Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,

Cork Independent, 31 March 2011

In the Footsteps of St. Finbarre (Part 253)

Landscapes of Dare-Devilry

The 1936 Cork Motor Races was a very positive project for Cork and as a spectacle the event was deemed a great success. Exploring the newspaper coverage in local and national press at the time reveals a project that was well supported locally and brought many people from around Ireland and Britain (to the extent that hotel accommodation became booked out).

On Saturday 16 May 1936, the race day, the entire 6 ¼ miles of the course was crowed on both sides while all the vantage points held crowds six or seven deep. This is shown in the British Pathé short film of the event, http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=6844. In this there are various shots of cars starting the race in groups, multiple shots of the race and the crowds of people watching from walls of houses and front gardens along the race route.

The entry list was by far one of the most attractive that has ever been secured for an Irish race, embracing as it did the names of many world famous drivers. The complete entry list was as follows. Representing the Irish Free State were F.H. Ffrench-Davis (Dublin), P.M. Dwyer (Cahir), D.C. MacLaughlan (Cork), G.H.W. Manders (Dublin), F. O’Boyle (Dublin), T.C. O’Shaughnessy (Dublin), J. Toohey (Dublin) and D. Yule (Dublin).

From Northern Ireland were L.R. Briggs (Whiteabbey), J. Carr (Belfast), H.W. Furey (Bangor), C.G. O’Neil (Belfast) and W. Sullivan (Belfast). Representing the United Kingdom were B. Bira (London and Prince of Siam), D.L. Briault (Pinner), C. Meryvn White (Bucks), G.F.A. Manby-Congrave (London), A. Dobson (Surrey), Sir A. MacRobert (Caherham), C.E.C. Martin (Surrey), I.O.F. Peters (Bristol), A. Powys-Fyffe (Bradfield), E.K. Rayson (London), R.E. Tongue (Manchester), The Duke of Grafton (London) and E.W.H. Dobson (Scotney). There was also one other whose name is not recorded. Out of the entry list all but three commenced the race.

The Irish Press in their press coverage (18 May 1936, p.12) noted that the course did not prove as fast as anticipated. Speeds of up to 130m.p.h were attained in the two mile Carrigrohane Straight Road but the back stretch, with its curving and undulating nature, was a severe test for cars and drivers. There was the Victoria Cross semi hairpin, the Poulavone hairpin, the wide right angled Dennehy’s Cross and the wide ‘s’ at the Gravel Pit bend, where the steep descent to a left hand turn called for as the Irish Press noted “extreme caution or dare devilry”.

Reginald Ellis Tongue of Manchester won the race in an English Racing Automobile or E.R.A. at an average speed of 85.53 m.p.h. in 2 hours, 12 minutes and 22 seconds. The E.R.A. was created in late 1933 by wealthy motor-racing enthusiast Humphrey Cook, successful racing driver Raymond Mays and designer Peter Berthon. The aim was to build British prestige abroad. The cars were to have purpose-built chassis using 1100 and 1500cc (and later 2-litre) engines based on a Riley block, modified to take a supercharger. E.R.A. was, arguably, the first small scale manufacturer of production racing cars in the UK.

For Reggie Tongue, it was the first time he succeeded in attaining first place. The highest place he got in the Free State had been third in the Phoenix Park races in 1931. Since that year to the Cork race, he had built up much experience in Europe. In the Cork race of 1936, his skill and luck prevailed as he had a trouble free run all the way. His car was ideally geared for the course and in clashes with rivals at any of the bends he always came out “seconds to the good”. He was, with one exception, fastest around Victoria Cross, Dennehy’s Cross and the Gravel Pits. His only main rival was B. Bira, the Prince of Siam. He had only started racing in 1935 and won the Prince Rainier Cup race at Monaco and the International Trophy race. After a couple of laps it was obvious that Bira and Tongue, barring accidents, would fight out the finish. They kept overtaking and getting away from those behind them. With ten laps to go, a broken fuel pipe brought an end to the Prince’s hope. Fifteen minutes later, he arrived on foot at the pits.

The winner and Prince Bira of Siam set such a hot pace from the start that only eight of the 24 starters finished in the time limit. Mechanical defects were responsible for practically all the retirements. The course proved its reputation for safety, there being only one accident with no serious consequences. On the back stretch C. Mervyn-White, when cornering at Inchigaggin at high speed, hit the fence, and his car turned a complete double broadside somersault, landing on its wheels before hitting the wall on the opposite side of the road. He recovered control, and with a damaged axle and injuries to his head and hand, drove back to the pits.

The winner’s margin over A. Powys-Lyybbe, who was second, was 3 minutes, 23 seconds. The first three finishers were English men and five of the eight starters who finished within the time limit were also visitors. The Saorstát entrants claimed the same proportion, three of its six starters completing the course.

To be continued…

Captions:

584a. Reginald Ellis Tongue winning the Cork Motor Race, 1936 (source: still from British Pathé)

584b. Crowd scene, Cork Motor Race, 1936 (source still from British Pathé)

Kieran’s Our City, Our Town,

Cork Independent, 17 March 2011

In the Footsteps of St. Finbarre (Part 251)

The Wright Record

 “A new world’s motor cycle speed record of 150.74 m.p.h was set up by J.S. Wright, the British Rider, on the Cork Carrigrohane Road yesterday. This speed beats the record of 137.61 miles per hour made in September by the German rider, Henne. The road has been pronounced the fastest road in Great Britain or Ireland” (Journalist, Irish Independent, 7 November 1930, p.9).

In a historical sense the Carrigrohane Straight Road, since its creation in the nineteenth century, has always played a key part in the life of the city. In the 1930s, it was well known for its motor cycle speed records and the Cork Motor Car Races of 1936-1938. The first major attempt to harness the two and a half mile concrete road for creating speed records was for a motor cycle speed meeting in 1929 at which speeds of a hundred miles per hour were attained. The first fastest motorcycle record was set unofficially by Glenn Curtiss in 1903. The first officially-sanctioned Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme record was not set until 1920. In mid 1930, Joseph Wright of Britain lost the motor cycle speed record to Jacob Ernst Henne (BMW) of Germany. Later that year, plans were made to retake the record. The 1930 Motorcycle Exhibition at Olympia, London was coming up in the second week of November 1930 and it was generally felt it would be good for business if a British machine could regain the record.

English motor cycle manufacturers had held a monopoly of the world’s speed record for many years in the early twentieth century and there was consternation in English trade and sporting circles when the German rider Henne deprived England of the honour. J.A. Prestwich Industries was one such prominent English motor cycle manufacturer, which wished to provide an engine for the new record. Named after its founder John Alfred Prestwich (from Tottenham), the company produced cinematographic equipment, internal combustion engines (for which the company was generally abbreviated to “J.A.P.”), and other examples of precision engineering. Their engines were used in many famous motorcycle brands and other devices, such as early aeroplanes, chainsaws, and cultivators such as those produced by Howard Rotovators, and light rail maintenance trucks. During the Second World War J. A. Prestwich produced around 240,000 industrial petrol engines in support of the war effort, together with millions of aircraft parts, fuses, etc. Their motorcycle engines were associated with racing success and were still used in speedway bikes well into the 1960s.

A few days before the London Motorcycle Exhibition in early November 1930, the Cork and District Motor Club directed the organising bodies of the new record attempt by British interests to the Carrigrohane Straight Road. The road had a fine surface because of receiving an excellent cement surface in 1927. Joseph S Wright, one of Great Britain’s foremost motor cycle racers came to Cork to attempt a new record. French officials arrived in Cork with special electric timing apparatus. Lieutenant-Colonel Crerar was director of the test. The first attempt was on 5 November 1930 but was postponed owing to continuous rain and greasy conditions on the road. The trial took place the following day.

Joseph Wright rode a 1,000 cc Q.E.C. Temple J.A.P-engined machine and regained the record by clocking up at just over 150 miles per hour. Appearing in a British Pathé movie (http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=4434), his clothing was strapped down to cut back on wind resistance. He even had tape put around his throat. He wore a streamlined motorcycle helmet. The film shows shots of the bike being towed behind a car to get up to starting speed.

The West Cork Motorcycle Club in their historical research notes that the bike was built by Claude Temple who had himself already broken the speed record for motorcycles in about 1927. It featured a supercharged 998cc V Twin JAP engine and front forks to the OEC patented design. They argue that there was a controversy at the time in which it was claimed the bike had in fact broken its engine on the first run and the record run was actually made on the back up Zenith-JAP. No one seems to be sure. The manufacturing of the Claude Temple company ended due to the Second World War Allied bombings, which devastated the factory forcing them to cease production. With out the capital to get the factory fully re-opened, the manufacturing totally ceased in 1954.

The Lord Mayor Frank J. Daly hosted representatives of J.A Prestwich and Co. Ltd and Joseph Wright at a dinner on the night of the record feat. In his address, he noted that “the government of the Free State was most anxious to foster and cater for anything that would help the Saorstát to keep its place amongst the nations of the earth”.

As for the record, it was retaken by the German Jacob Ernst Henne two years later in Hungary. Between 1928 to 1937, he achieved a total of 76 land speed world records, the last on November 28, 1937 with 279.5 km/h (173.7 mph) on a fully-faired 500cc supercharged BMW. This record stood for 14 years.

To be continued…

Captions:

582a. Joseph S. Wright, 1933 in Lancastershire (source: Boole Library, UCC)

582b. Preparing at the Carrigrohane Straight Road on 6 November 1930 (source: T.W. Murphy)

Kieran’s Our City, Our Town,

Cork Independent, 10 March 2011 

In the Footsteps of St. Finbarre (Part 250)

Cork’s Proudest Possession

“I hope for many years this pool will be a pool of strength, a pool of healthfulness and open air life for the people of Cork. I have pleasure in congratulating the people of its possession and those who  are responsible for it, on the good job they have done; may it remain for a long time one of the proudest possessions of the City of Cork” (Hugo V Flinn TD, Cork Examiner,  21 June 1934 on officially opening the Lee Baths)”.

  Eighteen months after the closure of the Irish Industrial and Agricultural Fair, the summer of 1934 coincided with the opening of Cork’s new municipal and open-air unheated swimming pool on the Lee Fields. Billed as one of the largest of its type in Ireland, it was officially opened on Wednesday afternoon, 20 June 1934 by Mr Hugo V Flinn T.D., Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance.

            The Cork Examiner highlights several reasons for its construction especially the city’s enormous unemployment problems. The City Manager Philip Monahan set out to create an enterprise of considerable magnitude, which would have in it a large labour content for even the unskilled labourer, plus create a municipal project that would have social and economic value. In the wider context, Monahan was probably well aware of the growing interest internationally in swimming and how the popularity of swimming pools was spreading. Oliver Merrington, in his work on the history of open air swimming pools, records that over 37 such pools opened in the UK in the 1930s. In Cork, the Eglington Street Baths (which were opened in 1901) could not accommodate the growing numbers of swimming enthusiasts.

   The Lee Baths cost £23,000 and part of this was paid for by central government whilst the rest was paid for by Corporation bank loans. In a positive sense 75 per cent of £23,000 was spent on wages. Another issue was where the building was to be erected outside the confines of the city boundaries. That was dealt with the assistance of legal teams between Cork Corporation and Cork County Council. The Corporation also sought advice from Mr J Weldon, President of the Munster Branch of the IASA. Resident Corporation engineer Patrick J Harrington was in charge of the construction whilst Mr. Stephen W. Farrington attended to the concrete design.

   According to the Dictionary of Irish Architects, Stephen Farrington (1889-1965) was Cork City Engineer from 1924-1958 and in a sense was a right hand man to Philip Monahan for four decades overseeing and engineering in particular the design of the new suburban local authority housing schemes. Farrington was born in Cork City circa 1889 and came from a distinguished Cork Presbyterian family. He studied at Cork University, where he obtained BA and ME degrees. After graduating he worked for a time in Northern Ireland, first with Belfast Corporation, then with the Belfast & Co. Down Railway, and finally as town surveyor of Lisburn, Co. Antrim. In 1924 he was appointed city engineer of Cork, a post which he held until his retirement in 1958. For many years Farrington lectured on municipal engineering at University College, Cork. A fluent speaker of Irish and French, he was an active member the Cork Literary and Scientific Society. He was also a keen sportsman, which in part also probably influenced the creation of the Lee Baths.

   The inaugural gala at the Lee Baths took place after the official opening 20 June 1934. Witnessing the events was the Lord Mayor Ald. Sean French, Hugh V Flinn T.D. and other guests. Competitors compared the new site favourably with the Eglinton Street Baths and spectators commented on their spacious accommodation. The programme comprised schoolboy, junior and senior squadron races, a polo match and several novelty events; The schoolboys squadron race was won by Christian Brothers College and second went to Presentation Brothers College. The junior squadron race was won by the Republican Swimming Club, second by Sunday’s Well and third place by Dolphin. The senior squadron race was won by Sunday’s Well, second by Dolphin and third by Highfield. A lifesaving exhibition was given by R Bogan and P Renouf. In the senior polo challenge match, Sunday’s Well were defeated by Dolphin by five goals to one. In the swimming, a number of strokes were demonstrated from breaststroke, lifesaving backstroke, over arm sidestroke, trudgeon stroke, trudgeon crawl, back crawl and dual rhythm crawl.

  In the early years, women were not allowed to swim in the Lee Baths. The Cork Examiner’s record of the opening day highlights a letter of protest against the exclusion of ladies at the baths; seventy signatures were attached to it, the majority of which were women; others included that of a TD. They claimed that the Corporation was abusing its authority by prohibiting a large section of the population from bathing at the Lee Baths. Their letter gave the example of equality at the open air pools at Blackrock and Dalkey in Dublin Dun Laoghaire, Bangor, Portrush, Armagh,Warrenspoint and Newcastle. They asked for restrictions to be lifted at the Eglinton Street Baths and for the entire use of those baths during the summer months for women. Their requests were not met.

To be continued… I’m looking for memories of the Lee Baths, any help much appreciated…

Captions:

581a. Photograph from Cork Corporation 1934 diary of the Lee Baths (source: Cork City Library)

581b. Section of 1948 ordnance survey map of Lee Fields showing the Lee Baths (source: Cork City Library)

Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article

Cork Independent,  3 March 2011

Coming of Age

This year Cork celebrates 200 years of the North Monastery or the North Mon School being opened in 1811. Recently, I was privileged to be able to speak at the first commemoration event and wanted to write something in this column to mark the centenary as well.

At the beginning, I can’t speak from being a North Mon boy but like many people I have personal connections to this great school. Hanging on the wall next to my stairs at home is a picture taken in 1958 of several past pupils of a class from the North Mon. In the centre of the photograph is my grandfather, Donal Sexton – his former classmates were Jack Lynch, Tadgh Carey of UCC, Gus Healy of Cork Corporation, Lt. Collins Powell, nephew of Michael Collins – all distinguished Corkonians in their own right – each of whom made their mark on this city and further afield.

The picture has remained in position in my house since 1958 next to the sacred heart picture and the coat stand – in a sense illuminating every exit and entrance from my house for 53 years. The caption of the picture is entitled Coming of Age, which is also quite an apt title to describe a 200 year celebration. The North Mon has once more has reached a milestone in its life, which rightly needs to be reflected on. Two hundred years of the North Mon is a really long time made up of thousands of young people, teachers, comings and goings and many a debate about the future of different generations. The North Mon is a place deeply rooted in Cork’s cultural identity. Indeed one is dealing with a long standing culture of hard slog, struggle, hardship, discipline, ambition and determination that has brought the North Mon to this point in its life. It has been no easy road.

The picture on my hall wall is just one picture that shines a light on past pupils and past experiences. A glance through the old roll books also reveals thousands of names of students that attended there. One cannot avoid thinking of all the trials and tribulations of past students and teachers who are not on any role of honour and who came through the school. All those that passed through its doors have given the place a continuity and have kept values going and standards high. Perhaps one can ask the big question, how many of these young people’s lives were saved through their attendance at the North Mon? How many were inspired to make a difference, to use their talents?

The North Mon School was established as a response to rampant poverty in the city. Way back 200 years ago John Carr, an Englishman, a travel writer of sorts in 1805, describes Cork’s economic fabric and social life. Cork was the largest butchery in Ireland and living conditions for the poorer classes in Cork were terrible and shocking. Many of the impoverished homes were located in narrow lanes and varied from cabins to cellars. It was realised in the early 1800s that the above problems could not be stopped but could be controlled as best as possible. Charity and education were key to curtailing some of the poverty. The North Monastery School was founded on 9 November 1811 when two Christian Brothers Brother Jerome O’Connor and Brother John Baptist Leonard were given charge of a school in Chapel Lane by the North Cathedral by the Bishop of Cork, Rev. Dr. Moylan. Seventeen students attended on the first day. In 1814 a fourteen acre sloping site was acquired from a wealthy catholic businessman, Sir George Gould Bart, and a new school was built. The North Monastery had found its permanent home. For the teachers in those days, it would have been no easy task and one of hard slog and hardship. Education and opportunity for them would have become mainly about giving relief, hope, dignity and faith. There were days of darkness and frustration and I have no doubt days of light.

During the difficult days of the late nineteenth century, three individuals brought the school to another level of contribution to Cork society more so than a response to poverty.  The North Mon was to become a place of literary thought, experimentation and invention. Br. Gerald Griffin, the celebrated poet and novelist became a member of the North Monastery in 1839. In 1857 Br. James Dominic Burke arrived at the North Monastery and under his guidance the students began the study of natural philosophy (science). Br. Burke is widely acknowledged as the father of vocational education in Ireland and made the North Mon a centre of excellence in scientific and technical education. At this time Br. John P. Holland (inventor of the submarine) studied in the ‘Mon’ under the guidance of Br. Burke. These three individuals would provide the creative foundations for the North Mon going forward.

            As a Corkman, I’d like to say thank you to the North Mon and all it stands for, for its contribution to Cork and Irish society. Here’s to the next 200!

 Check out North Mon Past Pupils on Facebook plus check out their bicentenary book for more memories of the school.

Captions:

580a. North Monastery Past Pupils Union “Coming of Age”, 19 April 1958

Back row; D. Cullinane, Prof. T. Carey, UCC, A.O’Mahony, K.V. Downing, Rev. D. Canon Connolly; Third row: Rev. J. Canon Kelly, Chief Sup. Dowd, Donal Sexton, Lt. Col. Collins Powell, Rev. Br. Nolan; Second Row: W.V. Dynan, Hon. Secretary, M. O’Brien, Hon. Treasurer, S. O’Connell, A.A. Healy, T.D., P.J. O’Leary, Vice President, C. Young; First row: R.Br. Clancy, Superior General, J. Lynch, Minister for Education, C. Murphy, President, North Mon Past Pupils Union, Bishop Dr. C. Lucey, Br. Mc Conville, Ald. R.V. Jago, Prof. H. St. J. Atkins, Br. O’Brien (picture: K. McCarthy)

580b. Brother James Dominic Burke (picture: North Mon, Cork)