The Discover
Cork: Schools’ Heritage Project launches in its 20th year
and is open to schools in Cork City. Funded by Cork City Council, the Project
is an initiative of the Cork City Heritage Plan.
The Project (est.
2002/03) is aimed at both primary and post primary level. Project
books may be submitted on any aspect of Cork’s rich past. Suggested topics are
over the page. The theme for this year’s project – the 2021/22 school season –
is “Cork Heritage Treasures”.
FREE and important project support in the form of funded workshops (socially distanced, virtual or hybrid) led by Cllr Kieran McCarthy in participating schools will be held in October 2021. This is a 45min physical or virtual workshop to give participating students ideas for compilation and resources.
1113a. Daly’s Bridge aka Shaky Bridge, present day, which is one of the featured bridges in Kieran’s new audio heritage trail (picture: Kieran McCarthy).
Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,
Cork Independent, 19 August 2021
Kieran’s Heritage Week Audio Heritage Trails
The midway point has been reached for
National Heritage Week 2021. There is still time to engage with my two virtual
projects this year – the audio heritage trails of the Bridges of Cork and The
Marina respectively. Usually, I am up to my eyes happily facilitating historical
walking tours. But Covid is still scuppering my physical events. but hopefully
the next few months will coincide with better news for the gathering of large
groups that do not have to be socially distanced apart.
Both new audio trails are hosted by Meitheal
Mara and I. All you need is your smartphone and some
headphones. The first audio trail provides insights into
the histories of the Cork city centre’s bridges, their place in Cork and some
of their surrounding histories.The walk around the bridges is about two hours in
duration. The trail is clockwise from South Gate Bridge up the south channel
and down the north channel to cross back to the south channel. It ends at Nano
Nagle Bridge.
They say the best way to get to know a place
is to walk it. Through many centuries Cork has experienced every phase of Irish
urban development. It is a city you can get lost in narrow streets, marvel at
old cobbled lane ways, photograph old street corners, gaze at clues from the
past, engage in the forgotten and the remembered, search and connect for
something of oneself, and thirst in the sense of story-telling – in essence
feel the DNA of the place. With so many layers of history in Cork, there is
much to see on any walk around Cork City and its respective neighbourhoods. The
River Lee has had and continues to have a key role in the city’s
evolution. Many
Corkonians and visitors have crossed over the River Lee’s bridges and have
appreciated the river’s tranquil and hypnotic flow.
The audio trail begins at the oldest of the city’s bridges –
that of South Gate Bridge. In the time of the Anglo Normans establishing
a fortified walled settlement and a trading centre in Cork around 1200 AD,
South Gate Drawbridge formed one of the three entrances – North Gate Bridge and
Watergate being the others. A document for the year 1620 stated that the mayor,
Sheriff and commonality of Cork, commissioned Alderman Dominic Roche to erect
two new drawbridges in the city over the river where timber bridges existed at
the South Gate Bridge and the other at North Gate.
In May 1711, agreement was reached by the council of
the City that North Gate Bridge would be rebuilt in stone in 1712 while in
1713, South Gate Bridge would be replaced with a stone arched structures. South
Gate Bridge still stands today in its past form as it did over 300 years ago
apart from a small bit of restructuring and strengthening in early 1994.
The second of the new audio trails is on The Marina. A stroll
down The Marina is popular by many people. The area is particularly
characterized by its location on the River Lee and the start of Cork Harbour.
Here scenery, historical monuments and living heritage merge to create a
historical tapestry of questions of who developed such a place of ideas. Where
not all the answers have survived, The Marina is lucky, that archives,
newspaper accounts, census records and old maps and other insights have
survived to showcase how the area and the wider area has developed. These give
an insight into ways of life and ambitions in the past, some of which can help
the researcher in the present day in understanding The Marina’s evolution and
sense of place going forward.
Cork’s Marina was originally called the Navigation Wall or in essence it
was an additional dock for ships adjacent to Cork City’s South Docks area. It
was completed in 1761.
Following the constitution of the Cork Harbour Commissioners in 1814 and
their introduction of steam dredging, a vigorous programme of river and berth
deepening, quay and wharf building commenced. The dredger of the Cork Harbour
Commissioners deposited the silt from the river into wooden barges, which were
then towed ashore. The silt was re-deposited behind the Navigation Wall.
During the Great
Famine, the deepening of the river created jobs for 1,000 men who worked on
widening the physical dock of the Navigation Wall. In essence a fine road was
constructed, which linked into Cork’s South Docks. To give an aesthetic to the
new road, a fine row of elm trees was planted c.1856 by Prof. Edmund Murphy of
Queen’s College Cork (now UCC). The elm trees were part of a crop and tree
growing experiment.
In 1870, the Gaelic
poet and scholar Donncha Ó Floinn put forward to the Improvements Committee of
Cork Corporation that the new road of the Navigation wall be named Slí na
hAbhann, which means the ‘pathway by the river’. Ó Floinn’s proposal was not
accepted. The matter came before the Improvements Committee again in 1872. This
time Ó Floinn suggested that the promenade be named ‘The Marina’. He outlined
that ‘The Marina’ was the name allocated to a recently reclaimed piece of land
near Palermo in Sicily. In July 1872, Cork Corporation formally adopted ‘The
Marina’ as the name of the new road or promenade.
Listen to Kieran’s new audio trails under history trails at www.corkheritage.ie
Captions:
1113a. Daly’s Bridge aka Shaky Bridge, present day, which is one of the
featured bridges in Kieran’s new audio heritage trail (picture: Kieran
McCarthy).
1113b. The Marina, Cork, present day (picture: Kieran McCarthy).
1113b. The Marina, Cork, present day (picture: Kieran McCarthy).
1112a. Upstream view of the south channel of the River from Cork’s Parliament Bridge on a recent sunset; Discover the story of the city’s bridges and some of the rich local history on Kieran’s new audio heritage trail on the history trails section at www.corkheritage.ie.
Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,
Cork Independent, 12 August 2021
Cork Heritage Open Day and Week Approaches
Cork
Heritage Open Day and Heritage Week are looming. Cork
Heritage Open Day which is organised by Cork City Council in partnership with
the Heritage Council, is a wonderful celebration of the built heritage in the
city. To mark the start of National Heritage Week, Cork Heritage Open Day will
take place virtually on Saturday August 14.
The
website www.corkheritageopenday.ie will go live on Saturday 14 August and will
feature virtual guided tours of over 45 historic buildings from all over Cork
City. Members of the public are allowed a glimpse of some of Cork’s most
fascinating buildings ranging from the medieval to the military. The event
showcases the many elements of Cork City’s rich heritage in a fun, family
friendly way. The team behind the Open Day do group the buildings into general
themes, Steps and Steeples, Customs and Commerce, Medieval to Modern,
Saints and Scholars and Life and Learning.
These
themes remind the participant to remember how our city spreads from the marsh
to the undulating hills surrounding it, how layered the city’s past is, how the
city has been blessed to have many scholars contributing to its development and
ambition in a variety of ways, and how the way of life in Cork is intertwined
with a strong sense of place.
It is always a great opportunity to explore
behind some of Cork’s grandest buildings. With the past of a port city, Cork
architecture is varied and much is hidden amongst the city’s narrow streets and
laneways. Much of its architecture is also inspired by international styles –
the British style of artwork pervading in most cases – but it’s always pays to
look up in Cork and marvel at the Amsterdamesque-style of our eighteenth
century structures on streets such as Oliver Plunkett Street or at the gorgeous
tall spires of the city’s nineteenth-century churches.
For my part I am involved in a short film on
the history of Cork City Hall. Cork has had a number of City Hall sites through
the ages but none as grand as the present one. In the age of the Anglo Norman
walled town and eighteenth century, civic business was conducted in King’s
Castle. Business was also conducted in Cork City Courthouse for a time in the
nineteenth century. In 1883, it was decided by a number of Cork businessmen
that the Corn Exchange should be converted into an exhibition centre, a centre,
which in 1892 became Cork’s City Hall. In December 1920, the premises were
burned down by fires attributed to the Black and Tans as retribution for
republican attacks. A new City Hall by architects Jones and Kelly was
subsequently built. The limestone like for so many of Cork’s buildings is from
nearby Little Island. The foundation stone of Cork City Hall was laid by Éamon
de Valera on 9 July 1932.
Sites
that also appear on the online Cork Heritage Open Day are Riverstown House in
Glanmire, the Quaker Meeting House and Graveyard, The Maryborough Hotel, Cork
Opera House, The Courthouse on Washington Street, Ballincollig Gunpowder Mills,
Blarney Castle, Cork City Hall, Cork Savings Bank, St Luke’s Church and the Military
Museum in Collins Barracks.
The virtual one stop shop
www.corkheritageopenday.ie celebrates various Cork Communities who through
interviews, video and imagery tell their story. For example, check out:
Memories of a Cork
Jewish Childhood, which has been
produced by Ruti Lachs and sees former Cork residents remember their childhoods
in Ireland, their Jewish upbringing, the synagogue and the characters.
Interspersed with photos from the last hundred years of life in Jewish Cork,
these stories paint a picture of a time and community gone by.
Anne Twomey from the Shandon Area History
Group speaks about Emma Hourigan, an extraordinary woman from the Maddens
Buildings in Cork who played a central role in the Irish Revolution 1916-1923.
Biddy McDonagh and Jean O’Donovan from the
Traveller Visibility Group discuss their language Gammon and Cant and the
tradition of the Beady Pockets in the Traveller Community.
Jim Fahy speaks about the language of the
Stone Masons “Bearlager na Saor”.
Valerie Power, Breda Scanlon and Suzanne
Dineen pay tribute to the Shawlies in Cork.
Historian Michael Lenihan uses historic
postcards to show how Cork has changed in the past 100 years.
For the first time, Cork Heritage Open Day, celebrates the natural
heritage of Cork and members of the public can enjoy a wonderful guided tour of
the Mangala in Douglas with William O’Halloran and a fascinating insight into
the Glen River Park with Julie Forrester and Gerard O’Brien. For those wishing
to test their knowledge of the streets, bridges and buildings in Cork, historian
Liam O’hÚigín has created a special quiz for Cork Heritage Open Day!
Heritage
Open Day is usually the start of weeklong heritage week events in Cork. For the
second year in a row, physical events have been curtailed. My own historical walking
tours remain ‘off the road’ at present. I have written up over fifteen of my
tours complete with pictures and some very short films and put them in a new
section on my website www.corkheritage.ie.
In
addition on the website I have partnered with Meitheal Mara and Joya Kuin in
putting together two audio heritage trails. The first is on the various
historic sites down The Marina and this came out in early June. Our Heritage
Week Audio Heritage Trail is on the 31 bridges of Cork. Start at South Gate
Bridge and make your way anti-clockwise around the South Channel and North
Channel of the River Lee. All you need is a smart phone and a set of head
phones!
Captions:
1112a. Upstream
view of the south channel of the River from Cork’s Parliament Bridge on a
recent sunset; Discover the story of the city’s bridges and some of the rich
local history on Kieran’s new audio heritage trail on the history trails section
at www.corkheritage.ie.
1112b. Canon
from the Siege of Sevastopol, 1854-55 on The Marina, Cork, present day;
Discover the story of The Marina and its rich local history on Kieran’s new
audio heritage trail on the history trails section at www.corkheritage.ie.
1112b. Canon from the Siege of Sevastopol, 1854-55 on The Marina, Cork, present day; Discover the story of The Marina and its rich local history on Kieran’s new audio heritage trail on the history trails section at www.corkheritage.ie.
Local historian Cllr Kieran McCarthy will participate in the virtual Cork Heritage Open Day this Saturday 14 August. Cork Heritage Open Day which is organised by Cork City Council in partnership with the Heritage Council. The website www.corkheritageopenday.ie will go live on Saturday 14 August and will feature virtual guided tours of over 45 historic buildings from all over Cork City. Members of the public are allowed a glimpse of some of Cork’s most fascinating buildings ranging from the medieval to the military.
Kieran will participate by showcasing some of the stories connected to Cork City Hall as an important heritage building within the city. Kieran noted: “Cork has had a number of City Hall sites through the ages but none as grand as the present one. In 1883, it was decided by a number of Cork businessmen that the Corn Exchange should be converted into an exhibition centre, a centre, which in 1892 became Cork’s City Hall. In December 1920, the premises were burned down by fires attributed to the Black and Tans as retribution for republican attacks. A new City Hall by architects Jones and Kelly was subsequently built. The limestone like for so many of Cork’s buildings is from nearby Little Island. The foundation stone of Cork City Hall was laid by Éamon de Valera on 9 July 1932”.
Maryborough Hotel will also feature in this year’s Heritage Open Day. For the first time, the Open Day will also celebrate the natural heritage of Cork and members of the public can enjoy a wonderful virtual guided tour of the Mangala in Douglas with William O’Halloran.
In addition, for National Heritage Week, Kieran has partnered with Meitheal Mara and Joya Kuin in putting together two audio heritage trails. The first is on the various historic sites down The Marina and this came out in early June. Their Heritage Week Audio Heritage Trail is on the 31 bridges of Cork. All you need is a smart phone and a set of head phones. The bridges audio trail can be found on Kieran’s www.corkheritage.ie website under history trails from 14 August.
Independent Cllr Kieran McCarthy is calling on
residents, and communities in the south east of the city and beyond to have
their say on the 2022-2028 draft Cork City Development Plan. The
draft Cork City Development Plan, has recently been published and provides an
overarching framework to help shape the transformation of the City over the
next six years by supporting the creation of 20,000 homes and 31,000 jobs.
Cllr McCarthy noted: “Eight weeks of public
consultation on the plan have just commenced and I encourage members of the
public, community groups, representative organisations to make a submission to
the draft plan before the closing date of 4 October. The draft plan can be
viewed at www.corkcitydevelopmentplan.ie and the public can have
their say on the Plan at https://consult.corkcity.ie/”
“There is some great ideas and opportunities within
this draft blueprint for Cork as the city embarks upon an exciting phase of
growth and change – with sustainability, quality of life, social inclusion, and
climate resilience at the plan’s core. In particular the need to protect green
spaces and create more in areas from Ballinlough to Douglas is essential”.
Cork City Council CE, Ann Doherty said: “This Plan
is significant in many ways; not least it is the first local policy-based
expression of the ambition for Cork contained in ‘Project Ireland 2040’ and the
National Planning Framework. The Plan follows widespread listening and
engagement with stakeholders in the first round of public consultation. The
draft plan’s rationale is further informed by a suite of evidence-based studies
on the various opportunities and challenges facing the city”.
This week is the centenary
of the signing of the Truce on 11 July 1921 bringing the Irish War of Independence
in Ireland to an end. Technically talks had begun in December 1920 but they
petered out when British Prime Minister David Lloyd George demanded that
the IRA first relinquish their arms. Renewed talks began in the spring of 1921,
after the Prime Minister was lobbied by Herbert H Asquith and
the Liberal opposition, the Labour Party, and
the Trades Union Congress.
From the perspective of the
British government, it seemed as if the IRA’s guerrilla campaign would persist
indefinitely, with escalating losses in British casualties and in
finance. In addition, the British government was confronting acute blame at
home and abroad for the measures of British forces in Ireland. On 6 June 1921,
the British made their first peace-making act, calling off the strategy of
house burnings as reprisals.
On the other side, IRA
leaders and in particular Michael Collins, felt that the IRA, as it was
then organised, could not continue indefinitely. It lacked arms and ammunition
to face down the even regular British soldiers arriving into Ireland.
On 24 June 1921, the British
Coalition Government’s Cabinet decided to propose talks with the leader of Sinn
Féin. Coalition Liberals and Unionists agreed that an offer to negotiate would
strengthen the Government’s position, especially if Sinn Féin refused. On 24
June Prime Minister Lloyd George wrote to Éamon de Valera as “the chosen
leader of the great majority in Southern Ireland”, suggesting a
conference.
Sinn Féin agreed to talks.
De Valera and Lloyd George ultimately agreed to a truce that was intended to
end the fighting and lay the ground for detailed negotiations. Its terms were
signed on 9 July and came into effect on 11 July. Negotiations on a settlement,
however, were deferred for several months as the British government demanded
that the IRA first decommission its weapons, but this demand was ultimately
withdrawn. It was arranged that British troops would stay restricted to their
barracks.
However, in the three days
between the terms being signed and coming into effect, Irish Truce historian
Pádraig Óg Ó Ruairc details at least sixty people from both sides of the
conflict were killed across the country. Such stories appear in the heart of Dara McGrath’s photographic exhibition
entitled For Those That Tell No Tales in the Crawford Art Gallery on
sites associated with the War of Independence. There is a poignant picture of an
execution location of The Lough with associated descriptive text. It was at 8
pm, on the evening of Sunday 10 July 1921, four young unarmed and off-duty soldiers,
Private Henry Morris (aged 21) and Corporal Harold Daker (aged 28) of the South
Stafforshire Regiment and Sappers Albert Camm (aged 20) and Albert Powell (aged
20) of the Royal Engineers were seized by a patrol of seven Volunteers. The
Volunteers had been searching an area from Donovan’s Bridge along the Western
Road in search of a suspected civilian informer.
Executed on the northern side of The Lough, the four bodies were dumped
at Ellis’s Quarry on its southside. All four were found blindfolded and shot
dead.
The only surviving account of the executions by a
Volunteer participant is the official report sent to IRA Headquarters. It
simply reads: “We held up four soldiers and searched them but found no arms. We
took them to a field in our area where they were executed before 9pm”. It has
been suggested that the killing of these men was a personal reprisal by the IRA
for the murder of Volunteer Denis Spriggs just two days earlier on 8 July.
Private Morris was from Walsall and served in the East Kent Regiment during the
First World War. He is buried in Ryecroft cemetery, Walsall. Corporal Daker was
the son of William and Mary Daker. He is buried in St Ann’s Churchyard,
Chasetown, Walsall. Sapper Albert Camm was from Holland Street in Nottingham.
Sapper Powell was the son of Arthur and Jane Powell of Abbott Road, London. He
is buried at Nunhead, All Saints Cemetery in Southwark.
On the advent of the Truce, Michael O’Donoghue, Engineer
Officer with the 2nd Battalion of Cork No.1 Brigade remarks in
witness statement (WS 1741) of the Bureau of Military History of a new-found
freedom and an almost too good to be true scenario;
“Now came July, and with the scorching summer
heatwave came rumours of peace and negotiations for a cease fire. Then before
we had time to realise what was happening, as everything moved so suddenly, the
Truce was upon us on a July 11th 1921 at midday. Overnight
everything was changed. The fugitive rebel army, the IRA, was recognised as Ireland’s
national army by the British Government. There was an uneasy peace. ‘Twas hard,
even for the IRA themselves, to credit that the fortunes of war had changed to
such an extent. we could now move everywhere in town and country. We exulted in
our new found authority and importance. Everywhere the people regarded us as heroes
and hailed us as conquerors and turned our heads with flattery, adulation and
praise. We were youngsters in our teens and early twenties, and who could blame
us if we got intoxicated with all the hero worship and rejoicings. Even those
people who had maintained a cautious neutrality, standing on the ditch during
the War of Independence, now rushed to acclaim us and to entertain us”.
Caption:
1108a. Execution location site for four
British soldiers, 10 July 1921 at northern side of The Lough, Cork, present day
(picture: Kieran McCarthy)
Cllr Kieran McCarthy has asked Irish Water that Ballybrack Woods stream needs to be protected more from pollution outbreaks as witnessed in recent weeks. Cllr McCarthy noted: “I was very disappointed to see the pollution outbreak in the stream. Much work has been done by volunteers such as Douglas Tidy Towns, citizens environment activists and Cork City Council to protect this gem of a green space within the heart of Donnybrook”.
“Irish Water has got back to me and have completed
their site investigation; the water quality is back to normal and whoever the
culprit was and has stopped pouring a chemical or chemicals into the stream.
Many thanks to everyone for raising the pollution incident so quickly. Irish
Water at this point have not formally discovered who the culprit was, so one
needs to be legally careful on naming anyone. I’d ask though that all
users of the woods and the Mangala just keep an eye out for future pollution
incidents and report them just as fast”, concluded Cllr McCarthy.
In correspondence to Cllr McCarthy, Irish Water confirmed
that a site inspection of the wastewater infrastructure was undertaken in the
Calderwood/Ballybrack area on 7 July following Irish Water receiving this
report. The wastewater infrastructure at Calderwood Road and the Ballybrack
Walkway were inspected and was observed to be operating normally. A full walk
through check of the Ballybrack Stream was undertaken – there was no evidence
of pollution (no gross solids, no ragging, no evidence of third party
discharges) on the date of the visit.
The wastewater network was inspected along the route of
the pollution incident. This was observed to be operating normally. In
addition, a member of the public advised the team during the site visit that
construction work in the area may be the cause as they had observed similar
incidents over recent weeks. From these investigations Irish Water have noted:
“it would appear that the most likely source of this issue would appear to be
related to third party activity in the area. However Irish Water are unable to
formally confirm this issue”. The wastewater infrastructure in the area is
fully operational and is operating normally.
8 July 2021, “Local Councillor Kieran McCarthy said sites such as the Atlantic Pond must be protected from all forms of chemicals. ‘It is good news in the long run to see new measures being put in place to protect waterways such as the Atlantic Pond’, Procedural oversight’ blamed for Cork beauty spot being sprayed with weedkiller, https://www.echolive.ie/corknews/arid-40332203.html
Kieran’s Quote:
“It is good news in the long run to see new measures being put in place to protect waterways such as the Atlantic Pond. There is quite an array of bird diversity at the pond and I always feel the location is often an under appreciated blue space for the wider city. On any given day, there are many people who walk around the pond and you’d often see people snapping photos of the birdlife in the pond especially the cygnets and herons. There is large local interest in the condition of the Pond. I continue to lobby for information panels and seasonally arranged nature walks.
The Atlantic Pond and Cork Lough possess the widest variety of freshwater species. Apart from being a really important blue space for bird diversity, the Atlantic Pond is also an important green space due to its adjacent woodland for many woodland bird species too. More and more at City Council level, we are hearing when green space and blue space exist side by side, species richness and abundance grows. So sites like the Atlantic Pond need to be protected more from all forms of chemicals”.
One hundred years ago in Ireland marked a time of change. The continuous rise of an Irish revival, debates over Home Rule and the idea of Irish identity were continuously negotiated by all classes of society. In Cork City Reflections, authors Kieran McCarthy and Daniel Breen focus on the visual changes that have taken place in the port city on Ireland’s south-west coast. Using a collection of historic postcards from Cork Public Museum and merging these with modern images they reveal how the town has changed over the decades. Each of the 180 pictures featured combines a recent colour view with the matching sepia archive scene.
The authors have grouped the images under thematic headings such as main streets, public buildings, transport, and industry. Readers will be able to appreciate how Cork City has evolved and grown over the last century but also how invaluable postcards can be in understanding the past. In an age where digital photography and the internet have made capturing and sharing images so effortless, it is easy to forget that in the decades before the camera became popular and affordable, postcards were the only photographic souvenirs available to ordinary people.
Independent Cllr Kieran McCarthy has welcomed discussion and forward planning on the decommissioned Marina power station in Cork city. “It was great to hear about formal confirmation this week that planning between the ESB, Cork City Council and the newly formed Land Development Agency in relation to possible future uses of the site is ongoing. For me the ESB site is one of four sites in South Docks, which have a lot of built and cultural heritage – the others being the old Ford Factory site, former Odlums Building and the R & H Hall grain silos. All four sites have been highly influential in the development of south docks historically plus also are iconic symbolic structures in the area. It would be a real pity to lose their presence in the future of south docks.
“I would like to see the future of South Docks with a mixture of old and new building stock, so that the area has a nuanced sense of place. For me as well, I would encourage any future development to work with the Council to create a riverside walk on the south docks, so that The Marina greenway would potentially lead and connect all the way into the city, and hence linking to walks just west of the city centre – all in all creating an iconic routeway all along the city’s River Lee sections with public health advantages, scenery and other uses in abundance”. concluded Cllr McCarthy.
