Comments on: Days Like This, No 5: Ireland’s Deep Secrets

By: McEff

McEff — Sun, 28 Sep 2014 22:06:57 +0000

Hi Dave
You are probably correct because it was a long time ago and we did a bit of shifting about between glens. I haven’t got a map handy so I can’t check for certain. Glenmalure also featured. I suppose I should go back and check things out. But I’ve discovered that when I check things out like that, reality is usually completely different to memory.
All the best, Alen

By: Dave Banks

Dave Banks — Sun, 28 Sep 2014 19:21:12 +0000

Hi Alen,
Looking at the first Wicklow photos, they appear to be of Glendasan mines, west of Rathdrum, rather than Glendalough valley, which has two lakes and less trees in the mined area at the northern end of the lakes. Certainly the engine house photo is Glendasan.

Cheers, Dave

By: McEff

McEff — Mon, 15 Sep 2014 21:38:43 +0000

Blimey. The original Banksy ??? or the West Cumbria version. Hiya Dave. Good the hear from you. By all means help yourself and best of luck with your project.
Cheers, Alen

By: Dave Banks

Dave Banks — Mon, 15 Sep 2014 21:20:46 +0000

Hi Fadge – long time since we were in touch! By coincidence, I’m working with two Wicklow groups tracing Wicklow miners who came to Cumberland – I’d like to use some of your Wicklow images in a Powerpoint presentation – is that OK?
Dave Banks
West Cumbria Mines Research Group

By: McEff

McEff — Fri, 09 May 2014 10:42:10 +0000

Thanks for that, Alastair

By: Alastair Lings

Alastair Lings — Fri, 09 May 2014 10:41:20 +0000

The Killeen Poll-pick is in a storeroom at the Geological Survey of Ireland in Dublin. The Mining Heritage Trust of Ireland want to see it on display somewhere, ideally in the Bantry area. Perhaps at the Allihies Copper Mine Museum.

By: McEff

McEff — Fri, 09 May 2014 10:08:58 +0000

Hi Alastair. Great to hear from you. I was going to drop you a line but I’d lost your email address. Now I have it I’ll put it in my address list. I was also going to mention the Killeen poll-pick but I couldn’t remember which museum it went to.
All the best, Alen

By: Alastair Lings

Alastair Lings — Fri, 09 May 2014 08:32:28 +0000

I still have that plastic covered map. It’s a photocopied geological map from the Scientific Proceedings of the Royal Dublin Society (1964). We were locating the “shafts, adits, gopher holes, etc” marked on it. On the back I have recorded our findings.

By: McEff

McEff — Fri, 02 May 2014 21:36:53 +0000

Hey Chris. I want to see those slides so make sure you make them available. And yes, we’ve lost a few old friends. But they will never be forgotten.
All the best, Alen

By: Chris J

Chris J — Thu, 01 May 2014 17:08:30 +0000

This thread prompted me to go back and look at some of my old slides.
I don’t think it’s possible to add them here so I shall go and scare people elsewhere. I’ve even got a digital slide copier, so watch out.

We seem to lose a few along the way, so many memories of people no longer with us too.

What were we thinking of? Those beards would give ZZ Top a run for their money.

By: McEff

McEff — Fri, 25 Apr 2014 18:00:55 +0000

Ah, the good old days. I miss having someone to take the mickey out of.

By: Chris

Chris — Fri, 25 Apr 2014 17:36:46 +0000

Very happy memories of that trip and it’s predecessor. As I said to you earlier .. The scam of General Sibbald, the butcher of Drogheda was a particularly funny moment (you needed to be there).