hook Head Wexford 52° 7'25.40"N 6°55'49.51"W View View Gone 5 X
17 Brownstown Head Waterford 52° 7'40.09"N 6'25.76"W View View Good 5 X
18 Dunbratton Head Waterford 52° 7'59.96"N 7°18'25.11"W View View Good 3 X
19 Helvick Head Waterford 52° 3'12.48"N ? 7°32'15.45"W ? View View Collapsed 1 X
20 Ram Head Waterford 51°56'32.03"N 7°42'36.38"W View View Good 9 X
21 Knockadoon Cork 51°52'43.44"N 7°52'21.97"W View View Good 2 EIRE_21
22 Ballycotton Cork 51°49'30.09"N 8° 0'41.03"W View View Gone 7 X
23 Power Head Cork 51°47'7.58"N 8°10'24.69"W View View Good 2 X
24 Flat Head Cork 51°42'58.79"N 8°21'12.71"W View View Good 6 X
25 Old Head
Kinsale		 Cork 51°36'19.81"N 8°31'58.11"W View View Gone 4 X
26 Seven Heads Cork 51°34'15.66"N 8°42'59.34"W View View Good
2 LOPs		 6 X
27 Galley Head Cork 51°31'50.76"N 8°57'15.98"W View View Good 6 X
28 Toe Head Cork 51°29'21.04"N 9°13'13.77"W View View Good
(In Use)		 8 EIRE_28
29 Baltimore Cork 51°28'28.23"N 9°21'14.12"W View View Collapsed
Walls Remain		 9 EIRE_29
30 Mizen Head Cork 51°27'15.80"N 9°48'47.02"W View View Good 5 EIRE_30
31 Sheep's Head Cork 51°32'48.06"N ? 9°49'20.50"W ? View View Good 2 EIRE_31
32 Dursey Head Cork 51°35'54.45"N 10° 7'52.36"W View View Good 7 EIRE_32
33 Lambs Head Kerry 51°44'25.76"N 10° 7'54.75"W View View Good 5 X
34 Bolus Head Kerry 51°47'34.13"N 10°20'12.10"W View View Good 6 X
35 Bray Head Kerry 51°53'8.52"N 10°25'29.48"W View View Good 6 EIRE_35
83 Foileye Head/
Feaklecally		 Kerry 52° 1'15.39"N 10° 8'53.62"W View View Good 1 X
36 Eask Head Kerry 52° 6'56.35"N 10°16'54.41"W View View Good 5 EIRE_36
37 Parkmore Kerry 52° 6'22.18"N 10°21'25.50"W View View Gone
Some Remains		 2 X
38 Dunmore Head Kerry 52° 6'36.47"N 10°28'25.08"W View View Good 5 EIRE_38
39 Sybil Head Kerry 52°11'0.06"N 10°27'52.92"W View View Poor [No
Logbooks 0]		 X
40 Brandon Point Kerry 52°17'16.97"N 10° 9'48.67"W View View Good 5 X
41 Fenit Kerry 52°16'9.04"N 9°51'48.47"W View View Gone 3 X
42 Kerry Head Kerry 52° 24' 42.93"N ? 9° 55' 53.7899"W ? View View Gone 4 X
43 Leck Head Kerry 52°32'11.89"N 9°40'15.30"W View View Collapsed
Blocks Remain		 3 X
44 Kilcreadun Point Clare 52° 34' 56.0701"N 9° 42' 35.05"W View View Good 7 EIRE_44
45 Loop Head Clare 52° 33' 37.12"N 9° 56' 1.7401"W View View Collapsed 5 EIRE_45
46 Georges Head Clare 52°42'7.77"N 9°38'5.88"W View View Good 7 X
47 Hag's Head Clare 52°56'53.69"N 9°28'4.38"W View View Only Base
Remaining		 2 X
48 Black Head Clare 53° 9'14.19"N 9°15'53.67"W View View Only Base
Remaining		 7 1:EIRE_48
2:EIRE_48
49 Spiddal Galway 53°14'33.99"N 9°19'35.38"W View View Only Base
Remaining		 5 X
50 Kilronan Galway 53° 7'38.79"N 9°42'8.04"W View View Good 5 1:EIRE_50
2:EIRE_50
51 Golam Head Galway 53°13'51.62"N 9°45'19.52"W View View Good 6 X
52 Mace Head Galway 53°19'32.44"N 9°54'7.56"W View View Good 4 X
53 Slyne Head Galway 53°24'53.73"N 10° 6'55.08"W View View Good 4 EIRE_53
54 Auchrus Point Galway 53°32'57.63"N 10° 9'57.95"W View View Gone 3 X
55 Renvyle Galway 53°36'11.52"N 10° 3'0.67"W View View Good 3 EIRE_55
56 Rossroe Galway 53°37'20.20"N 9°51'57.14"W View View Good 4 X
57 Roonagh Mayo 53°45'47.49"N 9°53'59.41"W View View Good 4 X
58 Corraun Mayo 53°51'54.85"N 9°54'15.67"W View View Good 5 EIRE_58
59 Moyteogue Head Mayo 53°57'44.10"N 10°11'43.89"W View View Good 1 EIRE_59
60 Blacksod Bay Mayo 54° 6'14.86"N 10° 5'51.70"W View View Poor 10 EIRE_60
61 Annagh Head Mayo 54°14'30.14"N 10° 6'22.87"W View View Collapsed
Blocks Remain		 7 EIRE_61
62 Erris Head Mayo 54°18'2.35"N 10° 0'0.78"W View View Poor.
Collapsing		 6 EIRE_62
63 Portacloy
Benwee Head		 Mayo 54°20'35.34"N 9°46'49.74"W View View Poor
Roof Collapsed		 12 EIRE_63
64 Downpatrick Head Mayo 54°19'36.98"N 9°20'49.69"W View View Good 9 EIRE_64
65 Kilcummin Head Mayo 54°16'56.80"N 9°12'55.41"W View View Good 10 X
66 Lenadoon Point Sligo 54°16'49.60"N 9° 2'28.40"W View View Good 4 X
67 Aughris Head Sligo 54°16'32.24"N 8°46'2.00"W View View Good 4 X
68 Rosskeeragh Sligo 54°20'51.54"N 8°40'18.25"W View View Collapsed
Blocks Remain		 4 X
69 Mullaghmore Sligo 54°28'13.77"N 8°27'31.23"W View View Good 10 X
70 St. John's Point Donegal 54°34'12.50"N 8°27'16.42"W View View Good 9 EIRE_70
71 Carrigan Head Donegal 54°37'10.46"N 8°40'47.24"W View View Collapsed
Blocks Remain		 8 1:EIRE_71
2:EIRE_71
72 Rossan Point Donegal 54°42'4.70"N 8°46'47.34"W View View Good
Roof Collapsed		 5 EIRE_72
73 Dunmore Head Donegal 54°50'41.16"N 8°29'9.53"W View View Good 4 X
74 Crohy Head Donegal 54°55'13.35"N 8°27'10.38"W View View Good 2 EIRE_74
75 Arranmore Point Donegal 55° 0'48.37"N 8°32'40.23"W View View Gone
Base Remains		 1 EIRE_75
76 Bloody Foreland Donegal ? 55° 8'51.01"N ? 8°17'17.09"W View View Gone 4 EIRE_76
77 Horn Head Donegal 55°12'57.27"N 7°58'45.87"W View View Good 12 EIRE_77
78 Melmore Donegal 55°14'13.92"N 7°48'18.60"W View View Good 2 EIRE_78
79 Fanad Head Donegal 55°16'37.61"N 7°38'1.22"W View View Good 17 EIRE_79
80 Malin Head Donegal 55°22'52.02"N 7°22'27.29"W View View Good 20 EIRE_80
81 Glengad Head Donegal 55°20'22.95"N 7°10'48.87"W View View Good 6 EIRE_81
82 Inishowen Head Donegal 55°14'9.01"N 6°55'37.97"W View View Good 18 EIRE_82

See also

References

  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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