Devils Rock - The Heighties & The Grotto

A limestone outcrop ( one of 2 in the region - see The Mountain here ) ) stands guard over the Glasheen River in Togher. This article will highlight the rock itself , the area which surrounds it and its geological and historical background. 

 

Billy O'Brien in front of Devil's Rock 2015

Devil's Rock circa 1986

Throughout its immense geological history , Togher and the subject area under discussion ( The Heighties ) was part of several Super Continents moving from below the Equator to its present location traveling in the process thousands of miles over countless Millions of years. The illustrations below show The Heighties at 3 stages of development starting with the Ordovician Period when sandstone was first being formed to the Carboniferous Period when a layer of Limestone was laid down on top of it right through to the Triassic Period when it became a hot desert. Subsequent flooding would have washed this great mass of sand into the sea and the region entered the Last Ice Age when the land was pulverized by Glaciers measuring 2 - 3 Kilometers in height! When the Ice Age ended over 12,000 years ago , the resulting meltwater turned the area into  a wetland and eventually a bog. During all of this turbulence , The Heighties along with its sibling The Mountain managed to survive! However , a threat greater than nature would see its diminution and almost complete erasure by the 19th and 20th Centuries.

Ordovician Period (485.4 – 443.8 Million Years Ago)

Carboniferous Period (358.9 – 298.9 Million Years Ago)

Triassic Period (252.2 – 201.3 Million Years Ago)

The map below dating from 1830 predates the establishment of the Quarry. The ground shows established paths looping around a group of exposed limestone outcrops. The ground is heavy with vegetation and trees. There are three abodes , two smaller cottages and one long conjoined workmen's cottage running perpendicular to the road. Note the bridge is already in situ.

1830 Map from southward perspective
houses marked in yellow

Ai reconstruction of 1830 map

Pre-Quarry use

Ai reconstruction of 1830 map
from road side view

The maps below , consisting of actual , aerial and Ai reconstructions showcases The Heighties during the early 1910s , 1951 and mid 1960s. The abandoned quarry which became a children's adventure land ( reiterated more fully below ) was ultimately morphed into a modern housing estate.

1915 map from southward perspective
showing limestone mounds excavated
Note : Only one small cottage remains

Ai reconstruction of above 1915 OS map

The Heighties - centre - 1951

The Heighties restored to pasture 1960s

Actual photograph of The Heighties before
 building scheme late 1960s

Unike its lonely isolated cousin near Hazel Road - The Mountain ( see here ) , Devils' Rock was once part of a large quarry. Today , aside from a small remnant off Blackwater Grove , it is the sole surviving legacy. Its old address was Summerstown Lane but today it is Leamlara Close fronting onto Deanrock Avenue. Its footprint is 61.11 feet being its greatest length from rear to front and its greatest width is 45.79 feet. Extensively quarried during the late 19th and early 20th Centuries , it eventually fell into disuse and its pockmarked footprint served as a playground for generations of children from near and far. The various bumps and hollows left behind from the abandoned quarry provided endless hours of free entertainment. Devil's Rock had a far less sinister name back in the 1940s and 1950s when it was known as The Citadel.

Ai reconstruction of Devil's Rock & The Heighties
before housing scheme commenced late 1960s

Newly constructed Catholic Grotto 1988

As seen from Leamlara Close

Grotto as seen from Deanrock Avenue

Following the subsequent back filling of The Heighties , the land was CPO'd by Cork Corporation for the building of Deanrock Estate a.k.a. the N.B.A. named after the company tasked with the housing scheme. Devil's Rock was simply incorporated and continued to provide local children with a natural climbing apparatus for many years. In 1988 , the roadside portion was converted into a Catholic Grotto which it remains to this day. Despite all of the changing landscape over countless millions of years , Devil's Rock still takes pride of place.

The Mountain

In Togher , in the townland of Deanrock , there lies a geological natural feature known as " The Mountain ". This article will look at it's story which spans millions of years and thousands of miles , including what was there before , how it was formed and how the surrounding landscape changed over time.

Billy O'Brien - The Mountain - 2014

Today , the rocky limestone outcrop which is situated off Clashduv Road and Hazel Road and known affectionately by locals as The Mountain is one of the areas natural wonders. Before the blog delves into the story of The Mountain , it is first necessary to to uncover what was there before it even existed! In other words , what does it actually rest on. For that ( see graph below ) , a journey back in time and thousands of miles south reveals the answer. During the Ordovician Period ( 450 Million Years Ago ) , the region was hundreds of miles below the Equator and submerged in a shallow sea.

Location of Ireland circa 450 MYA
Note : Submerged in shallow sea

Granite rocks from higher levels of dry land were worn down by the elements into fine grains of sand which were then deposited at the site. A process called lithification over millions of years turned the sand into hard rock. They were helped by natural minerals such as silica , iron oxide or calcium carbonate which acted like a glue to hold everything together. This then became the sea floor for what was to come next!

Sandstone plain exposed from shallow sea

The Mountain hides many secrets in plain sight! It was originally twice the size extending out onto the present day access road off Clashduv Road and exponentially higher! However this will be explored in more detail later in the article. How the natural feature came into existence will now be examined. Many could be forgiven for believing that it is just a simple mass of rock. But that couldn't be further from the truth! It is in fact the remains of sea animals which swam in the ocean over 359 Million years ago! This occurred during the Carboniferous Period ( see graph below ). 

Location of Ireland circa 100 MYA
Note : Submerged in warm tropical sea

As they died , their skeletal remains ( Chrinoids , Corals and Brachiopods - see below ) drifted to the bottom of the sea and over millions of years were joined by more remains. These eventually solidified under enormous pressure to form limestone circa 360 - 330 Million Years Ago! Thus The Mountain was born! It was and is quite literally an open tomb! In other words a mass grave exposed from an ancient seafloor! What is seen today is only a fraction of its overall mass. A typical limestone outcrop resting on a sandstone base can be anywhere from 10 to 50 Metres deep! However , as the Island of Ireland was pushed further north by plate tectonics it entered a period of extreme heat which turned the landscape ( see below ) into an arid desert!

Illustration of shallow sea prior to forming limestone

Brachiopod in its natural environment

Crinoids in their natural environment

The Mountain when it was surrounded by desert
 ( Ai reconstruction )

Over many millions of years Ireland went from a sub-tropical climate to a more temperate one ( as it quite literally crashed into another landmass thus forming the Island of Ireland ) and this transformation which arrived at the end of the Neogene Period ( 2.58 Million Years Ago ) saw a prolonged period of intensive weathering culminating in the last Ice Age which gouged the entire landscape beyond all recognition and heavily wore down any exposed rock formations , including The Mountain which may have been hundreds of feet high. This would have taken place between 27,000 and 20,000 Years Ago and was known as the Last Glacial Maximum. As it retreated , this 1 Kilometre thick ice sheet ( which covered over 99% of Ireland ) scoured and polished anything that lay in its path giving us the feature more or less that we have today.

View from The Mountain during Last Ice Age
Glaciers retreating leaving meltwater
( Ai reconstruction )

In tandem with this massive erosion event was the ever changing landscape which The Mountain oversaw. When the Ice Sheet retreated , it left behind a deep depression leaving a flat valley floor. Countless ancient short lived streams quickly flooded this plain as a result of the colossal meltwater produced by the shrinking glaciers before settling into their present flows which mirrored the fault lines in the bedrock ( North to East ). Today , Togher contains a mere 3 main watercourses , Glenmore , Liberty/Tramore and Glasheen , which date back to the end of the last Ice Age making them at least 10,000 years old!
 

The Mountain surrounded by a swamp
( Ai reconstruction )

As time wore on , the meltwater slowed and the valley floor became stagnant which encouraged the appearance of water lilies , sedges and reeds in the shallow water. The Post Glacial Period ( c. 9,000 Years Ago ) saw the valley floor develop into a peaty fen as a result of the decomposition of these plants. This mass of nutrient rich ground ushered in the Wet Woodland Intrusion ( c. 6000 B.C. ) when it became solid enough to support Alder , Willow and Birch trees. The dense canopy took over the valley floor of Togher. The vantage point if seen from The Mountain would have been a huge swamp woodland as far as the eye could see! An event known as the Raised Peat Accumulation ( c. 3000 – 1000 B.C. ) saw the trees die off due to the acidity of the groundwater.
 

The Mountain surrounded by bog formation
( Ai reconstruction )

In its place grew Sphagnum moss which thrived in the acidic conditions. It quite literally soaked up all of the groundwater to form a dome-like structure or raised bog for miles around. By the time of the arrival of our ancestors towards the end of the Bronze Age ( c. 1200 B.C. ) they were forced to construct a causeway ( An Tóchar - Togher ) nearby to traverse the dangerous uneven ground to secure a footing onto the higher land , thereby giving the region its name! As the Millennia wore on  , the area succumbed to human intervention when much of the land was drained for agricultural use.

OS map 1830 showing track over The Mountain

The legacy of a bog near The Mountain persisted right up to the 1970s when it was back-filled to form the modern day park that exists today. Sadly The Mountain has been subject to modern human intervention over the last 2 Centuries. At one point , the owners of Clashduff house had a cattle track hammered through the centre of The Mountain to gain access to another field. This would have facilitated the movement of cattle and also farm hands with horse and cart delivering manure and feed ( see map above ). 

OS map 1880 - vertical lines indicating uneven terrain

Aerial photo 1951

Once the land was CPO'd in 1967 , a French explosives expert was hired by Cork Corporation to quite literally blow up The Mountain. However after several attempts , it was deemed too dangerous to continue given the close proximity to neighboring housing schemes. Nonetheless much of The Mountain was now permanently gone. In its place a shadow of its former self now stood like a silent sentinel over the growing Neighborhood. Once the planned complete demolition was cancelled , the builders tore down the stone wall exposing for the first time to the general public , The Mountain , which would not have been visible from the main road outside.

September 1968 - View of The Mountain
in background behind boy and trees

Aerial photo 1971 - * Note : Fencing along brow of outcrop

Aerial photo 1971 - Frontal view of The Mountain
from Clashduv Road

Aerial photo 1971 - Alternate view showing builders offices

The photos below from different timelines show the footprint of The Mountain over successive years as it quietly disappears from view as outlined in the closing paragraphs of this article.

Early 2000s - * Note worn track on right

Circa 2005 - Note encroachment by ground cover at rear

Circa 2010 - Note coverage of top soil and grass to rear

3d view of The Mountain showing its full length

* In more modern times , tons of topsoil were deposited to cover over the sharper more craggier parts of the base of The Mountain. This can be seen nowadays in the upward curve of the grassy base which has succeeded in hiding about half of the west face of the limestone outcrop , the whole of which was visible to children of the 1970s and 1980s. The exposed greatest length of The Mountain in modern times from north to south is 198ft while its greatest exposed width from west to east is 57ft. As demonstrated by the photos below soil coverage and introduction of bushes and trees have served to soften its appearance. In more modern times The Mountain is flanked to its north and east by Hazel Road , to its west by Elm Road and to its south by Clashduv Road.

 

 

1973 local protest concerning driving test centre
* Note : original height of The Mountain in background

North Face - * Note : rough grass covering outcrop

South Face - * Note : introduction of bushes & trees

West Face - Most iconic view from Elm Road

East Face - Car Park on Hazel Road
* Note : rough grass covering outcrop

 

Conclusions :

While it is commendable from a health and safety view that this natural feature has been softened so as not to endanger children , it is felt that another approach can be taken. This could take the form of re-exposing the limestone outcrop and erecting a gated fence around its perimeter. School tours could be undertaken by interested parties including tourists ( this is a golden opportunity ) and a storyboard stand put in place showcasing its fascinating geological history as detailed in this article. From a shallow tropical sea to a desert to glaciers to swamp and bog , The Mountain has witnessed it all!

Ai construction of gated fence

Acknowledgements :

 

media.hhmi.org

https://www.fossilera.com
https://www.manospondylus.com 
https://dalesrocks.org.uk

Det Garda Lahiffe - Togher Garda Station - In Memorium

This article looks back now at the career of Morgan Lahiffe , a Togher based Garda who in 2024 became the first person in Ireland to be awarded 2 Scott Medals for Bravery. He also served in 3 separate Garda Stations all in Togher!

 

Morgan Lahiffe , born in 1940 , joined An Garda Siochana in April 1961. Originally from Co. Clare ,  he spent the 1960s based at the Bridewell in Cork City where he became a Detective. At the start of the 1970s , he was posted to Togher Garda Station ( where he would remain for the rest of his career ) on Togher Road. His career in Togher would see him move into three separate Stations ; the old Garda Station which was originally located in front of the Ardmanning House which was demolished soon after circa 1971  , the bungalow across the road at the corner of Ardmanning Ave and the new Garda Station ( the former O'Sullivan House ) on Tramore Road when it opened in 1985.

 

Original Togher Garda Stn. 1971

Old Togher Garda Stn.
1971 - 1985

New Togher Garda Stn.
1985 - Present

Morgan outside of his career was known for his great sense of humour and his passion for set dancing. He and his wife Jean raised their family initially in Westside Estate in the 1970s before relocating to nearby Bishopstown in the 1980s but Togher was his centre of operations until his retirement in January 1993. Sadly , he passed away peacefully at his home on 6th December 2023. His career can be best marked out as centering on 5 important events which took place in 1971 , 1978 , 1985 , 2023 and ultimately 2024 respectively. 

1971

Five Star - 1971

On 20th August 1971 , Morgan along with his colleague Gerry O'Sullivan responded to a phone call saying 3 armed raiders had entered the Five Star supermarket. The gunmen forced the Manager and staff to hand over £772 ( just under €15,000 in today's market value ). When they arrived masked gunmen ordered them out which they initially refused to do until a gun was pointed at their heads. As the gunmen made off in a car , the two officers pursued them. Gerry was dropped at a phonebox on Clashduv Road where he requested back up while Morgan drove after the raiders where they were intercepted soon after on the College Road. The whole incident was then quietly forgotten about for over 50 years until 2024 ( see below )

1978

Gold Scott Medal - 1st Class

Jean Lahiffe in 2024 with photograph
of Morgan's Scott Medal in 1978
( * Echolive.ie )

Site of former C.M.P. Dairies , Tramore Road

In 1978 he successfully tackled armed gunmen during a raid on the old C.M.P. Dairies on Kinsale Road in Cork. He gave no thought to his own safety and because of this was awarded the Gold Scott Medal ( see above ) for Bravery. Tragically , the wages clerk , Maura Collins , whom the raiders had forced to hand over IR£10,000 , was shot in the back because she wasn't quick enough. Thankfully she survived.

1985 

Cork Airport 1985

Following the Air India Disaster on 23rd June 1985 ( in which a bomb exploded on board Flight 182 which had left Montreal , Canada for Dehli , India , causing it to crash in the Atlantic Ocean about 120 Miles south west of County Cork ) , Morgan headed up a special unit responsible for logistics and joint operations with Royal Canadian Mounted Police ( the majority of passengers were Canadian citizens ). Togher Garda Station's area of operations included Cork Airport , where they conducted crisis response , forensic recovery and logistical support , heavily aided by the Irish Naval Service , Irish Army and Emergency Medical Support from the Cork Regional Hospital ( now C.U.H. ). International media praised the Gardai for their exceptional support and empathy with the families of the victims. R.C.M.P. presented the Gardai with a special placue at Anglesea Street on the 20th Anniversary in 2005.

2023

Nora Sheehan R.I.P. from 1981

Even though he was by 2023 , fully retired at the grand old age of 82 , he was historically called back to give evidence in July of that year , in a cold case he had been involved in way back in 1981 - that of the murder of Nora Sheehan , ironically also from his home turf of Bishopstown. Her bruised and battered body had been found dumped in a woods near Innishannon , Co. Cork in June 1981. Using the meticulously preserved forensic evidence and the original files gathered by Detective Lahiffe and his colleagues all those years ago , the State was finally able to build a modern case using DNA technology which betrayed one Noel Long , 74 ( then 32 ) also from Bishopstown of the rape and murder of Nora Sheehan , 54. This was Morgan's final act of service and he passed away peacefully a few short months later at his home in Bishopstown on 6th December 2023 at the age of 83.

2024

Walter Scott house , Dublin

Bronze Scott Medal - 3rd Class

Just  months after his passing , Morgan was finally recognised for his actions in Togher way back in 1971. 53 years after the raid at the Five Star supermarket he was posthumously awarded the Bronze Scott Medal for Bravery , becoming the first person in Ireland to achieve a second Scott Medal!

Jean with daughter Avril
Scott Medal award 2024