ACADEMIA

Carnaby wrote:

Years ago (pre internet days) there was a company who would contact you and inform you that you were a respected, reliable noteworthy person who qualified for an entry in the 19xx Book of Noteworthy Members of Society and you could have a copy for the special price of £yy. I suspect the only buyers of this tome were those who had fallen for the ruse. Certainly a book to leave on your coffee table when friends were visiting,

Many of Ireland’s World War One buildings do not survive in original condition, while other impressive complexes remain virtually unknown. The Lower Aghada Tennis Club in Cork Harbour stands on the site of a former United States Naval Air Service base, which was home to over 1,000 personnel in 1918. From here flying boats operated to counter the German U-Boat threat off the Irish coast. Although the majority of the base is no longer extant there remain indications of its presence, which highlight Cork Harbour’s importance during World War One as a base for military operations. The remains of the base include the original slipway from which the flying boats were launched, refurbished buildings that once formed part of the military complex, and the overgrown gateposts inscribed ‘USNAS’ and ‘1918’. Killeagh in Co. Cork is home to a remarkable military base that is also largely forgotten. Construction began at Killeagh Royal Naval Airship Station in 1918, before being abandoned a year later following the cessation of hostilities. Despite the fact that the site was never operational the remains of a water tower, airship sheds, narrow gauge trackway and ancillary buildings all survive, spread across agricultural fields to the west of the village.