Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,

Cork Independent, 21 July 2022

Mother Jones Festival 2022

The 2022 Mother Jones festival and summer school in Shandon– the eleventh annual festival – will take place from Thursday 28 July to Saturday 30 July. It is dedicated to the memory of Mary Harris/Mother Jones and to inspirational people everywhere who fight for social justice. The website for all the details of the event is at www.motherjonescork.com

The Cork Mother Jones Committee have assembled over 20 events ranging from talks and lively discussions, to walks and exhibitions, to presentations of awards and toasts as well as singing, poetry and music. They are working closely with their sponsors Cork City Council, the SIPTU trade union, the ASTI Trade union and IFUT. With their assistance, it is possible to maintain the festival free and open to all.

Highlights for 2022 will include the screening of the Shandon Area History Group/Frameworks Films documentary ‘Ordinary Women in Extraordinary Times’ at the Dance Cork Firkin Crane Theatre on Friday evening, 29 July. 

Of special interest this year will be the visit of Antoinette Keegan, whose two sisters Mary and Martina died in the Stardust Fire tragedy in 1981.  Christine her mother and John her father were instrumental in establishing the campaign of the Stardust Victims to seek justice for their loved ones over the past 40 years.  Antoinette was will be presented with the 2020 Spirit of Mother Jones Award in person on Friday afternoon 29 July at 3pm. The festival committee hopes that the people of Cork will come along and show their support to the victims and survivors of the Stardust tragedy in their efforts to attain justice.

The Cork Mother Jones Commemorative committee was established in 2012 to mark the 175th anniversary of the birth of Mary Harris / Mother Jones (1837-1930)  in Cork. After a highly successful festival marking that anniversary it was decided to make the festival an annual event marking the life and legacy of Mother Jones. Although famous in other parts of the world, especially in the United States of America where she was once labelled “the most dangerous woman in America”, Cork born Mary Jones (née Harris) – or Mother Jones as she is perhaps more widely known – was virtually unknown and not recognised as yet in her native city.  The festivals and activities of this committee have changed that and now the name of Mother Jones is better known in Cork and beyond.

The Cork Mother Jones Commemorative Committee, in conjunction with Cork City Council commissioned Cork Sculptor Mike Wilkins to create a limestone plaque to honour Mother Jones in the Shandon area of the city, near her birthplace.  This plaque was erected near the famous Cork Butter Market and was unveiled on 1 August 2012 which was the 175th Anniversary of her baptism in the North Cathedral. 

Mary’s parents were Ellen Cotter, a native of Inchigeela and Richard Harris from Cork city. Few details of her early life in Cork have been uncovered to date, though it is thought by some that she was born on Blarney Street and may have attended the North Presentation Schools nearby.  She and her family emigrated to Canada soon after the Famine, probably in the early 1850s. Later in the United States, after tragic deaths of her husband George Jones and their four children, she became involved in the struggle for basic rights for workers and children’s rights, leading from the front, often in a militant fashion.

Mary is best known for her fiery speeches against the exploitation of miners; she was utterly fearless, travelling all over America to defend workers and their families.  Mother Jones was one of the best and most active union organizers ever seen in America. She became a legend among the coalminers of West Virginia and Pennsylvania; Mother Jones was fearless and faced down the guns and court threats of the mine bosses. In 1905 she was the only woman to attend the inaugural meeting of the Industrial Workers of the World (Wobblies).

Later Mary became an organiser for the Socialist Party and continued her defence of workers in industrial disputes across America. She was arrested and jailed in West Virginia for her activities during the Paint Creek, Cabin Creek strikes, but later released following large demonstrations of her supporters. Between 1912 and 1914 she was involved in the “coal wars” of Colorado which led to the infamous Ludlow Massacre, where 19 miners and members of their families were killed. She was imprisoned many times but always released quickly due to huge local support for her activities.

Described as “the most dangerous woman in America”, her cry of “Pray for the dead and fight like hell for the living” still resonates through history! Her autobiography was published in 1925. She passed away at the age of 93 in 1930 and is buried at Mount Olive Union cemetery in Illinois, where a museum will be erected to her memory shortly. When she died in 1930, she was a legend in her adopted land.  A magazine (Mother Jones) is still published to this day, along with dozens of books and countless references in US Labour History.  She certainly can claim to be the most famous Cork woman in the history of the United States of America.

See www.motherjonescork.com for more on the Mother Jones Festival 2022 across venues in the Shandon area.

Caption:

1160a. Photo of Mother Jones, 1920s (source: Library of Congress, USA).

Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,

Cork Independent, 14 July 2022

Journeys to a Free State: Calls for Peace

On 17 July 1922 at 12noon a peace conference was summoned at the request of the chairman Frank Daly of the Cork Harbour Commissioners. It was one of the most influential and representative meetings held in Cork for a considerable time. Resolutions were passed demanding a cessation of hostilities across the country and calling upon Dáil Éireann to meet.

Frank Daly, who presided over the meeting was joined by local members of urban district councils from Cobh to Bantry to Mallow, representatives of the city’s two chambers of commerce, from the city’s Corn Market, Board of Guardians and other influential figures from over 45 public bodies in Cork City and County. Frank Daly read a resolution; “Faced with the appalling prospect of a prolonged civil war, with all its moral, national and commercial consequences, and in view of the uncertainty of the political basis and constitutional implications of such strife, we hereby call upon the authorities in Dublin to arrange for an immediate armistice and a conference with their fellow-Irishmen in the South of Ireland”.

Frank outlined that the meeting was a thoroughly representative one. There was no doubt he observed that it was a love of country that brought people to the meeting. He noted: “The situation, as you know, is an extremely grave one, and the future presents an appalling prospect. The outlook is such that all good Irishmen are really heart-broken, and little wonder when they see their country in the actual process of self-destruction, and when they see their loyal comrades and brothers-in-arms of but yesterday engaged in deadly strife. And for what purpose?”

Frank continued to be fearful of the impact of destruction; “In plain, cold simple language the continuation of the fratricidal strife can only mean devastation, destruction and desolation. If this awful struggle continues our fair province of Munster will be, by Irishmen, ravaged, ruined and laid waste. Our own city of Cork, of which we are justly proud, will if this struggle continues, be undoubtedly reduced to ashes, and we may hear at any moment that Waterford is ablaze and that the ancient city of Limerick is by modern artillery blotted out, and the destruction of Clonmel, Tipperary and Tralee will be only a matter of time”.

Frank called for Dáil Éireann to assemble, to call for an armistice and for a stable government to be formed. His resolutions containing the latter calls were to be sent to the press, government, the Chief of Staff and every member of Dáil Éireann. In his conclusions he hoped that in the discussion each and every person would as far as possible, avoid taking the party view of the situation and deal with it from what was best for Ireland.

Mr George Nason, President of the Cork District Trade’s Council, spoke second and called for a truce immediately. He was interested in representing the most unfortunate people in the country, and noted: “What was going on between the contending parties was putting their women and children into a state of starvation. The Labour Party was trying to take similar steps to those suggested at that meeting. We are not saying that the Free Staters were right or that the Republicans were right, but we say both are wrong in acting as they are now. These men on both sides had fought loyally up to quite recently side by side. The greater portion of the armies are of the working class and it was sorrowful and deplorable that the city of Dublin was today almost reduced to ashes, the finest buildings being levelled to the ground, and who is going to pay for damage, which is being done by Irishmen to their own country”.

Sir John Scott, an elder councillor of Cork City Council called for the new government to meet; “We are all anxious that peace and prosperity should come to their land. Business was paralysed. Starvation was coming, and ruin would be soon amongst them”.

Cllr Barry Egan stood up and observed that there was truth and a certain amount of justice on both sides, and he wanted to call these people together. He noted; “let them not to forget once and for all the opinions were not principles. There were only the ten commandments. They were the only principles he knew of, and it was time that those principles should prevail”.

Liam De Róiste TD stood up to speak and noted that he was there is a listening capacity. He commented on the use of guns across the emerging civil war; “If this rule of men with guns against unarmed men continues, there is an end to all Christian civilisation in this day…if they were going to have liberty in the country, liberty of the individual to live his life as he can or may, if we are going to have political liberty in the country, or economic liberty it must be by the whole people of Ireland recognising, every section recognising that progress must be upon constitutional lines within Ireland itself. The fight against the armed aggression of England was justifiable and would be justifiable any time. But a war between Irishmen themselves is, in my view and conscience, not justifiable”.  

Seven other speakers spoke including Robert Day TD. There were minor amendments to Frank Daly’s original resolutions but all were sent to the agreed list of recipients. There was also a provisional committee for peace set up, which drew from interested attendees.

Caption:

1159a. National Army snipers, Henry Street Dublin, July 1922 (source: National Library, Dublin).

Kieran’s Upcoming July Tour:

Saturday 16 July 2022, The Battle of Douglas, An Irish Civil War Story, historical walking tour with Kieran, from carpark and entrance to Old Railway Line, Harty’s Quay, Rochestown; 2pm, (free, 2 hours, finishes near Rochestown Road).

Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,

Cork Independent, 7 July 2022

Journeys to a Free State: The Munster Republic

In the midst of the shelling by the National Army of the Irish Provisional Government of the Four Courts in Dublin from 28 June to 5 July 1922, ani-treaty champion Eamon de Valera issued a hard hitting press statement. On 7 July, he noted that the “so-called Provisional Government is not the Government”. He observed that the legitimate Government of Ireland is Dáil Éireann, which is the Government of the Republic. However, he highlighted that “the Republic has not been disestablished”.

De Valera further articulated that since January 1922 the President and Ministry of Dáil Éireann, relied on “alien powers” – that of Westminister – and observed; “They have in their executive acts ignored the regular legal and constitutional procedure, and acted in an arbitrary manner – assuming dictatorial powers for which they should be held amenable, in the Supreme Court of the Republic. These irregularities have led directly to the present situation. The men who are fighting to uphold the Republic are soldiers who took an oath of allegiance to the Republic and are acting literally in accordance with its explicit terms and the intention with which they took it”.

On the same day as De Valera’s press statement Lord Mayor of Cork Donal Óg O’Callaghan moved to squash fears of food scarcity in Cork City as anti-treaty IRA soldiers numbering up to 100 commandeered of food and equipment for manoeuvres in Cork and wider afield in Munster.

In his statement the Lord Mayor hoped to assist in putting an end to what he called “wild and unfounded rumours” that have circulated locally. The Lord Mayor asserted that they constituted a danger to public peace and security, and would lead to “scares and ultimate panic”. One of these rumours was the alleged inadequacy of the city’s food supply. The Lord Mayor moved to inform citizens that there was no cause whatever for alarm or anxiety, as ample provision was being met for normal circumstance. He noted: “Local manufacturers, importers, traders, and wholesale merchants in food and provisions are to meet and be formed into a food committee to consider and safeguard the position of the local food supply”. The Lord Mayor also announced that arrangements were being made for the maintenance, as far as possible, of all public services, postal, transit, etc, to protect the city’s commercial life pending any war.

About the same time as the Lord Mayor’s commitments the anti-treaty IRA/ Republican publicity department took charge of censoring the Cork Examiner and Cork Constitution newspapers, initially to protect sensitive military matters being published. A half a page began to appear in the Cork Examiner everyday for a few weeks describing in brief manoeuvres that had occurred to take over control of Munster. The aim was that such control of local newspapers would offset harsh national press, which promoted government censorship and was deemed one sided in its approach.

For example, in a Republican official bulletin on 10 July in the Cork Examiner, manoeuvres were commented about in the southern division. The bulletin briefly notes that policing posts were attacked on 29 June 1922 in Listowel, Foynes, Newcastle West, Shanagolden, Abbeyfeale, and Broadford. The bulletin records that Listowel surrendered with 150 rifles and its men after a short engagement. In County Cork the Skibbereen military post surrendered on 1 July 1922. Owing to certain negotiations it was not attacked until the 3 July. The garrison surrendered 43 rifles and 60 me after a hard fight. This County Cork Republican column moved onto towards Limerick to help with the battle for that city, which held out for 10 days.

As the days progressed, market town military posts from the western seaboard such as Sligo to the middle of the country such as Kilkenny fell. Cork, Limerick and Waterford were captured very quickly as part of a self-styled independent “Munster Republic”.

By 17 July 1922, the anti-treaty IRA republican side stood at c.13,000 soldiers. Pro Treaty forces stood at 15,000, up from 10,000. The Anti-Treaty side were not equipped to wage conventional war, lacking artillery and armoured units, both of which the Provisional Government obtained from the British. Liam Lynch, the Chief of Staff of the Anti-Treaty IRA, hoped to act purely on the defensive, holding their so called “Munster Republic” long enough to prevent the foundation of the Irish Free State and forcing the re-negotiation of the Treaty.

Hence the destruction of regional infrastructure began. The Cork Examiner records that telegraphic communication was stopped between Dublin, Northern Ireland, the Midlands. East and West Limerick, Waterford, and Britain. There was considerable dislocation of the services on the Great Southern and Western Railway, which hampered the transit of goods and passenger traffic. On the main Dublin-Cork line, no trains ran beyond Limerick junction to Cork, and no trains connected Limerick and Waterford. The unsettled state of affairs is also reflected in the accounts of the Cork Harbour Board, and the returns of tonnage dues and harbour dues significantly fell.

Most noticeably Cork’s Summer Show, hosted by the Munster Agricultural Society, was postponed. The Cork Examiner reported that the holding of shows in which cattle figured prominently as exhibits served to emphasise the importance of the Irish cattle industry, which in exports at the time represented something over £20m per annum.

In detailed research UCC’s Dr John Borgonova book entitled The Battle of Cork, July-August 1922 (and soon to be republished by Mercier Press), he comments that a series of manoeuvres were pursued to keep the City of Cork under some Republican control. Roadblocks were set up on thoroughfares entering and exiting Cork, and boat passengers were also searched and interrogated. Republican police ordered public houses to close promptly at 10pm. However, the anti-treaty IRA occupied very little structures beyond the Customs House, Cork Men’s Gaol, Victoria military barracks, and Union Quay RIC barracks.

To be continued…

Kieran’s July Tours:

Friday evening, 8 July 2022, The Lough and its Curiosities; historical walking tour; meet at green area at northern green of The Lough, entrance of Lough Road to The Lough, Lough Church end; 6.45pm (free, duration: two hours).

Saturday 16 July 2022, The Battle of Douglas, An Irish Civil War Story, historical walking tour with Kieran, from carpark and entrance to Old Railway Line, Harty’s Quay, Rochestown; 2pm, (free, 2 hours, finishes near Rochestown Road).

Caption:

1158a. A National Army soldier brings a wounded anti-treaty fighter out of the Four Courts in Dublin, early July 1922 (source: National Library, Dublin).

Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,

Cork Independent, 30 June 2022

Launch of Shandon Heritage Audio Trail

A self-guided audio tour of the Shandon historic quarter has been launched by Shandon Area Renewal Association (SARA) SARA is an advocacy group representing the residents and businesses in the Shandon Area. Their Tidy Towns committee does Trojan work keeping the area not only tidy but welcoming to all who live in and visit the area.

The new audio tour takes approximately an hour. Through it you will learn about the history and the life of the area and see where the many historical characters, born and reared in the area, lived. You will also hear the voices of locals who speak about the area’s history and their relationship to it. The tour is comprised of twenty three audio tracks, with associated waypoints. Each track is specific to each waypoint. Log onto walkingshandon.ie to access the tour. The project is supported By Cork City Council and Cathedral Credit Union.

One could do the tour from your sofa but the Shandon area makes for a great area for walking and exploring. The starting point is at the Cornmarket Street side of the Shandon Footbridge. Then one climbs the hill to one of the first stops – Maldron Hotel, formerly the North Infirmary.

            There are conflicting historical reports of the infirmary’s origins sometime between 1720 and 1744. Cork historians have argued that that the first infirmary was constructed in 1720 and then a rebooting of sorts of the infirmary in 1744. The latter reboot was supported by a musical society who appropriated their surplus funds for its support.By the 1840s the original infirmary had been considerably enlarged. In 1842, there were admitted 558 patients, and 17,630 externs. It was attended by two physicians and two surgeons.  From 1867 onwards the Daughters of Charity cared for thousands and thousands of patients.

The infirmary’s history is peppered with tales of hardship and examples of perseverance to maintain a place of care for the sick in the impoverished northside of Cork during the 1700s and 1800s. The battles to fend off threats of closure were faced, and won. Crises were overcome because the management committees could depend on voluntary funding. Indeed, the hospital flourished and expanded, thanks to the pennies of the people of Cork. However, in 1987 due to National Health Cuts the hospital closed resulting in 205 redundancies. Despite vocal and physical protests from far and wide, there was to be no last minute reprieve. The doors were finally closed on 27 November 1987. Ten years later the building’s next host was the Shandon Court Hotel (now the Maldron Hotel).

Close by is the next stop on the audio trail, which is the Mother Jones plaque. The Cork Mother Jones Commemorative committee was established in 2012 to mark the 175^th anniversary of the birth of Mary Harris / Mother Jones in Cork. After a highly successful festival marking that anniversary it was decided to make the festival an annual event marking the life and legacy of Mother Jones. The Commemorative Committee, in conjunction with Cork City Council also commissioned Cork Sculptor Mike Wilkins to create a limestone plaque to honour Mother Jones in the Shandon area of the city, near her birthplace.  This plaque was erected near the famous Cork Butter Market and was unveiled on 1 August 2012.

            Although famous in other parts of the world, especially in the United States of America where she was once labelled “the most dangerous woman in America”, Cork born Mary Jones (née Harris) – or Mother Jones as she is perhaps more widely known – was virtually unknown and not recognised yet in her native city.  The festivals and activities of the commemoration committee have changed that and now the name of Mother Jones is better known in Cork and beyond.

Mary’s parents were Ellen Cotter, a native of Inchigeela and Richard Harris from Cork city. Few details of her early life in Cork have been uncovered to date, though it is thought by some that she was born on Blarney Street and may have attended the North Presentation Schools nearby.  She and her family emigrated to Canada soon after the Famine, probably in the early 1850s. Later in the United States, after tragic deaths of her husband George Jones and their four children, she became involved in the struggle for basic rights for workers and children’s rights, leading from the front, often in a militant fashion.

Mary is best known for her fiery speeches against the exploitation of miners; she was utterly fearless, travelling all over America to defend workers and their families.  Mother Jones was one of the best and most active union organizers ever seen in America. She became a legend among the coalminers of West Virginia and Pennsylvania.

Nearby to the plaque to Mary Jones plaque is the historic façade of the Cork Butter Market. By the mid 1800s, the Cork butter market had enlarged to such an extent that there was a large need for expansion of the premises. In 1849, an elaborate roman temple style portico, designed by Sir John Benson, was added to the front of the butter market. In the late 1800s, there was a distinct decline in the economic fortunes of the city. The profits of the export provision trade of agricultural products such as butter and beef declined.

In 1858, 428,000 firkins of butter were being exported per annum and by 1891, this was reduced to 170,000 firkins. Competitive European prices out-competed the prices set by the butter market at Cork. Eventually, the Cork butter Market closed in 1924.  In recent decades, a butter museum, which is well worth visiting has opened up next to the craft centre in the Tony O’Reilly Centre. The old Butter Exchange is currently the subject of a planning application proposal for its interior conversion into an innovation/ start up hub.

To celebrate and mark the stories above and the multitude of other stories including the 300^th anniversary of St Anne’s Church Shandon, and the launch of the self-guided walking tour, one of my walking tours for July takes on the local history of Shandon. See all the information on my three tours for July below.

Kieran’s July Tours:

Saturday 2 July 2022, Shandon Historical Walking Tour; explore Cork’s most historic quarter; meet at North Main Street/ Adelaide Street Square, opp Cork Volunteer Centre, 2pm (free, duration: two hours, no booking required).  

Friday evening, 8 July 2022, The Lough and its Curiosities; historical walking tour; meet at green area at northern green of The Lough, entrance of Lough Road to The Lough, Lough Church end; 6.45pm (free, duration: two hours)

Saturday 16 July 2022, The Battle of Douglas, An Irish Civil War Story, historical walking tour with Kieran, from carpark and entrance to Old Railway Line, Harty’s Quay, Rochestown; 2pm, (free, 2 hours, finishes near Rochestown Road).

Caption:

1157a. St Anne’s Church Shandon with members of the Shandon Area Renewal Association 14 June 2022 (picture: Kieran McCarthy).