2010.03.31 13:49:56

From Drop Box

Published directly from an email from Ronnie:

 

Re. “The Quarry”

 

At this stage, with the exciting prospect of the commercial development of the Quarry in Portroe, it may be of some interest to place on record a little of the known origin of the area as a diving site.

 

In 1980, yours truly, as a diving equipment trader and member of a small diving archeological research group from within the L.S.A.C. heard about a firm based in Pallasgreen called “Location Technology Ltd” which was manufacturing underwater metal detectors. I called to see them and they told me of a spot where they were doing their product testing in a quarry beside the Tubex factory near Portroe. I went out to have a look, (can’t remember who was with me), and remember being awestruck by the amazing blue tinged visibility of the water. As I recall, Diving Officer Andrew Hendrick and Mike Kerrison, were first to dive it. This was truly an adventure because they had no foretaste of the awesome depths into which they were venturing. Accessibility and togging out arrangements were horrendous, as it was then mid winter. Believe me, it was worth it, as anybody who has dived there will testify! I remember Andrew being really adventurous in thoroughly exploring other diving locations within the quarry area.

 

I can find reference in official Club records to at least 3 Club dives in the Quarry during season 1980/81 and some water sampling undertaken by member Ute O’Gorman.

 

 In November 1999, Dr. Tom (McDonnell) undertook some further water sampling, assisted by Brian Kearney with Michael Hogan of Lough Derg Sub Aqua Club. This testing was written up by Dr. Tom in the Spring ’99 issue of “Subsea”, see copy attached. 

 

Finally, since there may very well be some further substantiated early references to The Quarry as a diving site, I would love to hear of them but that’s it, as far as this correspondent is concerned.       

2009.12.28 16:40:48

GODS: Red Sea Beach Safari Marsa Shagra

Red Sea Beach Safari with the GODS- Marsa Shagra- Dec. 2009

“OK, Phil and Tom, you two, Tent no. 3. Tony and Paula, you’re for Tent 5. Louise and Tony, you’ll be in Lodge number 35. Ronnie, you have no Manuel this time, you have Lodge 30 all to yourself…………” and so on it went, with Shane and Ollie consigning us to our various beachside accommodations. Having experienced the pleasures and discomforts of tent life, set right on the water’s edge, on our previous trip to the Sinai, Manuel and I had decided to treat ourselves to the comforts of the lodge this time around i.e. real beds, air conditioning and en- suite with even a patio, as against the cane bunks and “furniture”, open tent flap, communal showering and toilet facilities, with many night and early morning treks across the soft sand, answering calls of nature. I know that most of you reading this, would have found all that most exciting but for Manuel and me…. “Think we’ll upgrade ourselves to a spot of luxury this time”……… Unfortunately, the Godfather threw a wobbler just days before departure and being hospitalized had to miss out on the trip!

All 22 of us were relieved to reach our destination of the Eco- diving village of Marsa Shagra, just north of the town of Marsa Alam, on the Southern Red Sea coastline on the Gulf of Aquaba. One hour into our 5½ hour flight, the captain announced that he had to return the plane to Gatwick due to some engine malfunction! However, after an hour’s delay at Gatwick we were up and away in a fresh plane. All’s well that ends well.
This is a diving holiday with a difference, arranged for us GODS, as ever, by Shane Gray in conjunction with the excellent Oonasdivers organization, (thank you Lydia), away from the flesh- pots (I love- em) and diving mayhem of Sharm and Hurgada. Here, you may very well have your chosen dive site to yourself and your buddies.
Early breakfast, 6.30 onwards, including my own personal favorite, pancakes with chocolate sauce, pour it yourself (long day ahead, you know), ready up for the dive, then back in time for lunch al fresco. Sun bathe or perhaps a truck dive in the afternoon, back in time for tea and cake. Some hardy ones may very well prepare for an evening/night dive off the beach before the nightly pre dinner gatherings in the bar or in one another’s quarters, this being a great time to produce the duty free hooch acquired in Gatwick. Onwards to dinner then, indulging in a huge choice from the ample buffet and afterwards repair to the bar, sure Bob’s your Uncle! The food is really good and once you get the hang of eating Egyptian food sensibly, i.e. being wary of salads, avoiding ice in drinks, washing fruit and brushing teeth with bottled water etc, you shouldn’t have any problems with the Pharaoh’s revenge, (not too comfortable, I can assure you, in a communal toilet block!)

Food, accommodation and all local diving is prepaid, no cash required, just sign for your Stella beers or whatever. Soft drinks, bottled water, tea and coffee are available free, round the clock!

Local diving on the house fringe reefs is very much go as you please and unlimited, although you sign yourself on and off on the big blackboard in the dive centre for all dives. Alternatively, you can take one of the so called “truck dives”. For these your gear is loaded up on trucks and is there waiting for you when you alight from the accompanying coach to your pre selected dive site up or down the coast. You can do this morning and/or afternoon any day.  Special dives, for a small charge can be arranged (we did) to dive on the wrecked Russian freighter at Abu Ghusoon, enjoying lunch on the beach between dives, this one involved a 7am start. Alternatively, one can go for the big one and undertake a very early morning, long and usually uncomfortable rib trip to Elphinstone Reef with a reasonable chance of spotting some pelagic life and a most spectacular dive thrown in. Some did, I didn’t!

Your typical house reef dive, might involve a rib dropping you off some distance out along the reef face, then “saunter” at perhaps 10, 15, or 20 meters depth, back to base, taking anything from 60 to 80 minutes underwater! You will see the most gorgeous foliage, multi colored coral, beautiful giant blue clams and a selection of fish that even Nemo himself would be proud to show off! I am talking about Turtles, Butterfly fish, stately Emperor Angel fish, Parrot and Puffer fish, Blue Spotted Ray,  Crocodile, Lion, Stonefish and so many more, too numerous for me to identify or mention….. all this with me wearing only a Lidl shorty suit. However, I did wear a hood and also rented hard sole bootees, a necessity for wading through beaches, at a cost of €3 per day, cheaper than the cost of Michael O’Leary’s excess baggage! Anything else you might need to rent is available locally at a reasonable cost. Many divers chose to wear their full suits. For the diver who likes to stretch the limits, rest assured that the on site Hyperbaric Medical Centre/ Recompression Chamber is well equipped and manned around the clock! As for the people working in the eco village and dive centre, I cannot speak highly enough of their 100% helpful and friendly service and dedication towards making our visit as memorable as possible.

Our group was made up of old friends from previous trips and a large contingent from the powerful Naas Club. I think that we all gelled very well and had a great time really. On our final night, the Naas gang all showed up for dinner wearing their red polo shirts which they had specially commissioned for the trip, watch out for yours truly wearing his Naas shirt, gifted to him by good old Phil Brady! Thank you also to Ray and Teresa for the Safari tee shirt, these guys were very good to me. Photos were taken of the youngest diver in the group, newly qualified 16 year old Dylan Haughney and the oldest, nah, you’d never guess! At the sing song which rounded off our last night, Shane’s old pal Denzil told some very funny stories, Ollie sang and Margaret sang, Diane dressed up in her Santa outfit and even old Ronnie did his party piece by trying to sing (which he can’t), a ditty which he composed while stuck in a hospital bed last year. I promised some of the Naas’ers that I would put the silly words up on our blog, so here goes, God forgive me!

“Lament of the Wild Diver”:  (To the air of “the Wild Rover”)
I’ve played the wild diver for many a year
And I’ve spent all my money on black rubber gear.
Now my bottle is empty, my bum it is sore
And I’ll play the wild diver, no, never, no more.
(Chorus):

And it’s no, nay, never,
No, nay, never no more,
Will I play the wild diver,
No, never, no more.

I went to the dive shop that I used to frequent
And I told Willie Siddall, my demand valve was bent.
I asked for another, he answered me “No,
Your demand valve’s a Dacor, we sell Scubapro”.

And it’s, no, nay, never etc.

So out I did pull my long diving knife,
While Willie, he trembled in fear for his life.
But boldly he cried “I don’t care what you do”,
I said “Ta very much, I’ll just take one or two.

And it’s, no, nay, never etc.

Then out I went diving from old Kilkee pier
And thought to myself,
“There’s naught doing out here”
But at 22 metres I looked up to see,
Three bloody big lobsters were coming at me.

And it’s, no, nay, never etc.

So, now as I lie on my hospital bed,
While bandaged from arms right up to my head,
I think of my life and my unruly ways
And I mourn the passing of my diving days.

And it’s, no, nay, never etc.

2009.11.02 17:03:39

GODS: El Hierro

Reporting back from our GODS (Golden Oldies Diving Society) Centenary diving trip (i.e. Shane Gray's 100th organised trip) to El Hierro...

 

There were 20 of us, from all parts of the country, including current and former members of L.S.A.C.; Maeve Callanan, John Mullins, Tom McDonnell, Colm O'Shea, Manuel Di Lucia and yours truly. We were later joined by Pat Hehir from outside Ennis, who just happened to be over there on his own. Most of the party had been on Shane's first ever trip way back in 2001, so it was to prove to be a pretty nostalgic return!

 

After flying out of Dublin, overnighting in Tenerife and speeding out by luxurious high speed ferry in a 2 hour run, we reached El Hierro, the most westerly island in Europe. The ferry docked at the Island's capital Valverde, whence we undertook the one hour trip in 3 vehicle convoy, to our destination, the small fishing and diving village of La Restinga. Too late for a dive we chilled out in the 20 degree evening sunshine, gathering in Shane and Ollie's apartment, as we did every evening, for Happy Hour drinks and a surprise presentation of lovely commemorative polo shirts. Onwards then and every night, to local restaurants for grub, usually finishing up in "El Bar", wearing only pants and tee shirt, at whatever hour of the night or morning took our fancy.

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2009.08.05 10:19:18

Cameron Creek, Kilkee

Recent comment on our web site, about the Blue Pool, put me in mind of Cameron Creek, named by us, after Roddie, a member of the original scouting party who first discovered the location and a dear friend and colleague of many of the Limerick Divers.

It is important to bear in mind that we had no boat at that time and were strictly limited to shore diving, hence the search for adventurous new locations. Stories from fishermen of deep waters off the Blue Pool in Baltard Bay, brought us to the area and we were not to be disappointed. A long (approx. 15 minute) trek, across fields and flat-rock beach, carrying full gear, brought us to our destination.

Our very first dive off the perfect rocky entry point took place on June 17th 1962 with fellow divers Johnnie Ryan, Dougie Brislane and Cyril Foster. My dive log of that day records the following:  "Hit the century today for the first time, great dive, wonderful spot. Poor weather gave us disappointing conditions and visibility. No trouble at all getting to 100 ft. Johnnie and self got gorgonian, Dougie and I spotted it at the same time, I was nearer, so I collected it. I picked up a 3 lb. crawfish and missed another. I must abandon my gaff, it's too awkward. Very funny today, we sat at 80ft. flooding and clearing our face masks. Very cold at 100ft."  It was a 25 min dive.

We continued to enjoy many more dives and experience some rather hairy adventures in the Creek for the next two years or so, until boat diving became available and long site treks became rather less of a necessity.
However, to this day there are many intrepid shore divers within our club (I see you, John Allen, Mike Hynes, Liam O'Connell, Brian Crowe, Victor Brown et al.) who would not be averse to undertaking long hauls saddled up with full diving gear, so with that in mind, in company with, or should I say minded by, Marcus McMahon of the Kilkee Oceanlife Dive Centre, I recently explored the accessibility of the location.

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2009.07.29 15:48:49

This being my initial toe-dip into the wonderful world of Dive Blogs, I will necessarily be brief.

 

I can no longer resist the need to comment to the www about the happenings in our glorious Club and Web Site, so very much to admire in both at the moment. I recognise the huge amount of work and dedication that goes into making these a success, well done to you all!

 

This web site is like an Aladdin's cave of Diving Goodies. Only today, I discovered the hilarious biogs. of our illustrious committee. I laughed out loud at some of the accreditations. Who wrote this stuff? Has to be anonymous, I suppose, for fear of litigation!

 

Regarding Peter Walsh's "Better Breathing for Divers" workshop in Kilkee, last Saturday, it was brilliant and so well researched and presented. However, I failed to put what I thought I had learned into practice when I dived later in the day! My two fellow GODS, Manuel and Billy went off bubbling with enthusiasm about what they had learned, Billy is determined to suggest a similar workshop for his own Club!

 

I said at the outset that I would be brief, so that's it for now, well done to all concerned and do keep up the good work.