Sturdy on a table top and lit by youngest fair, a candle is blessed with hope and love, and much festive cheer, Set in a wooden centre piece galore, it speaks in Christian mercy and a distant past of emotional lore, With each commencing second, memories come and go, like flickering lights on the nearest Christmas tree all lit in traditional glow, With each passing minute, the flame bounces side to side in drafty household breeze, its light conjuring feelings of peace and warmth amidst familiar blissful degrees, With each lapsing hour, the residue of wax visibly melts away, whilst the light blue centered heart is laced with a spiritual healing at play, With each ending day, how lucky are those who love and laugh around its glow-filledness, whilst outside, the cold beats against the nearest window in the bleak winter barreness, Fear and nightmare drift away in the emulating light, both threaten this season in almighty wintry flight, Sturdy on a table top and lit by youngest fair, a candle is blessed with hope and love, and much festive cheer.
1080a. Daly’s Bridge AKA Shakey Bridge, post refurbishment, December 2020 (picture: Kieran McCarthy).
Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,
Cork Independent, 24 December 2020
Celebrating the History of Daly’s Bridge
Over
the past two to three years, three bridges in Cork have received much media
focus – St Patrick’s Bridge and its cleaning and restructuring, the new Mary
Elmes Bridge and its modern design, and thirdly Daly’s Bridge, AKA the Shaky
Bridge and its mass cleaning and re-strengthening programme. Such work was spearheaded by Cork
City Council.
Perhaps
of the three bridges that I have listed the last one, Daly’s Bridge or the
Shakey Bridge, opened in 1927, is one which holds the fascination of the public
the most. The recent removal of the main body of the bridge to de-clean it off
site caused a large tinge of public sadness. Its re-opening this week heralded
hope and almost the sense of a valued family member having 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.
The story of Daly’s Bridge is rich. With the development
of Fitzgerald’s Park and the adjacent Rugby Grounds circa 1905, the
ferry crossing that had formed a route from Sunday’s Well to Shanakiel came
under increasing pressure.
On
28 August 1908 a deputation of residents of Sunday’s Well appeared before the
members of Cork Corporation in the then City Hall. Coroner Blake acted as
spokesman and noted that he had got a recent letter during that week from Mr
Thomas Dooley, proprietor of the ferry at Ferry Walk, stating that he was
willing to sell his interest in it (due to his impending retirement) to the
Corporation of Cork for £100, if they sought to purchase it.
Coroner
Blake outlined that the Corporation had been, as far he knew, owners and
proprietors of most of the ferries in the city of Cork, and if they attained
Dooley’s ferry rights in question it would be, he believed, “an advantage
to the citizens at large”. If the Council thought the proposal a good idea, he
suggested that instead of a ferry, a suspension bridge could be erected.
Sir
Edward Fitzgerald, councillor, said he believed that the bridge proposal was a
necessity and asked that the matter be referred to the Corporation’s Public
Works Committee.
On 1 September 1908,
the proposed Ferry Walk Bridge was discussed at the Public Works Committee.Sir Edward Fitzgerald said the first thing to be
done was to instruct the City Engineer to supply the Committee, at his earliest
convenience with the cost of a suspension bridge.
In April 1910, the City
Engineer gave particulars regards the site and the approaches to the bridge and
a general discussion took place on the question of the situation and character
of the new bridge. Shortly afterwards, the proposed cost of a new bridge became
a stumbling block for the Corporation to be able to move forward developing the
project.
Sixteen years later, the substantial
financial contribution by local man James Daly eventually broke the deadlock on
funding the suspension bridge project. Born at Moycollop, County Waterford in
1856, James Daly (1856-1942)began his busines life in his native
district as a butter and egg merchant. His business acumen was not long in
making itself felt, and at an early age he was able to open up as a butter
merchant being founder and managing director, of the firm of James Daly
and Sons, Ltd., Shandon Street, Dominick Street, and Mulgrave Road. His
association with the butter industry extended over 50 years from the 1880s to
the early 1930s – over half a century.
Under his own
personal supervision James merited for his firm a world-wide reputation and
employed many people. In addition to the butter industry, the firm were
also proprietors of the Shandon Castle Margarine Factory, which was established
until 1905, and erected on the site of the ancient Shandon Castle.
James
was one of the trustees of the Cork Butter Exchange. As an agriculturalist, James was
well known throughout Cork and Waterford, being the owner of large farms in
each of these counties, while he also possessed extensive
fishing preserves on the River Blackwater, and game preserves in the same
vicinity. James was also a Justice of the Peace, a member of the Cork Chamber
of Commerce, and a member of the National Liberal Club of London.
The
decision was made by City Engineer, Stephen Farrington that the new bridge
should be a steel suspension bridge, a type popular in the early decades of the
twentieth century, though few were built in Ireland. The decision was made to
purchase a bridge from the English bridge manufacturers David Rowell &
Company.
In his 3 February 1927 report, Stephen Farrington
said he was notified by Messrs Rowell & Co that the steel erectors were
coming over that week to start work on the suspension bridge at Ferry Walk. In late
February 1927,the new suspension footbridge was rapidly nearing
completion.
The formal opening of Daly’s Bridge took place on
Saturday 9 May 1927. Very Rev Canon O’Sullivan presided at the function. Mr M
O’Driscoll, PC on behalf of Mr James Daly opened the bridge.
Mr O’Driscoll said that he felt that a very great
honour had been conferred on him in asking him to formally open the bridge,
which “would do so much to enhance the attractions of the district, and at the
same time confer such as substantial benefit on the citizens in general, and on
the residents of Sunday’s Well in particular”.
For more information on the story of Daly’s Bridge
aka The Shakey Bridge, check out Kieran’s History Trails on www.corkheritage.ie
Happy Christmas to everyone.
Caption:
1080a. Daly’s Bridge AKA Shakey Bridge, post
refurbishment, December 2020 (picture: Kieran McCarthy).
Evening Echo is a public artwork by New Zealand artist Maddie Leach. It is sited on old gasometer land gifted by Bord Gáis to Cork City Council in the late 1980s. This site was subsequently re-dedicated as Shalom Park in 1989. The park sits in the centre of the old Cork neighbourhood known locally as ‘Jewtown’. This neighbourhood is also home to the National Sculpture Factory.
This year the last night of Hanukkah is Thursday 17 December and offers the only opportunity to see the tall ‘ninth lamp’ alight until next year. The cycle begins 10 minutes before sunset, which occured this year at 4.13pm, and continued for 30 minutes after sunset when the ninth lamp was extinguished.
Evening Echo, Shalom Park, 17 December 2020 (picture: Kieran McCarthy)Evening Echo, Shalom Park, 17 December 2020 (picture: Kieran McCarthy)Evening Echo, Shalom Park, 17 December 2020 (picture: Kieran McCarthy)
Independent Cllr Kieran McCarthy
has welcomed the reopening of Douglas Library in Douglas Village Shopping
Centre. The library will be a transformed space both in design and enhanced
services. The refurbished library includes a complete transformation of the
children’s space, including a new children’s fiction area, a larger children’s
story time area and a new personalised kiosk for the children and families to
use.
The Listening Lounge is new to the
adult area and will be a space for the public to listen to audio books and
music on cd and vinyl. It will be a relaxing and calm space. My Open Library
will be part of Douglas Library early in the new year and will significantly
increase the opening hours for the public.
Plans are also being finalised to
support those with dementia in the community, including a new Tovertafel magic
table and memory café which will be a great addition to our Age Friendly
Libraries initiatives.
A Per Cent for Art Commission has
been awarded to two Cork based textile artists as part of the reopening of the
refurbished Library. Taking its inspiration from the historic textile industry
of the Douglas area the proposal includes a strong community engagement element
with nursing homes and local schools. The end piece will be a textile wall
hanging, a focus for discussion of the local history of the area for many years
to come.
Cllr McCarthy noted: “The staff of Cork
City Libraries put in extra hours adding new items to ensure the stock of
Douglas Library will be second to none, providing the most up to date titles
available to the people of Douglas and the surrounding areas. The library will
continue to host many activities, book clubs, writing groups and craft
activities for all ages within the community. The City Council’s intention is
that the library will continue to proactively support learning, diversity and
social and cultural inclusion”.
Independent Cllr Kieran McCarthy
has welcomed the reopening of Douglas Library in Douglas Village Shopping
Centre. The library will be a transformed space both in design and enhanced
services. The refurbished library includes a complete transformation of the
children’s space, including a new children’s fiction area, a larger children’s
story time area and a new personalised kiosk for the children and families to
use.
The Listening Lounge is new to the
adult area and will be a space for the public to listen to audio books and
music on cd and vinyl. It will be a relaxing and calm space. My Open Library
will be part of Douglas Library early in the new year and will significantly
increase the opening hours for the public.
Plans are also being finalised to
support those with dementia in the community, including a new Tovertafel magic
table and memory café which will be a great addition to our Age Friendly
Libraries initiatives.
A Per Cent for Art Commission has
been awarded to two Cork based textile artists as part of the reopening of the
refurbished Library. Taking its inspiration from the historic textile industry
of the Douglas area the proposal includes a strong community engagement element
with nursing homes and local schools. The end piece will be a textile wall
hanging, a focus for discussion of the local history of the area for many years
to come.
Cllr McCarthy noted: “The staff of Cork
City Libraries put in extra hours adding new items to ensure the stock of
Douglas Library will be second to none, providing the most up to date titles
available to the people of Douglas and the surrounding areas. The library will
continue to host many activities, book clubs, writing groups and craft
activities for all ages within the community. The City Council’s intention is
that the library will continue to proactively support learning, diversity and
social and cultural inclusion”.
17 December 2020, “We got a sneak-peak into the new-and-improved bridge earlier this week, and chatted to Cllr Kieran McCarthy about the work that went into the historic and culturally significant structure”, WATCH: First glimpse at the new-and-improved Shakey Bridge, WATCH: First glimpse at the new-and-improved Shakey Bridge – Cork Beo
17 December 2020, “Historian and independent Cllr Kieran McCarthy, who campaigned for years for the investment in the project, said he thinks people will be pleased. “I think people will be very happy that it still shakes. I would invite people to come down to test it out. Don’t come in large numbers but do come down to see the refurb job”, Cork’s ‘Shakey Bridge’ to reopen on Saturday with its shake intact, Cork’s ‘Shakey Bridge’ to reopen on Saturday with its shake intact (irishexaminer.com)
17 December 2020, Cllr McCarthy, who described the bridge as being “infused in the city’s DNA”, explained that it got its nickname “due to the fact that a large number of people used the bridge to go to GAA matches in the Mardyke. Consequently, the bridge would shake with the masses of people walking across it”, Cork’s ‘Shakey Bridge’ reopens after €1.7m refurbishment, Cork’s ‘Shakey Bridge’ reopens after €1.7m refurbishment
14 December 2020, “Following a question posed by Independent councillor Kieran McCarthy, who requested an update on the progress of the reopening of the library”, Reopening date of Douglas Library revealed; refurbished library to offer new services, https://www.echolive.ie/corknews/arid-40190784.html
Aftermath of the Burning of Cork on St Patrick’s Street photograph by W Hogan (source: National Library of Ireland).
Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,
Cork Independent, 10 December 2020
Remembering
1920: The Burning of Cork
It
was a night like no other in Cork’s War of Independence. The Cork Examiner
records that about 7.30pm on Saturday night, 11 December 1920 auxiliary police
were ambushed near Dillion’s Cross on the way to Cork Barracks. Bombs were
thrown at the lorry and several of the occupants were injured, some badly.
Reprisals began in the locality of the ambush, and during the night several
houses in the district were burned. Buttimer’s Shop and Brian Dillion house
were targeted. The latter House, which had a tablet on it dedicated to Irish
Fenian Brian Dillion, was completely gutted. Rifle shots rang out and the
crackling burning of timber was heard.
Between
8pm and 10pm volleys of revenge gunfire from auxiliary police and Black and
Tans reverberated through the flat of the city and created considerable alarm
as people stampeded away in various directions. Many people elected to stay in
hotels and others sought the hospitable shelter of friend’s houses in the
neighbourhood in which they happened at the time. The people sought their
homes, extinguished all lights, and then passed through many hours of fear.
Passengers
on the last tram to St Luke’s Cross, which left the Statue at 9pm had an
eventful journey. The car had got about 60 to 70 yards beyond Empress Place
Police Station on Summerhill North when a number of armed men in police uniform
carrying carbines, and accompanied by auxiliaries, held it up. They ordered all
the passengers off at the point with revolvers. Male passengers were ordered to
line up for searching. Some tried to run and a voice rang out, “I’ll shoot
anyone who runs”. Shots were fired in the air while the searches were being
conducted.
The
tram car was smashed up and was brought back by the conductor to the Fr Mathew
Statue, who at that point was ordered off. It was set on fire and completely
destroyed.
It
was hoped that when curfew hour was reached there would be cessation of the
firing and explosions, but such hopes were not realised: in fact as the night
advanced the situation became more terrifying, and the people especially women
and children were rendered helpless amidst fire and shots by Black and Tans
stalking the streets with rifles and revolvers. About 10pm, following
explosions, Messrs Grants’ Emporium, in St Patrick’s Street, was found to be
ablaze.
The
Superintendent of the City of Cork Fire Brigade, Alfred Hutson,received
a call at 10.30pm to extinguish the fire at Grants. He found that the fire had
gained considerable headway and the flames were coming through the roof. He got
three lines of hose to work—one in Mutton Lane and two in Market Lane,
intersecting passages on either side of these premises. With a good supply of
water they were successful in confining the fire to Grant’s and prevented its
spread to that portion running to the Grand Parade from Mutton Lane, while they
saved, except with slight damage, the adjacent premises of Messrs Hackett
(jeweller) and Haynes (jeweller).
The
Market – a building mostly of timber – to the rear of Grants was found to be in
great danger. Except for only a few minor outbreaks in the roof the fire
brigade was successful in saving the Market and other valuable premises in
Mutton Lane. The splendid building of Grant’s though with its stock was reduced
to ruins.
During the
fire-fighting at Grants Alfred Hutson received word from the Town Clerk that
the Munster Arcade was on fire, just some doors from where he was. This was
about 11.30pm. He sent some of his men and appliances available to contend with
it. Shortly after he got word that the Cash’s premises were on fire. He
shortened down hoses at Mutton Lane and sent all available stand-pipes, hoses
and men to contend with this fire as well.
Hutson’s men found
both the Munster Arcade and Cash’s well alight from end to end, with no
prospect of saving either, and the fire spreading rapidly to adjoining
properties. All the hydrants and mains that they could possibly use were
brought to bear upon the flames and points were selected where the fire may be
possibly checked and their efforts concentrated there.
The
flames ranged with great intensity, and within an hour, buildings were reduced
to ruins. Owing to the inflammatory nature of the materials in these premises,
or as the result of petrol having been sprinkled within the buildings, the
conflagrations became most fierce and the blocks of buildings running between
St Patrick’s Street and Oliver Plunkett Street on one side and Cook Street and
Merchant street on the other side became involved. It was impossible to subdue
such outbreaks.
In
the early hours of Sunday morning at 2.50am in the upper end of Dublin Hill in
Blackpool the Black and Tans encroached on the houses of the Delaney family.
IRA members Joseph Delaney, aged about 24, was shot dead and his brother,
30-year old Cornelius and his 50 year old uncle, William Dunlea, were wounded,
the former very dangerously. All were shot at point blank range by uniformed
soldiers. The two wounded men were removed to the Mercy Hospital where
Cornelius succumbed to his wounds.
It
was approaching 4am when it was discovered that the work of destruction
continued. At that time the City Hall and Carnegie Library became ablaze. Both
of these buildings were gutted, only the walls left standing. The upper portion
of City Hall including the clock tower fell in. Such was the intensity of the
fires the firemen were driven out of the buildings.
As
dawn broke on Sunday morning, 12 December, residents of Cork were then able to
see the picture of Saturday night’s work of devastation. Fine buildings, with
highly valuable stock, had been wiped out, and thousands of people were to
become unemployed.
In
one twenty-four period, over
four acres of Cork City’s Centre had been reduced to ruins – 2,000 people had
lost their jobs, and an estimated three million pounds of damage had been
inflicted on Cork’s City Centre building stock. Nearly one hundred businesses
and homes had been destroyed or badly damaged by fire and looting.
Kieran’s latest book Witness to Murder, The Inquest of
Tomás MacCurtain is now available to purchase online (co-authored with John
O’Mahony 2020, Irish Examiner/www.examiner.ie).
Caption:
1078a.
Aftermath of the Burning of Cork on St Patrick’s Street photograph by W Hogan
(source: National Library of Ireland).
5 December 2020, “This week coming marks 100 years since the Burning of Cork. The Black and Tans destroyed homes, dozens of businesses and buildings. To take a look at this a bit more we’re joined by a local Cork historian Cllr Kieran McCarthy”, The Burning of Cork, 1920, The Business (rte.ie)
Title page from Who Burnt Cork City, 1921 (source: Cork City Library)
In late November 1920, the fallout of events
such as Bloody Sunday and the Kilmichael Ambush led to the further use of arson
by Crown Forces as a common retaliation tool. Newspapers such as the Cork
Examiner are full of accounts of arson against Sinn Féin clubs, Sinn Féin connected
shops and random premises.
About 2am on 23 November 1920 the first of
the Sinn Féin clubs were targeted. The fire brigade under Captain Hutson,
Superintendent, was called to an outbreak at Watercourse Road. Proceeding there
with firemen from Sullivan’s Quay, Grattan Street and Shandon Street Stations.
They brigade found that the upper of 35 and 36 Watercourse Road was well
alight. Much damage was done to the club premises, but the fire was got under
control within half an hour. As the days progressed, Sinn Fein Clubs on
Hardwick Street (24 November), Grand Parade (25 November), North Main Street
(27 November) and were also targeted. In Dublin acting President of Sinn Féin
was arrested by members of the auxiliary police force.
Michael Murphy was a Commandant of the 2nd
Battalion of Cork IRA Brigade No.1. In his witness statement (WS1547) within
the Bureau of Military History he recalls that on 25 November 1920, following a
Volunteer meeting in the Sinn Féin Club within Thomas Ashe Hall on Fr Mathew
Quay, five men of the 2nd Battalion were standing at the corner of Princes Street
and St Patrick’s Street having a chat, when a Black and Tan in civilian dress
came along and threw a grenade into the group. As a result, three lads were
killed outright – Paddy Trahey, Vice-Commandant of the 2nd Battalion; N.
Donohue, 2nd Battalion, and Volunteer Mehigan. Of the two others, Volunteer
Sean Bawn Murphy had his arm shattered and Volunteer Reynolds had his thigh
fractured.
In anticipation of an attempt being made by
the enemy to burn the Thomas Ashe Hall, Michael and his company decided to
prepare a surprise for the Black and Tans in the shape of a ‘trap’ mine inside
the door of the Hall. The trap mine was laid for three days and nights before
the Tans arrived and blew themselves up. It was necessary, therefore, to put a
Volunteer guard on duty near the Hall. During the day to warn those of our men
who might go into the Hall.
Michael obtained about three cwt. of gelignite and placed
it immediately inside the Hall and against the outer wall. The gelignite was
then well tamped with clay. Six electric detonators were fixed to the charge of
gelignite and connected with electric wires attached to a switch at the inside
of the front door; the switch was so arranged that it came into operation and
fired the charge of gelignite when the front door was opened. They also
loosened the ‘keeper’ of the lock on the front door, so as to make it easy to
be broken, which, they anticipated, the Tans would do.
Shortly after midnight, on 30 November 1920, about twenty
Black and Tans came to the Tomas Ashe Hall. Two of them hammered on the front
door with the butts of their rifles while the remainder lined the wall just
outside where the trap mine was laid. Eventually, the Tans burst in the door
and a large explosion took place.
On 29 November 1920 the Transport Worker’s Union hall on
Camden Quay was fire bombed. Cork City Hall was bombed and fired again on 30
November with much damage inflicted. Across the city centre, large shops became
targets by Crown Forces. Messrs Dwyers on Washington Street (21 November),
Forrest’s on St Patrick’s Street (27 November), Cahill and Co., American Shoe
Co. and Blackthorn House on St Patrick’s Street (27 November) Egan’s St
Patrick’s Street (30 November), O’Gorman’s and Dalton’s on MacCurtain Street (1
December), Confectionary Shop and Irish National Assurance Company on Marlboro
Street (2 December).
Early in the month of December 1920, Michael Murphy was
instructed by the Brigade Officer-in-Command to go to London to purchase arms.
In London, the contact man was Mick O’Brien, a Cork Volunteer who was then
representing his firm, Messrs. Dowdall O’Mahony & Co. in London. Mick had
written to Seán Hegarty, the Brigade Officer in Command telling him that guns
could be bought in London, and Hegarty sent Mick O’Brien a sum of money to
purchase the guns. Mick O’Brien, however, would not do any buying requesting
Hegarty go over to him. Hegarty sent Michael Murphy to London with £150 or so
to meet Mick.
At this particular period, in order to build up a strong
arms fund, the brigade ‘levied’ each company in the battalion to the extent of
£150. This money was to be collected in each company area. When Michael arrived
in London, he met Mick O’Brien by arrangement, and he brought him around to
second hand gun shops where he inspected and bought a quantity of revolvers and
ammunition. Michael purchased two Lewis guns and a good supply of ammunition.
In all, when packed there were two filled barrels.
Before leaving Cork, Michael had got an touch with Sean Óg
Murphy who was a clerk at the Cork Steampacket Company, and told him to expect
a consignment addressed to Messrs. Swanton & Co., North Main St. Cork. This
was a fictitious name; there was no such firm in Cork. On the arrival of the
goods by boat in Cork, Sean Óg was to notify Michael and he would arrange to
collect them.
When the two barrels of ammo came to Cork (Michael had
returned to Cork by this time), they were taken out of the Cork Steampacket
Company’s store for delivery to Swanton’s unknown to Sean Óg. When they were returned
to the store, undelivered, somebody there opened the barrels, discovered their contents,
and notified the police at Union Quay Barracks.
Somehow or other, Sean Óg got news of what was happening and
immediately sent word to Michael. He went in haste to a haulage contractor who
gave him a horse and car, and armed with a revolver, he proceeded to the
Steampacket Company’s store. Producing the revolver, he ordered the barrel to
be loaded on to the cart and made a hurried departure with my precious cargo.
On his way back, he passed a party of detectives from Union Quay Barracks who
were en route to Penrose Quay.
Kieran’s latest book Witness to Murder, The Inquest of
Tomás MacCurtain is now available to purchase online (co-authored with John
O’Mahony 2020, Irish Examiner/www.examiner.ie).
Captions:
1077a. Steamships at Penrose Quay, c.1910 (source:
Cork City Through Time by Kieran McCarthy and Dan Breen).
