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.Peter Homer, A Brief History of Malin Head, pp. 23-27, Inishowen Maritime Heritage Co., 2014.
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.
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.
EIRE markings
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,Guarding Neutral Ireland by Michael Kennedy, Four Courts Press 2008 it was "a way to reduce the number of aircraft landing because their crews had lost their bearings".MA General Report on the Army for the year 1 Apr 1943-1 Mar 1944 per Kennedy 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, County Wexford were built too small initially and so larger signs were built over them at a later stage.https://instagram.com/p/v_3npjxuza/, Irish Defence Forces Instagram - historic photograph 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 and Dursey Island, County Cork.
Table of Lookout Posts
List of World War 2 Lookout Posts around Ireland's Coastline LOP Name County Latitude Longitude GoogleMaps Bing Condition LogBooks EIREMark EIRE MarkCondition1Ballagan PointLouth53°59'47.63"N6° 6'57.53"WViewViewGood4XX2Dunany PointLouth53°51'34.29"N6°14'21.96"WViewViewPoor5XX3Clogher HeadLouth53°47'39.60"N6°13'11.83"WViewViewDangerous6EIRE_3Overgrown4Cardys RockDublin53°37'45.92"N6°11'15.76"WViewViewCollapsed5XX5RushDublin53°31'15.65"N6° 4'34.35"WViewViewGood8XX6Howth HeadDublin53° 22' 15.9899"N6° 3'18.81"WViewViewRestored2EIRE_6Excellent7DalkeyDublin53° 16' 17"N6° 5' 36.9398"WViewViewRestored6EIRE_7Excellent8Bray HeadWicklow53°10'33.02"N6° 4'28.71"WViewViewCollapsed (Blocks Remain)8EIRE_8 / ImageOvergrown, Not Visible9Wicklow HeadWicklow52°57'54.55"N 5°59'58.51"WViewViewGood (In Use)7EIRE_9 / ImageNot Visible10Kilmichael PointWexford52°43'55.81"N 6° 8'38.79"WViewViewGoodNoneXX11Cahore PointWexford52° 33' 47.8001"N6° 11' 41.1"WViewViewCollapsed (under restoration)6Xunder restoration 12Ballyconnigar HillWexford52°25'59.60"N6°19'28.24"WViewViewGone (Erosion)12XGone (Erosion)13Greenore PointWexford52°14'26.03"N6°18'51.63"WViewViewGood5XX14Carnsore PointWexford52°10'33.50"N6°21'47.58"WViewViewGood7XX15Forlorn PointWexford52°10'22.59"N6°35'33.40"WViewViewGood5XNot visible, being restored16Hook HeadWexford52° 7'25.40"N6°55'49.51"WViewViewGone5XGone, replaced by car park17Brownstown HeadWaterford52° 7'40.09"N6'25.76"WViewViewGood5XX18Dunbratton HeadWaterford52° 7'59.96"N 7°18'25.11"WViewViewGood3XX19Helvick Head Waterford52° 3'12.48"N ?7°32'15.45"W ?ViewViewCollapsed1XX20Ram HeadWaterford51°56'32.03"N7°42'36.38"WViewViewGood9XX21KnockadoonCork51°52'43.44"N7°52'21.97"WViewViewGood2EIRE_21Excellent22BallycottonCork51°49'30.09"N8° 0'41.03"WViewViewGone7XX23Power HeadCork51°47'7.58"N8°10'24.69"WViewViewGood2XX24Flat HeadCork51°42'58.79"N8°21'12.71"WViewViewGood6XX25Old Head of KinsaleCork51°36'19.81"N8°31'58.11"WViewViewGone4XX26Seven HeadsCork51°34'15.66"N8°42'59.34"WViewViewGood (2 LOPs)6XX27Galley HeadCork51°31'50.76"N8°57'15.98"WViewViewGood6XX28Toe HeadCork51°29'21.04"N9°13'13.77"WViewViewGood (In Use)8EIRE_28Good (1, 2)29BaltimoreCork51°28'28.23"N9°21'14.12"WViewViewCollapsed, Walls Remain9EIRE_29Barely Visible30Mizen HeadCork51°27'15.80"N9°48'47.02"WViewViewGood5EIRE_30Ruins, Not Visible31Sheep's HeadCork51°32'48.06"N ?9°49'20.50"W ?ViewViewGood2EIRE_31Good32Dursey HeadCork51°35'54.45"N10° 7'52.36"WViewViewGood7EIRE_32Ruins, Barely Visible33Lambs HeadKerry51°44'25.76"N10° 7'54.75"WViewViewGood5EIRE_33Excellent34Bolus HeadKerry51°47'34.13"N10°20'12.10"WViewViewGood6XX35Bray HeadKerry51°53'8.52"N10°25'29.48"WViewViewGood6EIRE_35Ruins, Barely Visible83Foileye Head / FeaklecallyKerry52° 1'15.39"N10° 8'53.62"WViewViewGood1XX36Eask HeadKerry52° 6'56.35"N10°16'54.41"WViewViewGood5EIRE_36Dismantled, Barely Visible37ParkmoreKerry52° 6'22.18"N10°21'25.50"WViewViewGone, Some Remains2XX38Dunmore HeadKerry52° 6'36.47"N10°28'25.08"WViewViewGood5XX39Sybil HeadKerry52°11'0.06"N10°27'52.92"WViewViewPoorNoneXX40Brandon PointKerry52°17'16.97"N10° 9'48.67"WViewViewGood5XX41FenitKerry52°16'9.04"N9°51'48.47"WViewViewGone3XX42Kerry HeadKerry52° 24' 42.93"N ?9° 55' 53.7899"W ?ViewViewGone4XX43Leck HeadKerry52°32'11.89"N9°40'15.30"WViewViewCollapsed, Blocks Remain3XX44Kilcreadun PointClare52° 34' 56.0701"N9° 42' 35.05"WViewViewGood7XX45Loop HeadClare52° 33' 37.12"N9° 56' 1.7401"WViewViewCollapsed5EIRE_45Excellent46Georges HeadClare52°42'7.77"N9°38'5.88"WViewViewGood7XX47Hag's HeadClare52°56'53.69"N9°28'4.38"WViewViewOnly Base Remaining2XX48Black HeadClare53° 9'14.19"N9°15'53.67"WViewViewOnly Base Remaining7EIRE_48a / EIRE_48b (2 Marks)Good49SpiddalGalway53°14'33.99"N9°19'35.38"WViewViewOnly Base Remaining5XX50KilronanGalway53° 7'38.79"N9°42'8.04"WViewViewGood5EIRE_50a / EIRE_50b (2 Marks)Good51Golam HeadGalway53°13'51.62"N9°45'19.52"WViewViewGood6XX52Mace HeadGalway53°19'32.44"N9°54'7.56"WViewViewGood4XX53Slyne HeadGalway53°24'53.73"N10° 6'55.08"WViewViewGood4EIRE_53Barely Visible54Auchrus PointGalway53°32'57.63"N10° 9'57.95"WViewViewGone3XX55RenvyleGalway53°36'11.52"N10° 3'0.67"WViewViewGood3EIRE_55Barely Visible56RossroeGalway53°37'20.20"N9°51'57.14"WViewViewGood4XX57RoonaghMayo53°45'47.49"N9°53'59.41"WViewViewGood4XX58CorraunMayo53°51'54.85"N9°54'15.67"WViewViewGood5EIRE_58Barely Visible59Moyteogue HeadMayo53°57'44.10"N10°11'43.89"W ViewViewGood1EIRE_59Good60Blacksod BayMayo54° 6'14.86"N10° 5'51.70"WViewViewPoor10EIRE_60Barely Visible61Annagh HeadMayo54°14'30.14"N10° 6'22.87"WViewViewCollapsed, Blocks Remain7EIRE_61Barely Visible62Erris HeadMayo54°18'2.35"N10° 0'0.78"WViewViewPoor, Collapsing6EIRE_62Barely Visible63Portacloy, Benwee HeadMayo54°20'35.34"N9°46'49.74"WViewViewPoor, Roof Collapsed12EIRE_63Good64Downpatrick HeadMayo54°19'36.98"N9°20'49.69"WViewViewGood9EIRE_64Good65Kilcummin HeadMayo54°16'56.80"N9°12'55.41"W ViewViewGood10XX66Lenadoon PointSligo54°16'49.60"N9° 2'28.40"WViewViewGood4XX67Aughris HeadSligo54°16'32.24"N8°46'2.00"WViewViewGood4XX68RosskeeraghSligo54°20'51.54"N8°40'18.25"WViewViewCollapsed, Blocks Remain4XX69MullaghmoreSligo54°28'13.77"N8°27'31.23"WViewViewGood10EIRE_69Ruins ("E" Identifiable)70St. John's PointDonegal54°34'12.50"N8°27'16.42"WViewViewGood9EIRE_70Excellent71Carrigan HeadDonegal54°37'10.46"N8°40'47.24"WViewViewCollapsed, Blocks Remain8EIRE_71Ruins, Visible72Rossan PointDonegal54°42'4.70"N8°46'47.34"WViewViewGood, Roof Collapsed5EIRE_72Ruins, Barely Visible73Dunmore HeadDonegal54°50'41.16"N8°29'9.53"WViewViewGood4XX74Crohy HeadDonegal54°55'13.35"N8°27'10.38"WViewViewGood2EIRE_74Excellent75Arranmore PointDonegal 55° 0'48.37"N 8°32'40.23"WViewViewGone, Base Remains1EIRE_75Barely Visible76Bloody ForelandDonegal? 55° 8'51.01"N? 8°17'17.09"WViewViewGone4EIRE_76Overgrown, Barely Visible77Horn HeadDonegal55°12'57.27"N7°58'45.87"WViewViewGood12EIRE_77Barely Visible78MelmoreDonegal55°14'13.92"N7°48'18.60"WViewViewGood2EIRE_78Overgrown, Barely Visible79Fanad HeadDonegal55°16'37.61"N7°38'1.22"WViewViewGood17EIRE_79Overgrown, Not Visible80Malin HeadDonegal55°22'52.02"N7°22'27.29"WViewViewGood20EIRE_80Excellent81Glengad HeadDonegal55°20'22.95"N7°10'48.87"WViewViewGood6EIRE_81Overgrown, Barely Visible82Inishowen HeadDonegal55°14'9.01"N6°55'37.97"WViewViewGood18EIRE_82Overgrown, Barely Visible
See also Donegal Corridor Irish Neutrality WW2
References
External links Lookout Post Project EIRE Signs of WWII Military Archive Buildings of Ireland https://www.durseyisland.ie/eire-sign.html