Category Archives: Uncategorized

Lord Mayor’s Column, 24 November 2023

Cork City Events, Cork History, Kieran's Council Work, Landscapes, Lord Mayor's Work, Uncategorized

Christmas in Cork:

Christmas is an annual stroll down memory lane. It is part of our heritage – our way of life. The ghosts of Christmas pasts are religiously recalled as we prepare to be locked in a type of time warp for a fortnight or so. There are other memories that I can remember – the joy of the school holidays. The dark evenings sitting in the back of the car as my mother collected my Dad from work on St Patrick’s Street or Pana. I remember being taken back by the magical, transforming and bright Christmas lights on the narrow Oliver Plunkett Street. From the safety of the car, I also remember the blustery Atlantic winds and the wintry rain as it dislodged Corkonians in their shopping path.

I remember the Christmas trees on the streets and the Crib in the centre of Pana guarded annually by Share supporters. I can recall the huge crowds hoping over the central rails of the street to get to the other side of the street as if the railings provided an annual workout for our jaywalking Cork citizens.

I remember going to Ballyvolane Shopping Centre, when it initially opened and visiting Santa – those were the days, those wonderful and magical Christmases filled with Santa and the associated photos inset in the family photo albums. I remember my father bringing us to see Santa Claus The Movie in the old Capital Cinema.

The panto in the opera House was annually frequented. The opening bars of the entracte transported one to another world. Dames like Billa O’Connell brought me along in the story – you believed – you watched in awe as the battle between good and evil took place and then everyone lived happily afterwards.

Have my childhood memories changed in 35 years? Do I still get inspired and re-inspired. Yep I still do.  It’s difficult not to be re-awakened by Christmas, that season of specialness. Once the street Christmas lights are turned on, the city seems to buzz with anticipation.

The preparation begins weeks before the 25 December and with growing commercialisation gets earlier every year. Contrasting against all that goes with that debate, the Crib on St Patrick’s Street gets pride of place and reminds one of a fortress surrounded by Share collectors who spread out over the city centre engaging Corkonians.

Prepping for Christmas:

This year is no different in Cork in the build-up to Christmas. At the recent launch of Corkmas, I was particularly delighted to see familiar faces from the city’s hospitality, retail and cultural sector as they actually are ‘Christmas in Cork’. They are the smiling faces that welcome us into crowded hotel lobbies and restaurants in the frenzied days before Christmas and the people who patiently advise us as we scurry to find a last minute present for that awkward relative. They are the creatives and makers who nourish our souls at the plethora of pantomimes, music, arts and cultural events that will be staged in the coming weeks.

Christmas in Cork is also all about food, drink and people. It’s about trying to hit the English Market early in the morning so the crowds will be less and then realising everyone thought similarly. It is about catching up with friends and family for food and drinks, promising to make a bigger effort next year and then promptly forgetting the minute you hop on the bus home

It is about bumping into old class and college mates that you haven’t seen in years, and even if you didn’t particularly know them, spending 10 heart-filled minutes catching up on each other’s lives. It’s about spiced beef, warmth, spontaneity, glittering lights, laughter, it’s about Christmas traditions, both new and old.

For the city’s traders, artists and creatives and particularly during the current cost of living crisis and in the face of growing online shopping, the last quarter of the year is often a  ‘make or break’ period. The season often provides them with a crucial buffer that supports them to keep trading and creating through far more challenging times of the year. 

Launching Corkmas:

With this in mind, Cork City Council, working with local creative agency, Babelfís -and having engaged with yourselves- has created the ‘Corkmas’ campaign aimed at firstly encouraging people to think sustainably by supporting local and  secondly celebrating, discovering, and re-discovering the many experiences and traditions, new and old, that make Christmas time in Cork so unique.

As well the iconic ferris wheel on Grand Parade, this year Corkmas introduces a wonderful new winter light experience in the city centre, SOLAS – which I will invite you to experience with me in a few minutes. The SOLAS light and sound experience will run every day of the week until 21 December, from 4pm to 11pm daily. 

On top of that every weekend from 24 November, SOLAS will be a hub of family friendly fun, musical performances, Christmas singalongs and festive entertainment. Many thanks to Fáilte Ireland’s for their support of the SOLAS winter light experience.

Over seven kilometres of lights are being turned on across city streets and 60 Christmas trees lit up by Cork City Council, Cork Business Association (working with traders) and also by independent outlets.

Over the coming days and weeks you will see Corkmas in public spaces, across media (both traditional and digital) and in a campaign with Red FM at Cork Airport to promote the city’s offering to people coming home and to visitors.

A new map, which beautifully illustrates the festive activities taking place across the ‘magical city of Corkmas’, encourages people to get further details on these varied seasonal events at corkmas.ie. Corkmas has been created to better support, amplify and market what activities there are and striving for a unified voice.

This is only the beginning of Corkmas. It’s a campaign and festive programme that will be built upon in the coming years so that Cork ultimately becomes a destination during the festive season.

So what are you waiting for, Christmas is what you make it no matter what age you are at. Get out and re-witness your youth in the city. Look to the skies and perhaps who will re-awaken your imagination and see a team of reindeer pulling a sleigh with a red suited bloke pushing onwards through the Cork sky…

Check out www.corkmas.ie

Kieran’s Our City, Our Town, 23 November 2023

Cork History, Kieran's Council Work, Lord Mayor's Work, Uncategorized
1129a. John Ger O'Riordan and Aodh Quinlivan, authors of First Citizen, Sean French, Cork’s Longest-Serving Lord Mayor (picture: John Tyner, UCC).
1129a. John Ger O’Riordan and Aodh Quinlivan, authors of First Citizen, Sean French, Cork’s Longest-Serving Lord Mayor (picture: John Tyner, UCC).

Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,

Cork Independent, 23 November 2023

Launch of First Citizen – Sean French, Cork’s Longest-Serving Lord Mayor

The life and times of Seán French – a 12-term Lord Mayor of Cork, councillor and TD – has now been recorded in a great new publication called First Citizen, Sean French, Cork’s Longest-Serving Lord Mayor. For many years Seán’s life has just been reduced in history to a few words and sentences. However, this new book by Dr Aodh Quinlivan and John Ger O’Riordan has done a superb job in rescuing the memory of Seán from being on the reductive history heap in Cork history and in capturing the everyday life of local politics in early twentieth century Cork. The book is rich in historical detail and there is much to learn from reading it from a citizen perspective and from a local politician or public representative perspective.

 Firstly, the A team, of Aodh and John Ger, have once again pursued a fantastic job in reading between the lines of narratives in old newspapers, old Cork Corporation documentation, government reports and the conversations within debates within the City Council Chamber. They offer lenses in understanding the holistic perspectives of Council topics and that it not an easy task on many occasions to follow one line of logic when there is a multitude of other perspectives feeding into a debate. Indeed, the research methodologies Aodh and John Ger have developed over many years now can be adapted to other potential research projects on the history of Local Government in Ireland and further afield.

            Secondly Aodh and John Ger’s focus on Seán French reveals the character of a local politician who never gave up on his early political beliefs and on Cork. Those who have championed Cork in the past for the most part do not get a look in despite the multitude of books and newspapers charting Cork history. So, this publication is another welcome addition in revisiting and renewing forgotten narratives in Cork’s past.

            In his early years being a sportsman and a person with a good sense of humour gave Seán a strategic foundation and a caring mind – first showcased in establishing his own pharmacy business and then running in the 1920 local elections. Securing of a seat on the City’s historic council chamber Seán carved himself out as a voice for the underprivilege high cost of living in the city and horrendous slum conditions.

 In Seán’s early months in the council chamber it coincided with the deaths of two Lord Mayors – Tomás MacCurtain and Terence MacSwiney and a War of Independence spilling out across the streets of the city – and culminating in the Burning of Cork in December 1920 and the destruction of the city’s house of democracy in the shape of Cork City Hall. Such latter and tragic stories would affect the way historians of Cork would tell the story of Cork for the ensuing century to come.

            Seán pursued his work on several sub committees of Cork Corporation with deep interest becoming a quasi-expert almost in topics such as local government finance, public works, social housing and technical education. Indeed, this book relates how much he was at the forefront of subcommittee work and how much he pushed for work to be pursued and work practices to be amended in many cases, and his diligent passion for evidence and forensic detail.

On Seán’s accession to being Lord Mayor of Cork on 30 January 1924 he delivered a short acceptance speech, stressing that improving and progressing Cork had to be the primary duty of all of the elected members. He stated that he had always stayed true to his ideals and that would not change.

However, the nature of politics within the emerging Irish Free State led to a heightened public expectation for improved services and the modernisation of Ireland’s cities, towns and villages – and ultimately the nature of how Local Government did its work had to change. In particular Seán politically led the city in a time of large scale physical and large scale societal change.Even a politician like Seán French could not stop the tides of change, which swept through Cork in the 1920s. It is always argued that a week is a long time in politics – no mind several years – and the authors describe the backdrop of Seán’s world in detail. The decades of 1920s and 1930s Cork is showcased here and this book even sets up further frameworks for further narratives to be researched and written about.

It worth keeping in mind that Lord Mayor Seán French bore witness to everything from the dissolution of Cork Corporation in 1924, to a new City Manager in the form of Philip Monahan, a new City survey plan, an energetic Cork Progressive Association of commercial individuals, clearing some of the city’s worst slum conditions, new social housing in suburbs like Turners Cross and Gurranabraher, the re-opening of St Patrick’s Street with a brand new modern look, to the closure of the historic Cork Butter Market, to the expansion of Fords and Dunlops, to the creation of new cinemas like the Pavilion and Savoy, to investment by the ESB in Ireland’s cities, to the creation of new tourism projects for the Cork region and all the way to the Cork Industrial and Agricultural Fair in 1932 and even the opening of the popular Lee Baths in 1934 – to name but a few more iconic moments in 1920s and early 1930s Cork.

As a third and final note, one can argue that this book is also an ode in its own way to all former Lord Mayors of Cork and councillors who have stood up on the Council Chamber floor to add their commentary to debates on the challenges and opportunities for city of Cork throughout the years. Indeed, reading even more between the lines of this book, one can see history repeating itself and connecting into the present day.

First Citizen, Sean French, Cork’s Longest-Serving Lord Mayor by Dr Aodh Quinlivan and John Ger O’Riordan is available in Waterstones and Vibes and Scribes.

Caption:

1129a. John Ger O’Riordan and Aodh Quinlivan, authors of First Citizen, Sean French, Cork’s Longest-Serving Lord Mayor (picture: John Tyner, UCC).

Kieran’s Our City, Our Town, 16 November 2023

Cork History, Kieran's Council Work, Landscapes, Lord Mayor's Work, Uncategorized
1128a. Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Kieran McCarthy with Cllr Michael Looney and Colm Burke, TD with members of Inniscarra Historical Society, October 2023 (picture: F Archer).
1128a. Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Kieran McCarthy with Cllr Michael Looney and Colm Burke, TD with members of Inniscarra Historical Society, October 2023 (picture: F Archer).

Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,

Cork Independent, 16 November 2023

Launch of Inniscarra Historical Society Journal 2023

The latest journal of Inniscarra Historical Society, Changing Times, has been published and is available in shops throughout Inniscarra. The society was formed in 2017 and has published four journals now to date. Their aim is to further the gathering of historical data and to promote an interest and awareness of local history amongst their members. The 2023 committee consists of Patrick O’Callaghan, Frank Donaldson, David O’ Brien, Kathleen Flynn, Joseph Ambrose and John Lane. Membership is open to all for an annual subscription of only 10 euros. 

A monthly presentation is held on a topic of local history. They organise bus trips to places of historical interest. A selection of their talks in the last year included Con Hayes – The Lusitania Tragedy, Professor Robert Devoy – Historic landscapes of West Cork, the geographical imperatives, Anne Twomey – The Role of Women in Revolutionary Years, and Richard Forrest – Modest Martin, The history of a local mid-Cork river.

In this year’s journal, there are a number of very insightful articles, which range from topics such as histories of Inniscarra’s townlands to cemeteries to census reports to reminiscences of growing up in the parish.

For example Sinéad McSweeney shines a light on Cloughphilip, which translates as the ‘stone house of Philip, was home to a castle, a tower house castle constructed several years after the completion of Blarney Castle. She notes that these tower house castles were built in the style of a square or nearly square tower; “Window sizes were usually very small, due to the fact that in the time of siege warfare, attackers would try to mount the castle with ladders to gain entry. Sometime in the late 1500’s the castle came into the ownership of Donagh MacCarthy who left his mark on the castle with his initials D. C. K., and the year 1590 carved a stone set into an internal wall”.

Sinéad also reveals an interesting letter in 1850 addressed to the Royal Irish Academy from a Richard Caulfield, states that he came across the stone head for Cloughphilip Castle. The writer was deeply concerned because people were searching the castle ruins, and beneath it, digging for gold which was rumoured to be buried there. Caulfield describes the inscription on a stone in the north-east of the castle “D. C. K. 1590” which is at least one-hundred years after the castle was supposedly built.’ Unfortunately, there is no drawing or etching of Cloughphilip castle that survives, or a photograph of the castle ruins.

Colm O’Sullivan highlights the contribution of the O’Sullivan family, Bartholomew Sullivan’s son, James Bartholomew (known as Jimmy Batt, died 1829) having branched from his father’s business at Healy’s Bridge, set up his own paper mill at Dripsey around 1800. He employed hundreds of workers but went bankrupt and he had to restart the business on a number of occasions. The introduction of modern machinery resulted in a negative reaction from the workers who apparently started a fire at the mill in protest at the threat to their jobs. That fire and the economic downturn after the Napoleonic Wars resulted in the mills being sold off in the mid to late 1810s. It would seem that the Sullivan family continued to live in Dripsey for some years before moving to Cork City.

Michael Dorney contributes a very insightful article on antiquities in the Inniscarra locality. In particular Historically, Ireland and indeed Inniscarra was famous for having outdoor roadside grottos or Marian shrines, (shrines to the Blessed Virgin Mary and her Rosary). Nobody cant for any distance in Ireland without coming across a roadside shrine. Vast majority are Marian Shrines, although some celebrate local saints or the crucifixion of Christ.

Michael continues to highlight: “In spite of the documented drift away from organised religion that has taken place over the past few decades, these shrines are attended in small groups for regular rosary, praying and adoration. These shrines are almost invariably well-tended, maintained and bedecked with fresh flowers”.

Michael also outlines that some shrines are close to Holy Wells, places associated with local saints but whose origins go back to pagan times and their significance long pre datesdates the shrines themselves. Most of the grottos encountered today date from 1954, which were dedicated by the Vatican as the Marian Year, a year of celebration of and devotion to Virgin Mary.

Michael outlines the Marian devotion: “Probably no other country embraced this year with greater fervour than Ireland. Many baby girls born during 1954 were named Marian, Marion, and Mary. The tradition of devotion to Mary persisted years after 1954, albeit among ever declining number and it is today confined to an older generation. That time there was regular practice of church bells being tolled at Angelus times in honour of Our Lady”.

Still today in every parish like in Inniscarra, there is a dedicated band of local people who maintain the grottos, which have historically become part of our landscape and heritage.

Towards the end of the journal, Sinéad McSweeny returns to reflect on the story of St Ann’s Hill Hydropathic Establishment and guests wo were present as the 1901 census was taken on Sunday 31 March across the island of Ireland. The Hydropathic establishment, the only one on the island of Ireland. which accommodated a total of seventy-two people, twenty-two males and fifty females. She continues to describe an elaborate network of rooms; “The Hydro building had one hundred and twenty-three windows in the front and is most likely made up of the vastly extended original house and what was known as The Home. One hundred and one rooms were listed in this premises as being occupied the night of the census, most likely this figure included guest bedrooms and salt quarters and dormitories”.

Read more of the work of Inniscarra Historical Society at www.inniscarrahistory.com

Caption:

1128a. Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Kieran McCarthy with Cllr Michael Looney and Colm Burke, TD with members of Inniscarra Historical Society, October 2023 (picture: F Archer).

Kieran’s Lord Mayor’s Echo Column, 11 November 2023

Arts, Cork History, Kieran's Council Work, Landscapes, Lord Mayor's Work, Uncategorized

Remember and Renew:

This year marks the final chapter of the national Decade of Centenaries commemorative programme. A wealth of material has already been produced, scores of events have taken place, and a proud legacy is being created for future generations. 

Among the aims of commemorating those remarkable men and women involved in Ireland’s struggle for independence is, of course, to remember them, to recall their contributions to Cork and Ireland, and to reflect upon their extraordinary lives. But most importantly, as our former City Librarian, Liam Ronayne, noted in the early stages of the commemoration; “what is important is the need to understand, to understand what happened and why”.

Community groups, schools and individuals have delved into their local history to produce books, plays, murals, exhibitions, podcasts, recordings and many more engagements to mark the events that happened in our city over 100 years ago. From the ashes of the Burning of Cork in 1920, through the War of Independence and Civil War 1923 we have seen our city grow and prosper to ambitious plans for our future generations.  

To finish out the national Decade of Centenaries on Thursday, 16 November, a special reflection on the decade of centenaries entitled ‘Remember and Renew’ takes place in Cork City. On the day it includes a seminar in UCC Centre for Executive Education between 2pm- 4.30pm, Lapps Quay, followed by a reception in the Atrium, City Hall. Between 5.45-6.45pm, there will be a Special Meeting of An Chomhairle in the Council Chamber, Cork City Hall, and at the Cork City Concert Hall there will be a gala concert between 7pm- 9.30pm.

The concert will be hosted by Cork Playwright Cónal Creedon & presenter Elmarie Mawe who will reflect on the Decade of Centenaries with a night of music, poetry, & film. It will feature The Band of First Brigade, The Cork Fleischmann Symphony Orchestra, Cór Chúil Aodha & Seán Ó Sé.

Launch of Commemorative Jerseys:

Meanwhile this month also coincides with an exhibition in Cork Public Museum. It features the commemorative jerseys of Cork clubs, intercounty sides and international teams with a Cork connection. All those included in the exhibit commemorated Irish revolutionary figures and / or events on their kits during the Decade of Centenaries (and in particular the period of 2016-2023).   A virtual exhibit is available to view at the Exhibitions section on the Cork City Council website A City Remembers.

Seventeen jerseys are featured in the exhibit, which will later go on display at City Library, City Hall and Páirc Uí Chaoimh, along with other Cork areas of sporting and cultural significance. The exhibit is being organised by Cork City Council, along with the help of Cork GAA and Public Museum curator, Dan Breen.

A number of jerseys included feature the images of previous Lord Mayors, Tomás MacCurtain and Terence MacSwiney. Teams featured include Ballyphehane,  Béal Átha Ghaorthaidh, Brian Dillon’s, Cork Boston GFC, Delany’s, Diarmuid Ó Mathúna’s, Fermoy, Kilmichael, Na Piarsaigh, St. Vincent’s, Thomas McCurtain’s GAA club London, Valley Rovers, and Cork Intercounty. Also included in the exhibit are O’Neill’s commemorative jerseys to Michael Collins and the Easter Rising.

Cork hurlers and footballers provided a notable piece of Cork GAA history as a Rebel team took to the field wearing black jerseys for the first time in 2020. The 1916 commemoration Cork GAA original jersey in blue with a saffron ‘C’ was worn by Cork teams until 1919 when the jerseys were confiscated by the British Army in a raid during the War of Independence.

The exhibition is being co-ordinated by Cork City Council’s Commemorations working group, along with the help of Cork GAA and Public Museum curator, Dan Breen. A virtual edition of the exhibit will launch later in the year.

New Book on Seán French:

Mid-November also coincides with another Cork City Council commemoration publication. The new book is an important reflection on the life and times of Seán French – a 12-term Lord Mayor, councillor and TD. Indeed, for many years Seán’s life has just been reduced in history to a few words and sentences. This book by Dr Aodh Quinlivan and John Ger O’Riordan has done a superb job in rescuing the memory of Seán from being on the reductive history heap in Cork history and in capturing the everyday life of local politics in early twentieth century Cork. The book is rich in historical detail and there is much to learn from reading it from a citizen perspective and from a local politician or public representative perspective.

In Seán’s early months in the council chamber it coincided with the deaths of two Lord Mayors – Tomás MacCurtain and Terence MacSwiney and a War of Independence spilling out across the streets of the city – and culminating in the Burning of Cork in December 1920 and the destruction of the city’s house of democracy in the shape of Cork City Hall. Such latter and tragic stories would affect the way historians of Cork would tell the story of Cork for the ensuing century to come.

On Seán’s accession to being Lord Mayor of Cork on 30 January 1924 he delivered a short acceptance speech, stressing that improving and progressing Cork had to be the primary duty of all of the elected members. He stated that he had always stayed true to his ideals and that would not change.

However, the nature of politics within the emerging Irish Free State led to a heightened public expectation for improved services and the modernisation of Ireland’s cities, towns and villages – and ultimately the nature of how Local Government did its work had to change. In particular Seán politically led the city in a time of large scale physical and large scale societal change.Even a politician like Seán French could not stop the tides of change which swept through Cork in the 1920s. It is always argued that a week is a long time in politics – no mind several years – and the authors describe the backdrop of Seán’s world in detail. The decades of 1920s and 1930s Cork is showcased here and this book even sets up further frameworks for further narratives to be researched and written about. First Citizen, Seán French, Cork’s Longest Serving Lord Mayor by Aodh Quinlivan & John Ger O’riordan will be available in any good bookshop.

Kieran’s Our City, Our Town, 9 November 2023

Cork History, Kieran's Council Work, Landscapes, Lord Mayor's Work, Uncategorized

Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,

Cork Independent, 9 November 2023

Extracts:  The A-Z of Curious County Cork

My new book, The A-Z of Curious County Cork is available in any good bookshop. Published by History Press UK (2023) the book has been born out of my own personal curiosity for many years now to venture off the main roads of County Cork to explore the curiosities of cultural heritage in County Cork. This week’s column shares more extracts from the new book.

Walk: The defeat of the united forces of the Spanish and Irish at the Battle of Kinsale in 1601 led to one of the longest and most deadly walks in Irish history. The O’Sullivan Beara Gaelic clan were driven out of the Castletownbere region by the English.

Seeking sanctuary, Dónal Cam O’Sullivan, chieftain of the clan, began the long march to Leitrim on 31 December 1602. He led 1,000 men, women and children, who constituted a large-scale flight of people from the Castletownbere region. In the middle of January 1603, the clan eventually arrived at their destination with only thirty-five people surviving. Many had been killed en route, were overcome by exhaustion, or came down with a lethal illness. Others disconnected from the long walk northwards and settled along the route.

In Leitrim, O’Sullivan requested to unite with other northern chiefs to battle English forces. However, Hugh O’Neil, the Earl of Tyrone sought peace and swore an oath of loyalty to the Crown. O’Sullivan and other Irish leaders sought exile, and made their escape to France and then on to Spain.

Warrior: A beautiful long path with beech trees on both sides now leads to Saint Fanahan’s holy well in Mitcheltown, where pilgrims can reflect on the life of the warrior monk, Fanahan. The ancient Book of Lismore recalls the legendary life and time of a warrior monk named Saint Fanahan, who was born at Rathkealy, Fermoy in the early seventh century AD. His father’s name was Finlog, and the Book notes that he was chieftain of a small number of areas consisting of a few acres of land, and was one of several people who were banished from Ulster. The reason for this, however, is not recorded.

The Book further outlines that when Fanahan was 7 years of age, his family sent him to a monastery in Bangor, County Down. There he was educated as a monk, and his tutor was its abbot, St Comgell. Fanahan pursued his education, and in the years that followed became abbot of the monastery himself.

As a result of his fiery temper, he clashed regularly with his fellow monks and was soon driven away from the monastery. Fanahan and some other monks moved to the province of Munster where Cathail Mac Aedh was king. The king, delighted with his new religious adviser, gave Fanahan free choice of where he wanted to locate a new monastery.

According to the Book of Lismore, Fanahan swapped his ‘good soul’ with the ‘bad soul’ of the King of Desise, which led to Fanahan searching to cleanse his new soul. This quest to repent for his sins led Fanahan to hire seven smiths to produce seven sicles, which Fanahan used to punish himself, thus earning back his place in heaven. The smiths in question refused to be paid, but requested the new monastery be called Brí Gobhann, i.e Smith’s Hill.

The Book of Lismore notes that during Fanahan’s self-punishment campaign, an angel is reputed to have appeared to him asking him to be involved in a quarrel between the King of Meath and his enemies.

Fanahan, alongside the king and his armies, subdued their opponents with ease. There is even a folklore reference that sparks of fire came out of Fanahan’s mouth and were directed towards the enemy, and that his staff had magical powers to move objects.

Fanahan also made time to undertake a pilgrimage to Rome. It is reputed it was here that he made his confession and swore to leave behind his violent ways. Perhaps he knew he was approaching his own death, which happened in 664 AD. Canonised in later centuries, Fanahan’s feast day is on 25 November. His magic staff was secured in the Brigown round tower, where it was highly valued until a storm heavily damaged the tower in 1720.

Wave: Cleena’s Strand is located in between Ross Bay and Galley Head. Just out from the beach is a rock named Carrig Cleena, around which the waters possess a dark hue. Passed down folklore describes that Cleena, or Clíona, was queen of the Munster fairies and banshee of the Desmond kings in the Middle Ages. One legend relates that Clíona was the daughter of Mannanán Mac Lir. He was an Irish sea god. The family is said to have lived in Tír Tairngire, an otherworldly paradise much like Tir na nÓg’ (Land of Youth). In such lands, there was no sadness, no growing old, no dying and it was a place where everlasting youth reigned.

Another tale describes that Clíona eloped from Tír Tairngire with an attractive young warrior named Ciabhán of the Curling Locks. They disembarked at Trá Théite, the strand at Glandore. Ciabhán left her in his boat. A mighty wave came in and she drowned. This wave was later renamed Tonn Chlíona (Cliona’s Wave). The wave is still deemed a loud and immediate harbinger of death for someone.

Caption:

1227a. St Fanahan’s Well, Mitchelstown, present day (picture: Kieran McCarthy).

Kieran’s Our City, Our Town, 2 November 2023

Cork History, Lord Mayor's Work, Uncategorized
1226a. Present day picture of the historic Kerryman’s Table, which was a famous resting place for farmers transporting firkins of butter, near Millstreet, County Cork (picture: Kieran McCarthy).
1226a. Present day picture of the historic Kerryman’s Table, which was a famous resting place for farmers transporting firkins of butter, near Millstreet, County Cork (picture: Kieran McCarthy).

Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,

Cork Independent, 2 November 2023

Extracts:  The A-Z of Curious County Cork

My new book, The A-Z of Curious County Cork is available in any good bookshop. Published by History Press UK (2023) the book has been born out of my own personal curiosity for many years now to venture off the main roads of County Cork to explore the curiosities of cultural heritage in County Cork. This week’s column shares more extracts from the new book.

Petticoat: Petticoat Loose was a term synonymous with all that was ghostly and superstitious in County Cork and south Munster in the nineteenth century. The spirit is still spoken about in folklore in rural parts of the county. The legends of Petticoat Loose were most plentifully told by horse and carmen, or cartmen, of butter firkins, or barrels. The stories differed in many respects, but one thing they had in common was that all were agreed the apparition was evil.

It usually appeared in the guise of a woman who cut the ropes that bound the firkins of butter. It was known to shriek demoniacally as the firkins rolled about the road, especially when the night was pitch black or on the most rural and winding of roads. One such story has prevailed in folklore and is connected to an east Cork location.

 Sometime in the late nineteenth century, a Cork man whose name was James was employed as a firkin transporter. In summer, his principal trade was in the carriage of butter. In spring and winter, his work was supplemented by any other work he could get to keep his men and horses employed.

In winter, James acquired a lucrative contract for the drawing of sand to the city. This necessitated his carts leaving Cork at night, reaching the seashore by dawn, then loading and returning to the city. The horses rested during the day and the carts with fresh horses and drivers were employed in normal work in the city. This schedule appeared very satisfactory in the beginning, but gradually fell apart. James, enquiring on the reasons, discovered the men had been terrified by apparitions at a certain part of the road on several occasions. The horses sensed as much as their drivers, as he could see from their condition when they arrived in the mornings.

After consideration, James decided that he would lead the expedition himself and the men agreed. Accordingly, after nightfall, they started. James, in the leading butt, had provided himself with a hazel wand, a bottle of holy water and his rosary beads.

Eventually, they arrived at the part of the road that was designated haunted and it certainly looked forbidding. On both sides were the high walls of a demesne, uninterrupted by gate or wicket. High trees shadowed the road, with the wind whistling through the bare branches.

Shortly after James had entered this part of the road, an object bounded onto the road in front of James’ horse. It appeared to be a large black dog, blacker than the surrounding darkness.

Where it had come from, James did not know. It stood on the road in front of the horse and bayed balefully. The horse trembled with fright. The dog soon disappeared; its place being taken by another, and larger, black like the first, with two red glowing eyes and a menacing growl. It caused the horses to rear and plunge and gave James and his men great difficulty in keeping them under control.

The larger dog also disappeared and the horses quietened down. James and his party moved on. They were coming towards the end of the gloomy avenue, when a huge hound as large as a mastiff appeared on the road and its menacing bay reverberated through the avenue, throwing the whole party into confusion. Horses reared and plunged, drivers leaped from their carts with mingled prayers and cries of terror, endeavouring again and again to restrain the terrified animals.

At this juncture, James saw fire upon the road, gradually getting larger and brighter. Such a fire as he had never before seen, bright red and blue rains alternating and lighting up the road with the three hounds, now silent. In front of the fire stood a woman, the details of her dress and appearance becoming clearer at each moment. On the further side of the fire were a number of women, not so distinctly outlined. Hastily James drew a circle with his hazel rod round his horse and cart, sprinkling it with holy water. He stood within the circle and called on and continued praying until daylight, regardless of what he could see or hear.

The woman came towards James, stately and graceful, and with a voice sounding like the tinkling of a silver bell, invited him to come to her. But James remained solemnly silent, praying fervently. She approached nearer and although the voice sounded friendly and seductive, the expression in her face was the opposite.

At the same time, James raised his crucifix. She leapt backward; the smile was replaced by a distorted grimace of hate, and the silver voice changed to a strident scream of an old hag and three hounds. Behind James rose the steady, fervent murmur of prayer from his petrified men. James demanded she depart. She eventually did, as quickly as she had arrived.

Caption:

1226a. Present day picture of the historic Kerryman’s Table, which was a famous resting place for farmers transporting firkins of butter, near Millstreet, County Cork (picture: Kieran McCarthy).

Kieran’s Lord Mayor’s Column, The Echo, 28 October 2023

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Growing with Nature Grows:

The past few weeks I have made a number of visits to community gardens across the city – Hydro Farm near Tower, to The Glen, to Mahon and most recently to the International Garden at Ardfoyle in Ballintemple. The community garden concept is growing and the city can now boast over 26 sites.

Indeed, the concept of allotments and community gardens is not a new concept. One just has to look at late nineteenth century and twentieth century Ordnance Survey Maps of the city’s suburbs to see how plentiful in particular market gardens were at points in time. At one point 75 % of townlands such as Kilreendowney extending to the Lough was a market garden space. The community garden concept is embedded in the city’s cultural heritage.

On Saturday 14 October 2023, I officially launched the inaugural National Allotments and Community Gardens Week at The Glen Community Garden. Community Gardens Ireland, a volunteer national organisation who support community growers across the country, are the organisers behind Irelands first ever National Allotments and Community Gardens Week.

Over 40 community growers from all over Ireland attended the launch and the theme for the 2023 Week was “Growing with Nature”. The week-long national event took place to raise awareness of allotments and community gardens, to highlight how important they are and to detail the huge benefits of community gardening for communities, individuals, and the environment.

Spaces of Sanctuary:

It is also important to note that national allotments and community gardens are spaces of sanctuaries for both mental health and biodiversity. It is important that Cork remains at the forefront of this community movement. Indeed, there is an onus on all local authorities all over Ireland to provide more of these essential community spaces.

Their multiplication is important to meeting the needs of Climate Action by partnering together in a collegiate manner with grassroots resident’s groups and a myriad of volunteers. There is also a strong lifelong learning vibe with the allotments and community gardens movement especially around areas of growing organic food and developing community food projects and policies”.

For my social media and my Voices of Cork series I interviewed Ellie Donovan, a Community Gardening Tutor with Cork ETB and Secretary of Community Gardens Ireland who highlighted that the Glen Community Garden has been at the heart of the community since 2009, so she detailed “it was fantastic that community gardeners from all over Ireland had the opportunity to experience their warm welcome”.

Dónal McCormack, Chairperson of Community Gardens Ireland (CCI) noted to me that “community gardens and allotments provide an easy way for communities to carry out local climate and biodiversity friendly actions and that such spaces also clearly help contribute towards the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals”.

The website of CCI also provides information a map of where all of the allotments and gardens in Ireland currently exist as well as information on partnerships, resources, health benefits and selling of produce.

Green Spaces for Health:

Meanwhile in Cork the Green Spaces for Health is a city-wide, community led initiative. Under the direction of Maria Young and the enthusiasm of so many neighbourhood groups, they are an Eco social group; one of the most important aspects of our work is fostering a reverence for nature. Their website highlights that the community garden element is also about reconnecting with the natural world and reconnect with something deep within ourselves; “This reconnection has profound benefits for our physical and mental health. We further recognise the transformative power of coming together with others to build a resilient, inclusive community”.

Green Spaces for Health maintain existing green spaces and seek out new greening opportunities. There are multiple and very valuable aims, which include the importance of seeing green spaces as having many benefits; “They aim to develop an understanding of greening to encompass deep ecology, protecting biodiversity, creating new habitats, supporting green energy initiatives in our homes and businesses, recycling and up-cycling, harnessing permaculture principals, encouraging city dwellers to become citizen scientists”.

The International Garden:

In the past week as well I had the privilege to visit the new geodome as part of the International Garden in Ardfoyle in Ballintemple. Launched in 2022, the garden has been described as a ground-breaking project is enabling families in direct provision to grow food from their native countries in a green space shared with the whole community. It was initially designed to create a safe space for migrants including newly arrived Ukrainian families in Cork. 

The Nano Nagle Place initiative was created in conjunction with Cork Migrant Centre and allows families to grow food from their native countries while making friendships in the community. What started off as a pilot project with just seven migrant families will now be rolled out across a number of other locations close to direct provision centres. People of all ages are invited to participate in the horticultural activities.

Participants involved in the project have emphasised that the sharp focus on promoting learning among children that aligns with their family’s traditional culture and values. The garden has seen families enjoy up to three harvesting sessions of various food products. Participants involved in the project also develop expertise on growing, cooking and their cultural identities.

During the launch, I interviewed Naomi Mascheti of the Cork Migrant Centre for my social media platforms. Naomi said the international garden was of vital importance, as it encouraged families to get out and about;“Normally we work with families who are living in the direct provision centres, and getting them out here gets them out for a walk, and they can get good food in solidarity with the local communities and they can make social connections”.

The geodome itself was a donation and was moved from its original location in Mahon to its new home after a great deal of work by volunteers. Made from recycled materials, it is being offered as a space to grow tropical plants and vegetables that would not survive or thrive in the Irish climate.

The garden has also been described as a place where migrant women can network with collaborators, volunteers, and the local community and bring a taste of home to their tables, bridging the gap between their home and adopted countries.

The International Garden Project has been created in collaboration with SHEP, the SMA, Horticulture LTI, Green Spaces for Health, community gardaí, Cork City Council social inclusion office, Johnson Controls, Apple, Dell, and the resident sisters at Ardfoyle Convent where the garden is located.

Kieran’s Our City, Our Town, 26 October 2023

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1225a. Gortroe memorial with local Fred Wilson, present day (picture: Kieran McCarthy).

Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,

Cork Independent, 26 October 2023

Extracts:  The A-Z of Curious County Cork

My new book, The A-Z of Curious County Cork is available in any good bookshop. Published by History Press UK (2023) the book has been born out of my own personal curiosity for many years now to venture off the main roads of County Cork to explore the curiosities of cultural heritage in County Cork. This week’s column shares more extracts from the new book.

GAME: Scoubeen was an early form of modern hurling, which was practised in early historic Ireland. Over the succeeding centuries, different kinds of sticks were used to drive roughly made spheres over the most basic of roads or across grassland. The rules were simple. The quasi-ball had to be played to a predetermined spot in a parish. There were no limits to how many players played in a scoubeen match. Due to no stewards or officials overseeing the game, any arguments were settled by physical fights. Of course, first aid was in very short supply.

Scoubeen sticks were usually home-made, were of all outlines and sizes – and not everyone played with one. The home-made ball could be made of anything from wool woven around a centre of a cork to matted cow hair, to something similar to the present-day sliothar. One could carry the ball in one’s pocket, but such a play by a player would end up with his clothing being torn to bits. Having a team with fast runners was of great benefi t as getting the ball to them and enabling them to pursue a solo run was signifi cant.

Players concentrating on their solo efforts had the prefix ‘fuadach’ connected to their surname. In the 1870s, a legendary scoubeen match took place between north Cork players at Ballyhea and Charleville. Both sides chose local players and some even arrived from the heart of County Limerick. The match is said to have involved the vast number of 500 players and commenced at the hill of the Old Pike. The ball was thrown in and up went the cry, ‘All for home’. From the start, Ballyhea progressed well.

Play continued until it was dragged into a meadow flooded to the depth of 30cm, across other landscape obstacles until it got as far the banks of the (Upper) Awbeg to a site named locally as Madigan’s Marsh. It was here a serious fight broke out. No one was killed or seriously wounded but the Charleville side eventually conceded. With the establishment of the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1884, the game of scoubeen rapidly disappeared.

INFLATION: Known as ‘the Fearless Frogman’, Irish-born Paul Boyton pursued daredevil acts in open water while ‘encased’ in a vulcanised rubber suit. The wearer inflated it by blowing into air tubes. This suit permitted him to float on the water and then he could move forward while using an oar. Paul was confident that the apparatus could protect hundreds of lives if more of the public were aware of it. To attract media attention, Paul decided to carry out a number of high-profile stunts. In the port of New York in October 1874, Paul’s stunt was rejected by several ships’ captains. They did want to allow a man to jump off a ship into the Atlantic Ocean for fear he would drown. To avert any further refusal, he boarded a ship.

MASSACRE: The formal unveiling of the Gortroe Massacre memorial stone took place on 16 December 1984. Sculpted by Michael Sheedy of Midleton, the memorial depicts two panels: one shows a young boy blowing a cow horn to summon the community to resist the troops as they come to collect tithes; the second shows the Widow Ryan, who owned the tithes. She is weeping by a stack of corn, the twelve ears of which represent the twelve who died at the massacre, which took place on 18 December 1834. It was where the last great fight of the Tithe War of 1831–38 occurred.

Tithes were initially voluntary offerings to the Protestant clergy in appreciation for their work. They were separated into three sums, one of which was to deliver education for all the poor and for the youth of the parish; the second was for the needs of the impoverished and the sorrowing and the hungry; the third was to provide for the upkeep of the local Protestant church.

            The true opposition to the payment of tithes came with the Reformation when the clergy, becoming Protestant, were separated from the people. Occupiers of land were obliged to pay tithes to clergymen whose services they rejected. After the passing of Catholic Emancipation in 1829, the public turned towards getting rid of the tithes, which were levied on crops and not on grassland and thus affected the hard-working farmer. The house of Widow Ryan of Gortroe townland stood on a hill overlooking the road from Rathcormac to Midleton. She owed £2 8s tithe to Rev. William Ryder and had refused to pay it in protest against the tithe system and in agreement with her neighbours.

On the morning of 18 December 1834, a company of 100 men with their officers – making in all 121-armed men – were instructed from Fermoy to Rathcormac to arrive at the Ryan house at 10.30 a.m. to meet Rev. William Ryder and Captain Collis. Nine cavalry from the 4th Dragoon Guards were to complement them. On arrival at the Tallow Road, between Bartlemy and Bluebell Cross, the cavalry observed that a crowd of people had gathered.

The Riot Act was read but the people did not disband. The troops had already fixed bayonets. Now they were given instructions to ‘prime and load’ their musket guns. Having complied, the troops moved down the lane to Mrs Ryan’s house, the cavalry going ahead. A cart had been drawn across the lane leading to the haggard (a large haystack adjacent to a house) and the people had assembled in the yard behind the cart. They brought sticks. Captain Sheppard moved up front with a detachment, who were ordered by Major Walter to charge. The soldiers leapt up on the cart but were hurled back. Walter ordered a flanking attack and the soldiers tried to get over the haggard wall but these were also pushed back.

The order to fire was then given, but the crowd, instead of scattering as was expected, closed in on the cart and the soldiers fired at the men still standing at the cart, brandishing their sticks. A trumpeter sounded the ceasefire. In all, sixty-seven shots had been fired and nine men were killed and seven seriously wounded. A memorial stands at Gortroe today in memory of those killed.

Caption:

1225a. Gortroe memorial with local Fred Wilson, present day (picture: Kieran McCarthy).

Speech, The Unveiling of the Michael Collins Statue, 20 October 2023

Cork City Events, Cork History, Improve Your Life, Kieran's Council Work, Landscapes, Lord Mayor's Work, Uncategorized
Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Kieran McCarthy, Jimmy Barry-Murphy, Rena Buckley and Ronan O’Gara unveiling the new statue of Michael Collins. Credit: Darragh Kane
Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Kieran McCarthy, Jimmy Barry-Murphy, Rena Buckley and Ronan O’Gara unveiling the new statue of Michael Collins. Credit: Darragh Kane

The Parade of Memory

Dear distinguished guests, dear friends, thank you for the invite to address you.

I have three brief messages.

My first message to you this afternoon is all about the power of the rich stories that underpin Cork’s past and Ireland’s past and how this statue adds to the city’s memory bank.

In a historic port city such as Cork, stories swirl around us,

Every few metres there are stories, which stop you, they make you question, make you wonder, make you dream, make you remember, make you curious, make you disturbed, make you explore and make you to not forget – a whole series of emotions, which ultimately make a strong sense of heritage, a strong sense of memory and a strong sense of place

And this afternoon we unveil another story to add to the cityscape.

 On this historic street, Grand Parade we stand on a space with an abundance of stories, memories, and curiosities.

A former rushes and reeds threwn river channel.

A former impressive moat of the eastern walls of the walled town of Cork,

A moat giving access to the small port of the walled town via the grand castles of King’s Castle and Queen’s Castle, now depicted in the City’s Coat of Arms.

South east quadrant of the town wall, c.1600 as depicted in George Carew’s Pacata Hibernia, c.1600; red dashed line is the Grand Parade (source: Cork City Library)
South east quadrant of the town wall, c.1600 as depicted in George Carew’s Pacata Hibernia, c.1600 ; red dashed line is the Grand Parade (source: Cork City Library)

A curious late sixteenth century canon reputed to be from the Siege of Cork in 1690.

A placename with links to Georgian Cork and a toppled King George II statue, a story now immortalised in Sráid an Chapaill Bhuí

A carefully constructed series of arches over the river channel to create this Grand and wide street of the Grand Parade

A bridge named after eighteenth century champion of Cork’s impoverished Nano Nagle

An unfinished but friendly gift of a fountain by judge Walter Berwick in 1860s Cork

A thought provoking National Monument placed in 1906, ten years before the Easter Rising 

A new library emblazoned with an Irish Free State Harp, which replaced a burnt out Carnegie Library.

And the list goes on… influential families who lived and worked on the streets, historical churches such as Christ Church and St Augustine’s, famous shops, cinemas, and public space creation.

So my first brief message that as we unveil this statue and its embodied stories it is important to reflect on how lucky we are in Cork to have a wider heritage and historical contexts, which all add to Cork’s a strong sense of memory and a strong sense of place.

And this statue will also add to Cork’s a strong sense of memory and a strong sense of place.

Discover more on the Grand Parade’s evolution here: History Trail, Grand Parade | Cork Heritage

Grand Parade, Cork, present day (picture: Kieran McCarthy)
Grand Parade, Cork, present day (picture: Kieran McCarthy)

My second message to you is bound up with narrowing the lens even more to reflect on why the statue is placed on this location and what drew Michael Collins to the street here on 11 March 1922.

 It is important to note the historical context or the time and space of what we remember here especially as all of us Corkonians frequent the Grand Parade regularly.

It was the first political rally that Michael Collins attended outside Dublin to promote support for the Treaty was in Cork City. All of the regional newspapers of the time including the Cork Examiner had media spreads on the rally.

On Saturday afternoon, 11 March, Michael and colleagues arrived to Cork City.

Anti-treaty supporters fired gunshots into the air as Collins passed in his car through St Patrick’s Street towards his accommodation at Turner’s Hotel on Oliver Plunkett Street. This was not a straight forward visit but hindered by security concerns.

During Saturday evening, two platforms set up on the Grand Parade for the rally the following day were damaged.

On Sunday 11 March circa 50,000 people turned up on Cork’s Grand Parade for the rally. Every vantage point was used. At platform no.1, the first speaker was Liam De Róiste, who was followed by Michael Collins.

*View British Pathe footage of Michael Collins addressing the Cork public in March 1922, GREAT CORK TREATY – British Pathé (britishpathe.com)

The core of Michael’s speech was basically a rebuttal of many of De Valera’s ideas he had presented in previous weeks at his own Anti Treaty rallies across the country.

Michael went onto comment on the Treaty negotiations and the success of the British army leaving the south of Ireland.

In a sense culture and society was physically changing in Cork.

Michael Collins was followed by Seán Hayes, Commandant Seán McKeown TD, Commandant Seán Hayes TD, and Diarmuid Fawsitt. During Seán McKeown’s speech shots were fired during his speech and continued interruptions of shouting was heard all the way to the end of the programme of platform no.1.

The pro Treaty rally hosted by Michael Collins on Cork’s Grand Parade on Sunday 12 March was deemed a success. The following day, Monday 13 March, before taking the afternoon train back to Dublin, Michael took the time with Diarmuid Fawsitt from the Provisional Government’s Ministry of Economics to visit and take a tour of the Ford factory.

At Turner’s Hotel on Oliver Plunkett Street Michael Collins received several deputations – Irish Ex-Servicemen, Tenant’s Association, Cork and District Labour Council and a deputation appeared about the question of advancing funding for premises destroyed in the Burning of Cork.

Their mantras were all about a job of work to do to resolve economic and social challenges, which faced Cork. 

The city had 8,000 people unemployed with a large proportion of whom were artisans, mechanics and unskilled labourers.

So yes there was much excitement for Michael here on 11 March but there were also many questions about the winds of cultural and societal change within Irish society and Cork society and what an emerging Irish Free State would look like.

Indeed, over the ensuing six weekends Michael Collins held political rallies from Skibbereen to Waterford, Wexford, Castlebar, Tralee, and Naas, where questions and answers continued.

Michael Collins giving an oration on the Grand Parade, Cork 12 March 1922 (picture: Cork Examiner)

And my third and last message concerns one of the statements of Michael he gave on this street on 11 March. Towards the end of his passionate speech, he made a noble call about created a better Ireland for future generations.

“We have a chance now of giving our people a better life, we have a chance of doing the things that the people required done. We have a chance that the people shall no longer live the life of beasts.

We have a chance of ending our slums. We have a chance of ending the hovels of some of our country places. We have a chance of making our population happy and health. We have a chance now, not by travelling any soft road, God knows, but by a hard tilted effort to make Ireland something for the next generation, which it was not for ourselves, which it was not for ourselves”.

We are Michael’s next generation. And yes, much was done in the emerging Irish Free State to create a better Ireland. One just even have to look at Cork’s development in the 1920s – rebuilding of the City Centre, clearance of slums, massive social housing projects, economic development of our towns and villages and rural areas, and most all the emergence of a more happy, healthy and hopeful people.

But here we are over 100 years after Michael’s oration here, in a time where a “hard tilted” efforts needs to be made again, for ourselves and for future generations – across elements in particular of housing provision, hospital care, social inclusion, equality, community life, future proofing employment – what Michael called for a centenary ago.

We have a chance in our time to finish what Michael and his compatriots started. And we ow to ourselves to finish the job, work together and to strive forward.

So Dear Friends today, yes we reflect upon our new statue of Michael Collins but it is also to reflect on the cauldron of different simmering ideas or messages.

 It is important to reflect on the wider context on which this statue is to be added to and the rich sense of place the City possesses,

the messages of cultural and societal change abounding in 1922,

and the role of past narratives in our present and our future. That the work of what Michael and his compatriots remains unfinished.

To conclude dear friends, I wish to thank the fundraising campaign committee, my colleague Cllr Shane O’Callaghan for his commitment to championing the story of Michael Collins, and to Michael Holland for his creative skills in forging this beautiful piece of sculptural work. Go raibh míle maith agat.

Unveiling of new Michael Collins statue, Grand Parade, Cork, 20 October 2023 (picture: Kieran McCarthy)

Kieran’s Our City, Our Town, 19 October 2023

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1224a. Lime kiln at Ard na Gaoithe townland, Watergrasshill, with locals Kyle Furney Kelly, Fia Furney Kelly and Ned Quigley, December 2022 (picture: Kieran McCarthy).

Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,

Cork Independent, 19 October 2023

Extracts:  The A-Z of Curious County Cork

My new book, The A-Z of Curious County Cork is available in any good bookshop. Published by History Press UK (2023) the book has been born out of my own personal curiosity for many years now to venture off the main roads of County Cork to explore the curiosities of cultural heritage in County Cork. This week’s column shares more extracts from the new book.

AUTOPSY: On an information panel high up in Cousane Gap near Keakill, overlooking Bantry Bay, one encounters the story of body snatchers. In the early nineteenth century, bodies were dug up and robbed from the local cemetery in Kilmocomogue. They were for sale and use in anatomy classes in medical schools in Cork city to meet the necessity to carry out autopsies to study more about human anatomy and educate their students.

It was legal for surgeons to dissect the bodies of convicted murderers, who were hanged for their crimes. But the small number of bodies handed over was not enough to meet the growing science of anatomy. A horse and cart conveyed the bodies from Kilmocomogue. However, the immoral activity was eventually targeted by a local vigilante group, who safeguarded freshly dug graves.

BLOOD: In the parish of Durrus near Bantry lies Loch Na Fola, or Blood Lake. The 1937–38 National Schools Folklore Collection records that long ago, a man had to go to Durrus to fetch a priest for a sick person. He had to pass a place on the hill where a ghost was often seen. Near this place, there was a lake. He rode his horse to this location and took with him a scythe. The man and his horse arrived at the point where the ghost was seen. Suddenly, his horse automatically halted. A ghostly tall man emerged from the landscape and strode before the horse on the road. The man raised his voice to the stranger, ‘Come off the road and let the horse pass’, but the ghost did not move. He reiterated his call several times, but the ghostly figure would not move from where he was.

The man grew angrier, dismounted his horse and cried, ‘Are you going to come off the road and let the horse pass?’ but the stranger did not stir. The man then struck him on the head with the scythe, which he had in his hand. The stranger fell to the ground and covered the whole place with blood. The man jumped on his horse and fled. The blood steadily flowed into the adjacent lake, and in the morning it was overflowing with blood. Ever since, that lake has been called Loc Na Fola or, in English, Blood Lake.

DITCH: The Cliadh Dubh, or the Black Ditch, runs for over 13.5 miles from the Ballyhoura Mountains to the Nagle Mountains. This ancient linear earthwork, which is estimated at over 1,000 years old, crosses the Blackwater Valley in north-east County Cork. Rich folklore presents many tales on the origins of the ditch. One tale relates that a huge black boar with large tusks angrily tore through the countryside leaving a vast earthen linear mound. Another tale speaks of a large worm burrowing its way through the land. However, the real reason for its construction and its use will never be known. Among the more plausible reasons is that it could define an ancient territorial border and help defend important paths and routeways, or even protect cattle from attacks from wild animals or from other people’s raids.

 Comparable earthworks can be discovered in other parts of Ireland – for example, the Black Pig’s Dyke, which shaped the margins of the ancient Kingdom of Ulster. In the present day, the Cliadh Dubh is mostly difficult to recognise within its immediate landscape and field boundaries. However, it still provides boundaries for several townlands and parishes.

Enrich: In the townland of Ard na Gaoithe, near Watergrasshill in mid-County Cork, adjacent the local ancient church and graveyard lie the accessible but ruined and curious remains of a lime kiln. It is one of hundreds scattered across County Cork and across the Irish landscape. Their curiosity lies in their function for enriching the land with powdered lime as fertiliser. The powder was created by burning limestone rocks in an enclosed kiln. Where limestone was an underlining rock, it was readily accessible.

  Limestone was initially smashed up into smaller pieces. They were put in the kiln from the top with alternate layers of existing fuel such as oak or turf. Burning lime involved an immense volume of work: digging or constructing the kiln, collecting rocks, chopping, carting and throwing fuel down the kiln, keeping attention on the kiln. The kiln was lit and burned for up to a fortnight before the fire was permitted to be extinguished.

After a cooling period, the burnt limestone was withdrawn through an opening at the base. Water was spread over the burnt stone, and it slaked off into hydrated or slaked lime. Burnt lime had a wide range of functions. Lime mortar could be used for fertiliser and bonding stone walls, as well as providing limewash for painting traditional-style Irish cottages. Lime could be used for softening water and decreasing the acidity of butter, cream, milk and ‘sour’ soil. Other applications include sanitising outhouses and making sheep dip, drying cuts on livestock, tanning leather and killing insect pests.

The A-Z of Curious County Cork by Kieran McCarthy is published by History Press, UK (2023) and is in any good bookshop.

Caption:

1224a. Lime kiln at Ard na Gaoithe townland, Watergrasshill, with locals Kyle Furney Kelly, Fia Furney Kelly and Ned Quigley, December 2022 (picture: Kieran McCarthy).