Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

BBC Coast : Ireland in WWII

Options
2»

Comments

  • Options
    #32
    FiSe
    Registered Users Posts: 821 ✭✭✭FiSe


    If it's on privately owned land, it would be up to the owner of the turf I guess?

    BTW I've heard that the 'Eire sign' was, as well, located on Loop Head and that there is a plan to restore almost derelict LOP hut and the sign as a part of the light house tour. But could have got that one wrong, so don't quote me on that... ;)


  • Options
    #33
    Calina
    Registered Users Posts: 8,219 ✭✭✭Calina


    I hope it's okay to post in this thread (I'm forum wandering because the information about this is spread out across forums rather than anywhere else).

    I'm in the process of locating as many of the EIRE markings as still exist (for a given value of exist) on satellite maps. I've some preliminary work done on both google maps and Bing maps and am also looking at the OSI maps. I will also look at talking to their aerial photography division about this.

    I've located 13-14 on a map - it happens to be a Bing map because the resolution coverage for some key areas in the west of Ireland on google is not adequate. The Bing coverage is actually better for the country as a whole with the exception of Loop Head in Clare (so far).

    I have a blog entry here and thanks to this thread I have located the remnants of the one on Valentia which I was unable to find. There's a link to the Bing map there but you need to go to the larger version of the map to pick up the pushpins. From that point of view, Bing isn't as helpful as google. Chief advantage is they have the map detail for more areas.

    One of the things which is interesting me a lot at the moment is the direction of the lettering. Most of them are pointing somewhere between NE and SE which, in addition to the numbering acting as a location aid, suggests to me that they may also have had navigational aid capabilities.

    There is an interesting site of the actual lookout post buildings at www.lookoutpost.com which I have used as a starting point for a lot of the EIRE signs.

    Most of the information I have about still existing EIRE signs points to signs on the west coast. IF anyone is aware of signs still existing on the east coast, that would be great too.

    Thanks in advance.


  • Options
    #34
    BarryM
    Registered Users Posts: 837 ✭✭✭BarryM


    A Country Voice wrote: »
    thanks gizmo555,

    I've managed to find the dursey island one with your help.

    its at 447101, 540427 on the osi mapviewer.

    Anyone have any more detailed info on the location of any of the others?
    Baltimore? Downpatrick head? or any of the others?

    Thanks ACV

    If you try to find aerial views of parts of the Baltimore area on the OSI site you cannot!! I have asked them several times why the area around the "Beacon Point" and parts of Sherkin Island are missing - but never got an answer - maybe the aerial photo was scrapped?? It is the subject of great jokes on Sherkin as to who arranged for it to be deleted....

    B


  • Options
    #35
    BarryM
    Registered Users Posts: 837 ✭✭✭BarryM


    Calina wrote: »
    I have a blog entry here and thanks to this thread I have located the remnants of the one on Valentia which I was unable to find. There's a link to the Bing map there but you need to go to the larger version of the map to pick up the pushpins. From that point of view, Bing isn't as helpful as google. Chief advantage is they have the map detail for more areas.

    One of the things which is interesting me a lot at the moment is the direction of the lettering. Most of them are pointing somewhere between NE and SE which, in addition to the numbering acting as a location aid, suggests to me that they may also have had navigational aid capabilities.

    There is an interesting site of the actual lookout post buildings at www.lookoutpost.com which I have used as a starting point for a lot of the EIRE signs.

    Most of the information I have about still existing EIRE signs points to signs on the west coast. IF anyone is aware of signs still existing on the east coast, that would be great too.

    Thanks in advance.

    There a rather old, but doesn't matter for your purposes, survey done in 2003 as part of a review of coastal erosion with sideways views of the whole coast of Ireland from a helicopter.

    Here is the location for Baltimore - http://www.coastalhelicopterview.ie/imf5104/imf.jsp?site=Helicopter

    Which doesn't show anything to the East of the Beacon. The LOP is actually further along the coast to the East, close to Spain 'castle' which was originally a LOP in Napoleonic times!!

    There was a photo on a brochure for one of the boats that does trips from Baltimore showing the Eire sign very clearly and I did hear that it had been cleaned up. I live close by there but have never been to see it.

    The Google Earth of the Baltimore beacon is excellent, from a satt image taken in 2009. To see the new image requires a little detective work. Get the area on Google Earth and click the '2009' in the rectangle on the bottom left and the area covered by the 2009 pic extends to cover the Beacon in Baltimore. I cannot see any (even worn) markings to the East (bottom of the pic) of the beacon.

    However, if you scan East to 51 28 24.91 N and 9 21 07.92 W you'll find it bright and clear!!

    While your there slide the slider which should be on the top left of your screen to the right the whole way and get the IR image. The structure shadow to the North of the sign is Spain Castle. I think the black blob to the South E of Spain is the remains of the LOP.

    As to the orientation of the sign the Google compass on top right would indicate it oriented just West of N.

    Finally, the helicopter scan, afaics, doesn't show it.

    B


  • Options
    #36
    merisi
    Registered Users Posts: 98 ✭✭merisi


    I have a USAAF map of Ireland, which I acquired from the family of a deceased B-17 navigator. The map shows the location of all 82 LOP's (ÉIRE signs) as well as data on all the radio beacons, approach beams and tower frequencies for the airfields used by the USAAF in Northern Ireland.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #37
    Ponster
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 10,912 Mod ✭✭✭✭Ponster


    merisi wrote: »
    I have a USAAF map of Ireland, which I acquired from the family of a deceased B-17 navigator. The map shows the location of all 82 LOP's (ÉIRE signs) as well as data on all the radio beacons, approach beams and tower frequencies for the airfields used by the USAAF in Northern Ireland.

    Ahhh, the many that we've been waiting for !

    Any idea how you could share such a find with the rest of us (or at least give us a glimpse of what it looks like?)


  • Options
    #38
    merisi
    Registered Users Posts: 98 ✭✭merisi


    Ponster wrote: »
    Ahhh, the many that we've been waiting for !

    Any idea how you could share such a find with the rest of us (or at least give us a glimpse of what it looks like?)

    I think the best I could do is take a photo of it: I have it mounted in a frame behind museum-quality glass. It's a little larger than A2 in size.


Advertisement