On Tuesday, 16 February at 7pm the latest in a series of online talks by Engineer’s Ireland will be available: The History and Rehabilitation of Daly’s Bridge (The Shakey Bridge) presented by Michael Minehane, Chartered Principal Engineer at RPS and Kieran McCarthy, noted local Cork historian.
“As part of the Cork Regional 80th Anniversary celebrations, we are delighted to host this presentation on the history and refurbishment of the iconic “Shakey” Bridge which was originally built under the stewardship of the then City Engineer, SW Farrington, who was also the first Chair of the Cork Region of Engineers Ireland” says Ronan Keane, current Chair.
The presentation will outline the social and economic context of the original construction, first opened in 1927, replacing an earlier ferry crossing at the same location. It remains the only suspension bridge in Cork City and is the only surviving bridge of its type in Ireland. Michael Minehane says, “I will be giving the second part of the talk which will outline the recent rehabilitation of the bridge which re-opened in December 2020, including the special inspection and structural assessment, site investigations and material testing, rehabilitation works, approach to conservation, structural dynamics and aspects of design and construction.”
Kieran McCarthy will talk about the history of the bridge “of all the bridges in the city centre island, one can argue that Daly’s Bridge is the one which holds the fascination of the public the most. The removal of the main body of the bridge to deep clean it off site caused a large tinge of public sadness. Its return to the Banks of the Lee in the spring of 2020 heralded hope, and almost a sense that a valued family member had returned. The bridge’s essence has transcended time from a physical bridging point to one of playfulness, one of fun, and one whose shakiness is a key part of Cork’s Cultural Heritage.”
1086a. Munster Arcade pre Burning of Cork, December 1920 from Stratten and Stratten’s Dublin, Cork, and the South of Ireland 1892 (source: Cork City Library).
Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,
Cork Independent, 11 February 2021
Journeys
to a Truce: The Compensation Claims Begin
This month, one hundred years ago, the
Recorder or Chief Magistrate for Cork City, Matthew Bourke, began
the municipal hearings for the compensation claims arising out of the Burning
of Cork in December 1920. A total of 682 claims were before him and they were
to occupy the court for several weeks. A handful were written up in the Cork
Examiner and reveal the depth of the damage done but also the early steps
being taken to rehabilitate livelihoods and building stock in the city centre.
On 17 February 1921, the first case taken was
that of the proprietors of the Munster Arcade – Messrs Robertson, Ledlie,
Ferguson and Company, who claimed losses of £405,000. On top of this there was
a claim by the landlord of the premises Charles Harvey. The two sets of solicitors
present J J Horgan and Messrs Staunton and Sons put forward their respective cases.
Mr Horgan described uniformed crown forces, converging on the Munster Arcade in
the middle of St Patrick’s Street on 11 December 1920 after setting Grants and
Cashes on fire. He continued to detail the blowing in the front windows and the
throwing in of explosives. With the front on fire, the five or six employees in
the building made their way to the door leading to Elbow Lane.
The employees were met by several uniformed men
and held up. Some of the men entered the premises taking with them explosives
and tins of petrol and a bag containing some heavy substance. They went upstairs
and set fire to the other parts of the premises. Meanwhile, the employees were
let go at the door but were met by another party of uniformed men who told them
to go back and shots were fired at them. They finally managed to escape into
Cook Street and took refuge in a house there.
The Munster Arcade also had premises in Oliver
Plunkett Street, where a furniture business was mainly carried on, and these
were destroyed completely. With regards to damages, it was estimated that it
would cost at least £93,450 5s 1d to rebuild this latter building. They had a
cabinet factory at the other side of George’s Street, which would cost £7,774
5s 9d to rebuild. Then there was a laundry and shirt factory held under a
yearly tenancy in Robert Street, the contents of which were valued at £583 9s
2d. They were not making a claim for the reconstruction of these premises as
they were only yearly tenants, but he understood that a claim had been lodged
by the owner.
Then there were the interior fittings and
equipment on the St Patrick’s Street site. With regard to the stocks, every single
item was destroyed, but fortunately the books were kept in a fireproof room,
and they were saved. The company desired that not one halfpenny more that they
had lost should be awarded. They wished to make no profit as regards these
stocks. Their last stocktaking was on 31 July 1920 and the stock at that time
was taken at the cost price, except where the value was less than cost price by
reason of certain goods having been a long time in stock. That value was
£74,507. Since that date there was added stock at the cost price of £59, 626 5s
10d, which was brought up to £59, 895 11s 1d by freight and carriage charges,
making a total stock of £134 402 11s 1d.
Sales in the same period and from 31 July
amounted to £45,855 15s 4d. Some goods that were also on approbation at the
time of the fire brought the net loss as regards stock-in-trade to £88,146 15s
9d.
In addition, the company had erected
temporary buildings, but they felt that the temporary trade pursued in them
would only pay its way. They estimated that there was no probability of getting
a place of the magnitude of the Munster Arcade into operational order under a
period of about three years. The company did not expect in substance to make
any profits of the company for three years totalling £37,341 or an average
roughly of £12, 447 per year. The auditors considered that the figure would be
a very reasonable and moderate claim for the injury done to the business.
The company had also taken a shop at 97 St
Patrick’s Street, for which they had to pay £406 subject to a yearly rental of
£130 and they had to erect temporary wooden premises costing £3,500. During the
cessation of work they had to pay salaries for a month, as well as paying the rent
of the destroyed premises for two months.
Evidence was then presented by Patrick Barry
who was a dispatch employee, Mrs Gaffney who was a housekeeper at the premises,
and Finbarr McAuliffe, who was an apprentice. Mr Robert Walker was also
examined. His father, Robert, was the architect of the original Munster Arcade
premises and Robert (Junior) presented the original plans of the premises.
Robert had prepared a detailed estimate of
the cost of re-constructing the premises as they were before. The Arcade, he
said covered three-fifths of an acre, and noted that the cost to rebuild it
would be £119, 742 and it would take three years to complete the work. Mr Denis
Lucey, Building contractor, Denis O’Sullivan, Furniture Department, Patrick
Barry on the cost of plumbing, heating, and gas fitting. John Rezin gave
evidence of the value of the claim for customers goods in possession of the
company at the time of the fires as well as the employee tools and personal
property.
Matthew Bourke, the Recorder,
ended the Munster Arcade cases and the following day gave his verdict. He
deemed that some of the figures given bordered on excess and gave a
compensation figure for £213,647. However, with the British government not set up to give compensation.
The Munster Arcade, and the rest of the 681 claims would have to wait until
after the treaty was signed in January 1922 before any movement was made on
resolving compensation claims. Indeed, reconstruction only began at the Munster
Arcade in 1924 it was to be in late 1926 before the new premises was finished.
Captions:
1086a. Munster Arcade pre Burning of Cork, December 1920 from Stratten and Stratten’s Dublin, Cork, and the South of Ireland 1892 (source: Cork City Library).
1086b. The reconstructed Munster Arcade building,
present day, now Penneys (picture: Kieran McCarthy).
1086b. The reconstructed Munster Arcade building, present day, now Penneys (picture: Kieran McCarthy).
As the Irish
War of Independence progressed in early 1921, the movements of British troops
throughout the country were tabulated. Where it was noticed that convoys were
maintained on a regular basis between any two points, suitable preparations
were then made for an ambush on the route. In this way, it was calculated that
a convoy of three lorries of soldiers would proceed from Macroom to Cork on 27
January 1921. It was decided by members of the sixth battalion of the Cork IRA
Brigade No.1 to ambush British troops at a bend in the main road between
Dripsey and Coachford.
It is almost fourteen
years since this column visited the story of the Dripsey Ambush and at that
time I referenced Historian P J Feeney’s fine book Glory O,
Glory O, Ye Bold Fenian Men, A History of the Sixth Battalion, Cork’s First
Brigade, 1913-1921. In it hehighlights the story of
the Dripsey Ambush and that the sitehad high firing ground on
the near side and its open stretch on the off side would expose the soldiers to
the full fire of the attackers.
Positions were
taken up on the 27January 1921, but the military did not depart on
that day owing to some technical delay at Macroom. The ambushers, anticipating
that the convoy would probably proceed within twenty-four hours, decided to
remain over night at their posts. For that reason, by 28 January news of the
impending attack soon became known amongst the local people, and in due course,
information was brought to a local lady named Mrs Lindsay of Leemount House,
Coachford whose sympathies were known to be with Crown authorities.
Mrs Lindsay
decided to inform the Military at Ballincollig, and without further delay
ordered her Chauffeur named Clark to drive her to the local barracks, a
distance of about twelve miles. Not far from her house she came upon the local
Roman Catholic curate, Rev. E. Shinnick, informed him of her purpose, and
requested that he advise the ambushers to abandon their project. Passing
through the ambush cordon without hindrance, she safely reached Ballincollig
and accurately described the position to the Commanding Officer of the
Manchesters who were then stationed there.
Meantime,
Father Shinnick approached the attackers, and without stating the source of his
information, informed them that the military were now aware of their plans. He
suggested that they retire from the spot as quickly as possible. The ambushers,
thinking that this was simply a move on the part of Fr Shinnick to have
bloodshed avoided, decided to remain at their posts. At Ballincollig, full
preparations were made for a surprise attack, and a strong military party
arrived at Dripsey Bridge about 3pm. There they divided into two sections, one
group advancing along the bye-road towards Peake, whilst the remainder
proceeded along the main road to Coachford.
The Peake road
party were able to approach the ambushers from the rear, and both sections
opened fire simultaneously. The ambushers, now on the defence were armed but
were outranged by the service rifles of the military, decided to retire under
cover of a rear guard party of six men. In the early stages of the encounter,
it was discovered that the military had made one tactical error by not also
closing in from the west or Coachford side.
Taking full
advantage of this oversight, the main body of the ambushers quickly slipped
through the gap, in the attack, and with nightfall approaching, they were soon
clear. Their comrades though remained at their posts. However, there came a
point where there was no alternative but to surrender. Ten men were arrested. From
Dripsey, they were conveyed to Victoria Barracks, Cork City. Crown troops
confiscated sixteen shotguns with 101 rounds of ammo, four rifles with 33
rounds of ammo, three revolvers with 86 rounds of ammo and six bombs.
The man
heading up the Dripsey ambush was Captain James Barrett. He was born at
Killeen, Donoughmore on 29 June 1880. He was employed by the Cork and Muskerry
Railway Company and was Station Master at Firmount for nearly two decades
before his death. He was Captain of Aghabullogue Football team. He joined the
Donoughmore Company of the Irish volunteer movement in 1914. He was
Quartermaster within the C Company of the sixth battalion Cork no.1 IRA
Brigade. He was wounded in the leg at Dripsey, taken prisoner and brought to
Cork Military Barracks. His leg was amputated but died shortly after. He was
buried in Donoughmore.
Subsequently
Mrs Lindsay was kidnapped by members of the sixth battalion and was used as
leverage to free the captives. However, that strategy did not work. On
28 February 1921, five IRA men were executed. They were all members of the
Sixth Battalion, Cork no.1 IRA Brigade – Jack Lyons, Timothy McCarthy, Thomas
O’Brien, Daniel O’Callaghan andPatrick O’Mahony.
On
the captive’s execution,and arising of careful discussion with General Head
Quarters in Dublin, and a Brigade meeting at Blarney, the decision was taken to
execute Mrs. Lindsay and Clarke, her chauffeur. In early March 1921, they were
shot by a firing squad consisting of six volunteers under the command of
vice-commandant of the Sixth Battalion, Frank Busteed. In the past decade, Frank
Busteed’s memorabilia was donated to the Cork Museum by his grandson, Brian
O’Donoghue. It is currently on display with a written up history of Frank’s
life and times.
The
first Dripsey Ambush memorial was a simple wooden cross, which was erected by
friends and relatives of those who died. Anne MacSwiney, a sister of Terence
MacSwiney, unveiled it in 1924. A local committee of locals and members of
Dripsey Pipe Band was formed to consider a larger memorial.Cork sculptor Seamus Murphy was chosen to create a
slender limestone obelisk, at the ambush site, which was unveiled on Easter Sunday
in April 1938.
1084a. Picture of Mary Bowles from non-recorded photographer, January 1921 (source: Cork Examiner).
Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,
Cork Independent, 28 January 2021
Journeys
to a Truce: Clogheen and the tale of Mary Bowles
P J Murphy, Company Commander with Fianna Éireann, in his
witness statement for the Bureau of Military History (WS869) recalls that in
January 1921 owing to the activity of police and Black and Tans, a number of C-Company
of Cork IRA Brigade No.1 could not sleep at home. They were accommodated in the
former Cork Lunatic Asylum on the Lee Road. The place was raided several times.
A number of arrests were made, including one named Tadhg Barry who was later
shot dead on 15 November 1921 by a sentry in Ballykinlar Camp).
P J Murphy’s hideouts with others comprised a number of
friendly houses and barns in the Clogheen district (three miles from Blarney).
There they made sure that they had sentries posted throughout the night. Flying
Columns were now being organised and all necessary arrangements were being made
to make sure arms and equipment were protected and in serviceable order. A
number of visits had been made by C-Company members to their arms dumps.
However, they also had also to contend with informers, who led crown forces to
Clogheen.
On 13 January 1921, P J Murphy recalls that the C-Company
party included Liam Deasy, Dan Donovan (Sandow), Tom Crofts, Pa Murray, J
Dennehy, Mick Bowles, Paddy Connors, Tom Dennehy, Dan Murphy, Mick O’Sullivan,
Dan Crowley, Jeremiah Mullane and Jeremiah Deasy.
P J Murphy did the last sentinel duty from 5am to 7am.
When they moved out in the morning – some of them to the city to their jobs – P
J remained behind with Mick Bowles and Paddy Connors and brought the guns and
grenades up to the family home of the Bowles family nearby. At this time, they
had the Lewis gun, which was used in the Parnell Bridge Ambush in early January
1921 and had brought it out to show it to Liam Deasy and some of the Brigade
officers. They were proud of its possession.
P J Murphy describes that about 11am the place was
surrounded by military and Black and Tans. The few of P J’s comrades who
remained behind were in a nearby house having a cup of tea when they heard
strange voices in the adjoining fields. They picked up their equipment and made
their escape. The Lewis gun was lying near a fence covered with a ground sheet.
Sixteen-year old Mary Bowles tried to get the gun to a place of safety. She was
spotted by the Tans and arrested. Over the ensuing 24 hours, a great deal of
the arms equipment, including the Lewis gun, was captured. The arms dump was
discovered complete with rifles, revolvers, ammunition, gelignite, gas masks,
periscopes, megaphones, and German automatics. Mary was arrested with four men
and brought to the Bridewell in the city.
Shandon History Group’s book Ordinary Women in
Extraordinary Times records that at the Bridewell Mary Bowles was found to
be wearing under her blouse steel body armour strapped to her shoulders and
fastened at the sides. She was also in possession of a service revolver and an
automatic pistol, both loaded in every chamber. Senior Cork Cumann na mBan members such as
Sorcha Duggan, May Conlon and Lil Conlon approached Bishop Cohalan requesting
his intervention in seeking her release but were not successful. Mary was moved
to the Women’s Prison in Sunday’s Well. On 25 February 1921, she was sentenced
to Roman Catholic Reformatory School. Shandon History Group have suggested that
the Good Shepherd Convent may have been her detention school.
Meanwhile the capture of the arms led the Black and Tans to
become more frequent visitors to the Clogheen area, with the result that C-Company
members had to go further afield for sleeping quarters. P J Murphy details that
they moved to the Carrignavar area where Company Officers Jerry Dennehy, Mick
Bowles, Seán MacSwiney (Terence’s brother) and five or six more were arrested
one night in a local house. They were captured with arms and each were
sentenced varying from 10 to 15 years imprisonment. The guns were not actually
captured in their possession. They were found in another part of the house.
P J Murphy highlights that curfew in Cork City in early
1921 was from 5pm to 3am on Saturdays and Sundays. Martial law was enforced and
anyone caught with arms was executed. The military patrolled the streets during
curfew hours, and when they withdrew the Black and Tans came out and carried on
with their wholesale murders, burnings, and lootings. These activities had a
discouraging effect on some of the Volunteers. They feared repercussions on
their families and returned their arms to the Unit Quarter Master. P J Murphy
describes: “Physically those sleeping out were in a bad way. Scabies was
rampant and those who returned home infected their families. Many others
contracted TB. People who were friendly to us became afraid that they would be
caught harbouring the IRA. No place was safe for more than a few nights”.
As the British campaign intensified it was met by
increased activity by the Volunteers. Trees were felled, trenches dug across
the roads, bridges blown up and everything done to hamper their communication.
Captions:
1084a. Picture of Mary Bowles from
non-recorded photographer, January 1921 (source: Cork Examiner).
1084b. Commemorative plaque in Clogheen, Cork to Mary Bowles, present day (picture: Kieran McCarthy).
1084b. Commemorative plaque in Clogheen, Cork to Mary Bowles, present day (picture: Kieran McCarthy).
26 January 2021, “Independent Cork City councillor Kieran McCarthy said a member of the public contacted him in December last year, with concerns that the iconic sign at the Fingerpost roundabout in Douglas had collapsed slightly on the mound it stands on”, Work undertaken to stabilise iconic sign at busy Cork roundabout, Work undertaken to stabilise iconic sign at busy Cork roundabout (echolive.ie)
13 January 2021, “Cllr Kieran McCarthy who has a keen interest in history and archaeology gave a brief history of the buildings in that area of the city. ‘It is the site of an old fort called Cat Fort from the 1690s. Cat Fort was an additional barracks to Elizabeth Fort which was created around 1698. It is said that it began its life as some sort of ditch on a waterless moat on that side of Elizabeth Fort”, Councillors to seek answers on collapsed Cork city wall, Councillors to seek answers on collapsed Cork city wall (echolive.ie)
8 January 2021, “Independent Cork city councillor Kieran McCarthy also welcomed the plans. ‘There is so much empty property within the city centre especially over the shops that would make great accommodation space plus also offer great prospects of urban renewal’, Cork City Council gives green light to apartment plans for Patrick Street, Cork City Council gives green light to apartment plans for Patrick Street (echolive.ie)
Independent Cllr Kieran McCarthy continues
his commissions of street art on Douglas Road. In recent weeks, two new pieces
have emerged on traffic switch boxes. The first mural, which is located at
Cross Douglas Road, is that of Terence and Muriel MacSwiney who lived at 5
Eldred Terrace in 1917.
Cllr McCarthy highlighted: “There was a commemorative plaque erected on the wall of their former house in June 1980 but unfortunately the plaque was taken down a few months later. There have been calls within the Ballinlough area and Douglas Road by locals to once again mark the story from over hundred years ago of the MacSwineys living within the local community. This mural’s central image is from an old photograph of the couple whist the rose motif is a nod to the always beautiful adjacent flower shop.
Terence and Muriel MacSwiney by Kevin O’Brien, Commissioned by Cllr Kieran McCarthy
The second mural is opposite the entrance
to St Finbarr’s Hospital. Cllr McCarthy noted: “The mural has the theme of
“hold firm” and is dedicated to healthcare staff within the hospital who have
held firm against COVID-19. The mural adds to the existing street art mural,
which was painted Kevin O’Brien outside CUH last year”.
“It has been great to commission artist
Kevin O’Brien again. This is my sixth commission with him. He really brings
ordinary municipal utility boxes to life with his creativity, imparting
uplifting and positives messages. Roads such as Douglas Road are well walked everyday,
so it is great to bring his work into heart of suburban communities, concluded
Cllr McCarthy.
Artist Kevin O’Brien noted: “Street art is
a fantastic way to improve the aesthetic of urban areas and build a sense of
character in communities, but beyond that, with cultural
spaces currently closed, the availability of street art in public
spaces takes on an even greater importance”.
Hold Firm by Kevin O’Brien, Commissioned by Cllr Kieran McCarthy
1081a. Parnell Bridge, c.1900 from Cork City Through Time by Kieran McCarthy & Dan Breen
Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,
Cork Independent, 7 January 2021
Journeys
to a Truce, 1921: Excommunication and
Ambushes
Mid
to late December 1920 coincided with the continued cleaning up of the burnt out
ruins of St Patrick’s Street. In addition, there was fall-out from the decree
issued by Bishop of Cork Daniel Cohalan on 12 December 1920, that the penalty
of excommunication would be imposed on IRA men in the Cork Diocese if they
continued to carry arms against the Crown forces.
Bishop
Cohalan had intervened during Easter Week 1916 and was responsible then for
influencing the decision of the standing down of Cork City Irish Volunteers.
His actions then were believed to be motivated by concern for the peace and
safety of the citizens and in December 1920 his actions were also driven by
peace and safety. But the end of 1920, the Volunteers were on a full war
footing and there was anger across different levels of Cork society about the
Burning of Cork.
Michael
O’Donoghue, Engineer, 2nd Battalion in Cork Brigade No.1, in his
witness statement in the Bureau of Military History (WS 1741) details that the reaction
in Cork was immediate and emphatic to the Bishop’s decree. He notes that a
large portion of the Catholic population were disappointed at it and shocked
and angered as he describes it as “its anti-national bias”. More than half of
the congregation walked out in protest from the North Cathedral during his
Sunday sermon and decree issuing.
However
instead of the decree stopping violence, it increased. Not a single member of
the IRA in Cork ceased their Volunteer activities or eased off in their active
military opposition to the Crown forces. On the contrary, city Volunteers
pursued their offensive more than ever.
Michael
O’Donoghue noted that on the Sunday afternoon of 12 December 1920 he with other
Volunteers, were mobilised for republican police duty in St Patrick’s Street at
the scene of the fire. They were mainly engaged in salvaging goads, damaged and
undamaged, removed from the partly demolished smaller houses. These goods were
stored in houses and yards on the north side of Patrick Street. Looters, too,
had to be kept in check. He personally thought that these police activities by them
were unwise and unnecessary as he felt it exposed them to recognition and
identification as Republican forces. He notes: “The idea was to make a
spectacular gesture for propaganda purposes to show the Volunteer forces of the
Irish Republican Government protecting property and maintaining order in vivid
contrast to the disorder and vandalism of the British forces who had run amok”.
Michael
Murphy, Commandant, 2nd Battalion, IRA Brigade No.1 in his witness
statement (WS1547) takes up the story of IRA activity in the closing days of
1920. On 28 December 1920, by orders of the brigade, men of the 1st and
2nd Battalions entered the newspaper premises of the Cork
Examiner and broke up the printing machines with sledge -hammers. Michael highlights
that the offices were attacked as they were deemed by the IRAto have too much
of pro-British publication output. About fifty men in all took part in this
operation. The majority were on armed duty in the vicinity of the printing
works, St Patrick Street while the demolition was being carried out.
On
5 January 1921, martial law edicts were intensified across Munster as General
Strickland had issued another proclamation. For all breaches of martial law edict
in the south, ‘Death’ was the penalty – “for being in possession of arms or
ammunition or any lethal firearm, for levying war against the British Crown,
for harbouring, aiding or consorting with rebels (i.e. The Irish Republican
Army) for wearing military uniform, British or otherwise & or being in
possession thereof, the penalty was death by shooting before a firing squad”. The
edict continued – “The accused, if he was not shot out of hand on the spot,
which, incidentally, was a frequent occurrence, was tried immediately by
drumhead court martial, found guilty and banded over to the execution squad”.
On
the same day as the Munster martial law edict was enacted, an attack by the IRA
on RIC officers was conducted on Parnell Bridge near Union Quay Barracks.
Each
evening, shortly after 6 o’clock, it was the custom for a party of 25 to 30
police and Black and Tans to leave the barracks at Union Quay. They would cross
the River Lee at Parnell Bridge and there disperse to points in the city. Commandant
Michael Murphy arranged to attack this party, using only the company officers
in his battalion, the idea being to give all of them experience under fire.
On
the evening of 5 January 1921, Michael Murphy, Peter Donovan of C Company, and
Christy Healy went by a motor car driven by Michael Coonan to Morrison’s
Island. In the car they had a Lewis gun, one of the two Michael Murphy had got
in London a few weeks previously. They parked outside Moore’s Hotel, which was
almost directly opposite Union Quay Barracks – the River Lee being between them
and the barracks at a distance of about 50 to 60 yards. The remainder of their
men were posted at Parnell Bridge, Anglesea Street and at points in the
neighbourhood, covering approaches to the enemy barracks. The IRA men were
armed with revolvers and grenades.
At
approximately 6.15pm the police and Tans came out of Union Quay Barracks and,
by the time they were ready to move off, they fixed the Lewis gun in position
on the roadway outside Moore’s Hotel.
As
the enemy party proceeded towards Parnell Bridge, they opened fire with the
Lewis machine gun. The first burst killed seven of them and wounded others. Of
those not hit some ran back to the barracks and those at the head of the party
ran towards Parnell Bridge where they were met with revolver fire and grenades
by IRA men stationed there. The affair lasted no more than ten minutes. None of
the IRA men were wounded on the occasion.
When
the RIC members had all had disappeared, either shot or gone to cover, the IRA
members got their Lewis gun back into the car and made for the house of Sean
Hyde, a Volunteer officer, in Ballincollig, where the gun was left for a few
days before its next outing.
Caption:
1081a. Parnell Bridge,
c.1900 from Cork City Through Time by Kieran McCarthy & Dan Breen
Happy new year to everyone.
Stay safe.
Missed one of the 51 columns
last year, check out the indices at Kieran’s heritage website,
www.corkheritage.ie
Cllr Kieran McCarthy is calling on any community groups based in the south east ward of Cork City, which includes areas such as Ballinlough, Ballintemple, Blackrock, Mahon, Douglas, Donnybrook, Maryborough, Rochestown, Mount Oval and Moneygourney with an interest in sharing in his 2020 ward funding to apply for his funds. A total of E.11,000 is available to community groups through Cllr Kieran McCarthy’s ward funds.
Application should be made via letter (Richmond Villa, Douglas Road) or email to Kieran at kieran_mccarthy@corkcity.ie by Friday 5 February 2021. This email should give the name of the organisation, contact name, contact address, contact email, contact telephone number, details of the organisation, and what will the ward grant will be used for?
Please Note:
– Ward funds will be prioritised to community groups based in the south east ward of Cork City who build community capacity, educate, build civic awareness and projects, which connect the young and old.
– Cllr McCarthy especially welcomes proposals where the funding will be used to run a community event (as per COVID guidelines) that benefits the wider community. In addition, he is seeking to fund projects that give people new skill sets. That could include anything from part funding of coaching training for sports projects to groups interested in bringing enterprise programmes to encourage entrepreneurship to the ward.
– Cllr McCarthy is also particularly interested in funding community projects such as community environment projects such as tree planting, community concerts, and projects those that promote the rich history and environment within the south east ward.
– Cllr McCarthy publishes a list of his ward fund allocations each year on this page.
