Today Minister Eamonn Ryan recently attended a virtual Special Meeting of Cork City Council’s Roads, Transportation and Mobility Strategic Policy Committee (SPC) where he outlined central government’s commitment to the Cork Metropolitan Area Transportation Strategy (CMATS) 2040.
In his intervention to Minister Ryan, Member of the SPC Independent Cllr Kieran McCarthy noted:
“It is important that Ireland’s second city gets the full CMATS project across the line – that it just doesn’t become another report collecting dust on a shelf. We cannot go on to have 70% of commuters arriving into the city utilising private cars or have trucks going through our city’s city centre because of a lack of options.”
“Cork City Council must remain as a strong partner in delivery of CMATS.There is an ambition at national level but it is also important to note Cork City Council’s ambition for its citizens and indeed our frustration on the ground when there is only a narrow bank of funding available at national level, and our complete dependency on such funds due to a lack of funds at local level”.
“When thinking about the delivery of CMATS, linkages also need to be promotedsuch as between sustainable housing development and public transport, air quality control, and the continuing importance to keep bringing a wide range of stakeholders around the table – silos need to be broken and linkages and building partnership capacity encouraged”.
“There is also a larger amount of work required to access funding from larger financial tools. The cost to deliver CMATS is far beyond the resources of Cork City Council and Cork County Council – both face vast cut-backs in this COVID and in the post COVID world – we also don’t have the localised funding in our budgets to bring about the significant behavioural change and infrastructure that needed. But we do have the expertise to implement projects on the ground”.
“I would ask of the Minister to explore the future role of expanding government’s Urban Regeneration Development Funds, the role of investment packages from the European Investment Bank, and even the role of the new Green Deal funds from European Regional Development Funds package”, concluded Cllr McCarthy.
Cork Metropolitan Area Transportation Strategy (CMATS) 2040
1072a. Lord Mayor Terence MacSwiney, Spring–Summer 1920 (source: Cork City Library).
Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,
Cork Independent, 29 October 2020
Remembering
1920: Terence MacSwiney’s Return to Cork
Once St George’s Cathedral at Southwark, London opened
its doors on Thursday 28 October, tens of thousands flocked in to see Terence
MacSwiney’s body. Many were Irish or of Irish extraction. Mass was fixed for
11am, which was a ticketed affair. Police had to link arms to prevent those
with no tickets from pushing their way in. Six men wearing long coats presented
tickets to the policemen and once inside took their coats off to reveal that
the green unformed members of the IRA. They replaced their colleagues as the
honour guard by the coffin. Muriel was too sick to attend or to travel back to Ireland.
Two of Terence’s sisters Margaret and Kit (both nuns) did not make it from
America or Tokyo respectively.
After the Requiem, the procession of the coffin on the
horse-drawn hearse, which was almost a mile long – began for Euston Station.
Terence’s two brothers and two sisters reached Euston Station at 4.30pm. On
arrival at the station, the siblings were informed the train was due to leave
at 4.45pm. They had arranged to travel by the 6.20pm train. After they had
accompanied Terry’s body to a good’s carriage van they hurried down the
platform to their carriage. Without notice, the train changed to be a special
train to leave at 6pm. The train was also crowded with police in every carriage.
A train guard came to family friend Art O’Brien and said
the police Inspector wished to speak to him. The inspector was looking for
Muriel and noted that he had a communication for her but could not make it
until they had passed Crewe.
Soon after Crewe the Inspector visited the MacSwiney
delegation again and gave a letter from Chief Secretary for Ireland Thomas Hamar-Greenwood,
addressed to Muriel. Opening it they found a copy of a letter addressed to the
Press to the effect that, owing to a possibility of trouble, the Government had
ordered that the remains should go straight to Cork. They were utterly taken
aback and began to lecture them on their duty to the dead and the sacredness of
the dead. The family noted that the Lady Mayoress was in London and they could
take no decision without consulting her, and that the coffin should remain in
Holyhead while someone went back to lay the facts before her. The request was
turned down and the transport of the body continued to the English coast bound
for Cork.
The train reached Holyhead, about midnight. The family
had arranged that all should go at once to the van where Terry’s body lay. The
train stopped at the town station, and it was there the SS Kenmare, was
immediately waiting to depart. Family friend Art O’Brien produced the contract
of the railway to take Terence’s body via Kingstown, to Cork, and he ordered
them to carry it out. The stationmaster said he would go to the telephone, but
the police inspector had a talk with him and said it was a Government order, that
he should not carry out the contract.
Subsequently the family joined hands around the coffin
but the door near the coffin was opened and railwaymen came in and took away
the wreaths, while police and Black and Tans and ordinary military lined the
platform. The family did not try to prevent them taking the wreaths. The
railwaymen came towards the coffin and, almost in unison, they all said: “Don’t
dare touch that coffin, we forbid you to touch it”. On that, they all left
the van and said to the police: “We are forbidden to touch the coffin”. On
that, the police rushed forward, pushed the family to one side and away from
the coffin and surrounded it. The coffin was lifted out of the van and onto the
steamer, the HMS Rathmore leaving the family on the quayside looking on.
The MacSwiney family were forced to get the train for
Holyhead and get a separate steamer there. The journey to Dún Laoghaire was
quiet. On Friday 29 October they assisted at High Mass for Terence in Dublin
without the coffin present. After the Mass, the family delegation went in
funeral procession behind the empty hearse that Terence’s body should have lain
in to Kingsbridge. They left for by train for Cork at 2pm.
Meanwhile back in Cork, within four hours of Terence’s
death, large written notices were erected outside the Offices of the Cork
Examiner and Cork City Hall, which caused a thrill of sorrow throughout the
city. By mid-morning the streets of Cork were filled with people who wore
Republican rosettes with black crepe. The Municipal and Harbour Board flags
flew at half-mast, and most of the city’s establishments had their premises
partly shuttered. Most of the ships in the harbour had their flags at
half-mast. All public functions were cancelled, and theatres and other such
amusement spaces closed.
A special meeting of Cork Corporation was convened where
councillors expressed their condolences and raw emotion at losing the City’s
Lord Mayor. The Deputy Lord Mayor Councillor Donal Óg O’Callaghan issued the
following statement, decrying that despite Terence’s death, the merit of
Republicanism will still linger and pass on:
“In the short interval since his imprisonment, while I have been
temporarily taking his place, I have received notices of official origin
threatening me with a similar end. The only message that I on behalf of the
Republicans of Cork give today over the corpse of the late Lord Mayor is that
Cork has definitely not yielded its allegiance to the Republic, that the people
of Cork will continue that allegiance unswervingly and that those of us who man
the Municipal Council will attempt as far as us lies to follow the noble and
glorious lead of the two martyred Republican Magistrates. The Republican hold
on the Municipal Chair of Cork ceases only when the last Republican in Cork has
followed Tomás MacCurtain and Terence MacSwiney into the Grave. Death will not
terrorise us”.
Captions:
1072a.
Lord Mayor Terence MacSwiney, Spring–Summer 1920 (source: Cork City
Library).
1072b. Invite to funeral of Terence MacSwiney at Southwark Cathedral, London 28 October 1920 (Cork Public Museum).
1072b. Invite to funeral of Terence MacSwiney at Southwark Cathedral, London 28 October 1920 (Cork Public Museum).
Independent Cllr
Kieran McCarthy has asked that a historic archway belonging to one of Cork’s
oldest firms be removed from its hidden corner and get more public prominence
in the public realm to reflect its stature, history and design. The 1779
archway was once part of the entrance door to one of Cork’s oldest firms John Daly
& Co Mineral Water Manufacturers on Kyrl’s Quay.
Cllr McCarthy
noted: “The year 1779 was the foundation of their company. The archway may not
date to 1779 but may have been a later addition to the company’s premises
celebrating its earlier origins. In 1991-3 as part of the development of North
Main Street Shopping Centre the archway was placed at the back of an apartment
block built next to it. It now lys in the
public realm of Cork City Council.
“In 1915, John Daly and Co. were also the original creators of the well-known
Tanora brand. At that time, Temperance groups lobbied manufacturers of Lemonade
such as John Daly’s to produce another popular non-alcoholic drink. Tanora was
created through the importation of tangerine oranges”.
“Fifty years ago, Daly’s owned Kyrl’s Quay Bonded Warehouses and the
Victoria Hotel in Cork. Five decades ago Daly’s also bought the total issued
share capital of Coca Cola Bottling (Dublin). They had the Coca Cola franchise
for Munster which gave Daly’s extensive interests in the Irish market for soft drinks. However, it
was a Munster Coca Cola bottling company that eventually bought out the company”.
Cllr Kieran
McCarthy continued: “The archway is certainly a beautiful creation and deserves
a more visual presence in the public realm. It is a real shame to see bins and rubbish
piled high against it daily. It is in a very narrow and hidden corner, which
doesn’t do its elaborateness any justice.
In a report to Cllr McCarthy at the recent South Central Local Area Committee, the City Council’s Conservation Officer proposes to prepare a report for the next meeting which will examine the history and background to the siting of the doorcase in this location and make recommendations following an assessment of the implications of re-locating it, including the identification of suitable types of sites. Once Councillors have an opportunity to decide on the most appropriate action for the protection and enhancement of the doorcase, they will liaise with the relevant operational sections of the City Council to progress the matter.
1779 Archway insitu, mid twentieth century (picture: Cork City Library)
Cork Examiner Ad, 1915 announcing the launch of Tanora by John Daly & Co.
Terence MacSwiney, 1920 )picture: Cork City Library)
This week, Cork remembers the centenary of martyred Lord Mayor Terence MacSwiney. A colossus in Cork history Terence has attracted many historians, enthusiasts and champions to tell his story. His story is peppered with several aspects – amongst those that shine out are his love of his family, city, country, social bonds, language, comradeship, and hope – all mixed with pure tragedy.
In many ways, the end of his 74 day hunger strike changed the future public and collective memory narrative of Cork history forever. Each generation since his death has marked his contribution, reflected on its history, and have made sure that his memory will not be forgotten about and that his legacy will live on.
In our time, never
before have ideas such as social bonds, family, comradeship and hope being so
important as we journey through our challenging COVID times. There is much to
learn from Cork 100 years ago and from some of the positive characteristics of
society that imbued such a time.
One aspect, which is
most welcome in 2020, is the continuous local history writing of new angles on
the lives and experiences of those involved with the Independence struggle. The
city is blessed with historians who spend each year retelling the story of the
war but who also go out into communities and local schools, refreshing the
stories amongst the older community and engaging the next generation.
Such latter scholars
are also pushing for more scholarship on the time. There is still much
work to be done in mining into Terence’s key works, his writings,
perceptions and learning from his legacy. His book Principles of
Freedom inspired many to rise up against British control in the
late 1920s and 1930s. He was also a playwright, poet, founder of the Cork
Dramatic Society with another of Cork’s famous literary sons Daniel
Corkery. Terence wrote five plays with themes around revolution, democracy and
freedom. Terence McSwiney was also a son, a husband, a father and a brother.
The journey his relatives had to go through during his hunger strike also need
to be explored more. The story of his sisters and their involvement in the
local Cumann na mBan with the Cork Cumann’s story being told more and more, and
this is most welcome.
Terence was also a proud Corkonian. His speech, when
elected Lord Mayor on 30 March 1920, made reference to Cork’s place as one of
Ireland’s first cities – indeed his call to work together for Cork’s
advancement is one, which transcends every Corkonian generation and ever more
important in the times we find ourselves in the at the moment; “Our spirit is but to be a more lively manifestation of the
spirit in which we began the year to work for the city in a new zeal…to bring
by our administration of the city glory to our allegiance, and by working for
our city’s advancement with constancy in all honourable ways in her new dignity
as one of the first cities of Ireland, to work for, and, if need be, to die
for”.
I have been blogging
about the centenary of the War of Independence in Cork in 1920 on my website at
www.corkheritage.ie, which contains links to my newspaper articles and
pictures. My work attempts to provide context to this pivotal year in Cork’s
history. My blog pieces also explores Cork in 1920 and how the cityscape
was rapidly becoming a war zone. Risky manoeuvres by the IRA created even
riskier manoeuvres as ultimately the IRA took the war to the RIC and Black and
Tans. Reading
through local newspapers each day for 1920 shows the boiling frustration between
all sides of the growing conflict. Tit-for-tat violence became common place.
Earlier this year I
released a new book Witness to Murder, The Inquest of Tomás MacCurtain with
John O’Mahony. The last time Tomás’s inquest in full was published was in
the Cork Examiner between 23 March 1920 and 18 April 1920.
Despite the ordeal and daily fallout from the interviews, over time the
fourteen hearing sessions have not overly been revisited by scholars of the
Irish War of Independence. The verdict has been highlighted on many occasions
by many historians, but the information of the inquest has never been overly
written about or the narratives within it explored.
What I have learned so
far through my journey trying to understand the War of Independence in Cork is
that the narrative is not black and white – it’s not a full on “them versus us”
narrative – but very nuanced with all those involved living in a
small city, where everyone knew each other – where harsh decisions on life and
death needed to be made.
The public
commemoration of the centenary of Terence MacSwiney may be lessened due to
COVID this year. But there is an onus on all those who have championed his
story to reflect this week on his sacrifice and also on the men and women, who
fought for Irish Independence one hundred years ago. Many put their lives on
the line and many were killed for what they believed in. Each one of their
stories is an important one. Terence and Tomás MacCurtain may be the duo who
annually receive much attention in our city but I have seen through my
engagement in local communities the many War of Independence medals in personal
collections, which are treasured, and the many stories still waiting to be
told. There is still much work to do to try to understand Cork and Ireland of
1920, which defined how Cork and indeed Ireland approaches its national history
narrative in the present day and going into the future.
The voices of those who
were on the frontline of the War of Independence must not be forgotten but
learned from – they all add up to the sense of pride amongst its public have
but also to the many complexities and nuances of the history of our southern
capital, and what makes it lovingly tick – with all its positives and ongoing
challenges.
Cllr Kieran McCarthy is a local historian and is an
Independent member of Cork City Council. His heritage website is
www.corkheritge.ie
1071a. Terence, Muriel and Máire MacSwiney, c.1920 (source: Cork City Library).
Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,
Cork Independent, 22 October 2020
Remembering 1920: The Death of Terence MacSwiney
Monday 18 October 1920 coincided with day 67 of Terence
MacSwiney’s hunger strike in London’s Brixton Prison, and the continued
deterioration of his health. The diary of his sister Annie recalls that he was
conscious when she was with him from early that morning till lunchtime. Three
prison doctors Peddard, Griffith, Hijson visited him at 1pm. They were with him
some time, and when they left the room, they spoke to Terence’s wife Muriel. Dr
Griffith was adamant that he should take some food. Dr Peddard told her Terence
was developing scurvy and should take lime juice to ward it off. Muriel refused
to give permission as did other family members.
Over the ensuing days, Terence would waiver in and out of
consciousness and become delirious. Sometimes he tried to get out of bed.
Sometimes he struggled into sitting posture. In his emaciated condition
everything was difficult. Insistence by the doctors to take some food led to
further delirium of Terence and anger by his family members (brothers Peter and
Seán, and sisters Mary and Annie) who visited him and championed his hunger
strike position. Whatever was given was quickly vomited up as his condition
faded.Daily
British and Irish newspapers such as the Cork Examiner carried news of
his ordeal and pictures of family figures and friends of the Republican cause
coming and going from the gaol. There is tiredness and concern in their eyes.
Further afield public meetings were held as far away such as France and Germany
with other countries requesting his release.
At 5.40am on Monday 25 October 1920 or day 74 of Terence’s
hunger strike the advent of his expected death occurred. The immediate 48
hours, which followed, were recorded in detail by his sister Annie in her diary
account. It provides much detail into the emotion of being present, the grief,
the confusion but above all her and her siblings’ reaction to Westminster’s
Home Office and the policing authorities.
A short few hours after his death, Terence’s inquest was
fixed for 11am. Present were siblings as well as Fr Dominic, Florence McCarthy
(Town Clerk of Cork, William Hegarty (Lord Mayor’s secretary), and Donal J
Galvin (Cork City Solicitor). Terence’s wife Muriel was served with a notice by
the prison authorities to appear to identify the body, but the policing
authorities seemed rather anxious that she should not appear. Defiantly but
also traumatised she walked past the plethora of photographers at the prison
gate, appeared in a dark veil and answered in short sentences to the questions
before Coroner Dr G P Wyatt and the sworn in jury from the Brixton area. Muriel
became animated in her intervention when she described that Terence was a
soldier of the Irish Republican Army and that his occupation was to work for
his country. Sometime later, in his summing up to the jury the Coroner asked of
the jury three questions – did MacSwiney deliberately take his own life, did
refusing food unbalance his mind that he was not clearly thinking or was he
hoping that the hunger strike would lead to his release? The verdict of the
inquest read; “The deceased died from heart failure consequent upon his refusal
to take food”.
When the inquest was over, Mr James Heyman McDonnell, the
family solicitor, asked for the certificate that would give Terence’s body into
the family’s keeping. This was when further red tape were presented to the
family. The Coroner argued that he had no power to give release of the body for
burial outside England. Mr McDonnell asked for release to Southwark Cathedral,
but that, too, was refused. Eventually, it was decided that Muriel and Art
O’Brien should go to the Home Office and ask for an explanation. Art was the
envoy of Dáil Éireann in Britain (since 1919) and was also a leading figure in
organising campaigns for the release of Irish political prisoners held in
Britain and in orchestrating the publicity campaign surrounding the
hunger-strike of Terence.
At the home office Mr McDonnell was informed that a
government vessel would he placed at the family’s disposal, free of all
expense, and every facility offered if they went straight to Cork. Muriel was
quiet upset by this political call wishing for her husband to get a national
commemoration in Dublin. Going straight to Mr Edward Shortt, English Secretary
of State for Home Affairs, she made her case and asked for her husband’s body
without restrictions.
A short time late Mr Shortt sent a special message to
Muriel expressing his view and regret at any delay, and assuring her that he
merely wished to find out how he stood, and expressing the perspective that he
was not sure of his legal powers. He had attended the Home Office and got
clearance to have Terence’s body handed over to the family without
restrictions. Terence’s body was then taken from Brixton Prison to the historic
St George’s Southwark Cathedral in Bankside on London’s south of the Thames. At
that point thousands of people had come out to line the street as the funeral
carriage passed and more were present at the Cathedral. The coffin was
shouldered into the church by six members of Cork Corporation. A 21 member
delegation had travelled to London with members of the Cork Harbour Board to
accompany their mayor home. The coffin on its catafalque was ringed by the
Volunteers forming a sentry over their colleague for the night. On the coffin
was an Irish inscription, which was translated as “Murdered by the Foreigner in
Brixton Prison, London, England on October 25th 1920. The fourth
year of the Republic. Aged 40 years. God have mercy on his soul”.
Captions:
1071a. Terence,
Muriel and Máire MacSwiney, c.1920 (source: Cork City Library).
1071b. Terence’s
Coffin at Southwark Cathedral, London, 25 October 1920 (source: Cork City
Museum).
1071b. Terence’s Coffin at Southwark Cathedral, London, 25 October 1920 (source: Cork City Museum).
Douglas Road Councillor Kieran McCarthy has been blogging about the centenary of the War of Independence in Cork in 1920. His website at www.corkheritage.ie contains links to his newspaper articles and pictures. Kieran’s work attempts to provide context to this pivotal moment in Cork’s history. The centenary of Terence MacSwiney’s death after his 74-day is fast approaching on 25 October and Terence also once lived at Eldred Terrace on Douglas Road with his wife Muriel. Kieran notes: “Terence is truly a colossus in Cork history who has attracted many historians, enthusiasts and champions to tell his story. His story is peppered with several aspects – amongst those that shine out are his love of his family, city, country, language comradeship, and hope – all mixed with pure tragedy. In many ways, the end of his 74 day hunger strike changed the future public and collective memory narrative of Cork history forever”.
Continuing Kieran details: “The blog pieces also explore Cork in 1920 and how the cityscape was rapidly becoming a war zone. Risky manoeuvres by the IRA created even riskier manoeuvres as ultimately the IRA took the war to the RIC and Black and Tans. Reading through local newspapers each day for 1920 shows the boiling frustration between all sides of the growing conflict. Tit-for-tat violence became common place”.
Earlier this Kieran released a new book Witness to Murder, The Inquest of Tomás MacCurtain with John O’Mahony. The last time Tomás’s inquest in full was published was in the Cork Examiner between 23 March 1920 and 18 April 1920. Despite the ordeal and daily fallout from the interviews, over time the fourteen hearing sessions have not overly been revisited by scholars of the Irish War of Independence. The verdict has been highlighted on many occasions by many historians, but the information of the inquest has never been overly written about or the narratives within it explored.
