Monthly Archives: July 2011

Cork Branch, Western Front Association, Exhibition at Cork City Museum

Cork History, Uncategorized

 The Cork Branch of the Western Front Association recently held an exhibition and a series of talks on the Great War at the Cork Public Museum, Fitzgerald’s Park, Cork (Saturday, July 2nd 2011). Over the last number of years there has been a renewed interest in the Great War of 1914-18 and its impact on Ireland. Recently a number of local historians with an interest in the Great War established a Cork Branch of the Western Front Association. The exhibition will coincide with the 95th Anniversary of the Battle of the Somme. The event was open to all with an interest in the history of the Great War.

 Exhibition, Cork body of Western Front Association, Cork City Museum, July 2011 Exhibition, Cork body of Western Front Association, Cork City Museum, July 2011

Exhibition, Cork body of Western Front Association, Cork City Museum, July 2011 

Exhibition, Cork body of Western Front Association, Cork City Museum, July 2011

 

 Exhibition, Cork body of Western Front Association, Cork City Museum, July 2011

 

Exhibition, Cork body of Western Front Association, Cork City Museum, July 2011

Exhibition, Cork body of Western Front Association, Cork City Museum, July 2011

Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article, 7 July 2011

Cork History, Uncategorized

598a. Andy O'Brien, the Brown Bomber, diving at the Lee Baths, 1934

Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,

Cork Independent, 7 July 2011

 

In the Footsteps of St. Finbarre (Part 262)

Diving into History

 

Over the last number of weeks, I have been trying to attain more information on the Lee Baths and what happened to the car racing on the Carrigrohane Straight Road. Pat O’Brien rang me regarding the Lee Baths. He worked there from 1965 to 1969 whilst he was going to college in UCC. Pat’s father was Andy O’Brien, one of the early lifeguards at the baths. Pat noted:

 

“Andy O’Brien – my father aka the “Brown Bomber” would have been one of the early lifeguards and later head lifeguard at the Lee Baths shortly after it opened. His nickname came after the boxer Joe Lewis, who was known as the ‘brown bomber’ in America. My father’s lifeguard contemporaries would have been Bert Driscoll, Gerry Scanlon, Miles Higgins, Josh O’Brien and Annette Russell – all from Cork. My father as a lifeguard had many River Lee rescues to his name as at the time the River Lee and baths in summer time would have been very crowded with many adults and children. Consequently and unfortunately, there were a number of drownings.

           

My father ran the Lee Baths with military precision and the place was spotless. He was a well known sporting figure in Cork in the Thirties because of his prowess as a high board diver wining many cups and medals for high board and spring board diving at local and national diving championships in Ireland. Diving as a sport was quite popular in Europe in particular in Germany. My father loved the outdoor life and learned to swim himself. He had a natural ability. Apart from the Eglinton Baths there was a swimming area in the River Lee near the Lee Waterworks weir (just up from Kingsley Hotel)before the 1934 Lee Baths opened . The steps are still there.

 

My father hailed from Shandon Street where his family had a public house and shop at the bottom of Dominick Street. His diving adversary at the time would have been Eddie Heron form Dublin – these two guys were the Irish diving stars of the time. Andy was also a regular participant in the annual River Lee Swim.

 

Aside from his swimming, high board diving and water polo prowess he played rugby with Sundays Well and had a Munster Junior Cup medal for rugby (circa 1930’s) where he played as hooker. He was also an excellent gymnast wining prizes at many Feis Mathiú gymnastic displays in Cork. After he married Eileen Cogan (from Illen Villas Mardyke) they lived at Victoria Cross just opposite the Crow’s Nest. The house was originally built in 1879 as a toll house for tolling any farm produce coming into the city. The Superintendent of the English Market lived in the house before us. In the 1940’s my father joined the Ford Motor Company, Cork where he worked until he retired in 1972. He remained actively involved with swimming and diving coaching throughout his lifetime. He died in March 1989.”

 

Several weeks ago I had a few articles on the International Grand Prix held on the six mile Carrigrohane circuit in 1938. Pat recalls the motorcycle and car racing in the 1950s:

“I remember they put a grand stand in front of our house. I was about 4/5 years of age and my younger brother Andrew was about 2 and I remember the Red Cross nurse telling my mother to put cotton buds in his ears- the noise was too loud for his ear drums! I also remember later circa 1956 / 57 when it comes to racing cars the DKW, the German car, forerunner of the BMW was assembled in Ballincollig (near Lidl now).”

 

Alan Verso, a promoter, organiser and promoter of motor car racing in the southern region for many decades contacted me regarding the evolution of the motor car and motor cycle racing post the 1930s. Alan has collected a number of old brochures of the Munster Motor Cycle and Car Club. These relate that the World War II years stifled events in the late 1930s and early 1940s. It was only on the 17 July 1954, after a gap of 16 years, which saw the re-introduction of a fifty mile motor car race at the Carrigrohane circuit. On that day also was the handicap event for light weight motor cycles under 200cc (won by J. Fouhy, Cork) and the Handicap Munster “Hundred” (won by P.E. Whelan, Dublin), which incorporated the speed championship of Ireland for 350cc (won by F.M. Fox, Dublin) and 500cc machines (won by Louis Carter, Dublin). The Cork Examiner on Monday 19 July reported that Cork driver, W.L. Hennessy, driving a D.K.W., won the race.

 

The historic brochures in Alan’s possession also record that racing ceased on the Carrigrohane circuit in the late 1950s due to difficulties in closing the road due to more and more houses being built in the area and the potential for accidents. Subsequently, the motor cycle racing went to Vernon Mount whilst for motor car racing enthusiasts the Cork 20 was rebooted in Munster. The latter was and still is an international non-stop 20 hour race, which was an event rooted in the 1920s and 1930s and set up by the Cork District Motor Cycle and Car Club (now the Munster Car Club).

 

To be continued….

 

Captions:

 

598a. Andy O’Brien, the ‘Brown Bomber’, diving at the Lee Baths, 1934 (picture: O’Brien family)

 

598b. Motor cycles lining up on the Carrigrohane Circuit, 17 July 1954 (picture: Cork City Library)

598b. Motor cycles lining up on the Carrigrohane Circuit, 17 July 1954

Ballinlough Historical Walking Tour, 6 July 2011

Cork History, S.E. Ward Local History, Uncategorized, Ward Events

Kieran's Ballinlough Historical Tour Group, 6 July 2011

 

 

Thanks to everyone who came out to support the historical walking tour of Ballinlough this evening plus thanks for your contributions and sharing your memories.

 

 

Ballinlough: Did you Know?!

 

Ballinlough has a rich variety of heritage sites that provide an understanding into the development of the city and region and connections between both.

 

The rock-formation beneath Ballinlough is an expansive layer of fine, carboniferous limestone, rich in crinoidal fossils. The rock is potentially 300,000,000 years old.

 

The area’s first recorded resident to settle in the area was Patrick Meade. In records from 1641, Ballinlough was written as Ballynloghy and Patrick, a Catholic, had 144 acres of profitable land. The Meades were originally from the west coast of England.

 

 

During the Cromwellian wars, Patrick Meade was dispossessed of his property. William Tucker had the caretaker’s lease on the property through Oliver Cromwell. Subsequently, the 144 acres were given to Alexander Pigott. The Pigotts came from Chetwynd in Shropshire and initially came to Ballyginnane beyond present day Togher. In time, they re-named this area Chetwynd (CHETWID).

 

In 1792, when Beamish & Crawford was first established, William Beamish resided at Beaumont House, which was then a magnificent period residence situated on Beaumont Hill (SEE MAP). During their tenure at Beaumont House the philanthropic spirit of the Beamish family was well known. The name Beaumont, is the French derivative of Beamish meaning a beautiful view from the mountain or a beautiful view.

 

Ballinlough House, one of several large mansions in the area was built c.1860 by George Gregg. The house had 21 ½ acres of parkland and the adjoining crossroads were named after the family. In time 15 acres of the land were sold off to creat Silverdale.

 

In the 1840s, Mr Meade conducted a private school in Ballinlough, which was attended by 80 females all Roman Catholics. It may have been located in County’s Lane (now Glencoo Lawn entrance from Ballinlough Road).

 

A standing stone survives in Ardmahon Estate. It was visited by antiquarian Thomas Crofton Croker in 1815. It measures 4 feet, 10 inches high and is a limestone block. Local folklore says it may have been part of a missile cast by Fionn MacCumhall to discommode his enemies!

 

 

In 1850 Griffith’s Valuation of property in Ballinlough, 49 individual land holdings – are listed. The surnames included McGrath, Dennis,Hare, Pigott, Angleton, Barrett, Barry, Callaghan, Coughlan, Delany, Donovan, Hayes, Keeffe, Keohane, Lavallin, Love, Lyons, Mahony, Meade, Noonan, Reid, Regan, Riordan, Silke and Smith

 

In the 1901 census Ballinlough townland had 17 market gardeners

 

Pic Du Jer Park, built by the Bradley Brothers, was one of the first speculative building projects in the early twentieth century in Cork. Before Pic Du Jer was built Fordson’s Football Club, a subsidiary leisure group of a Fords had their home on the site.

 

Kieran's Ballinlough Historical Walking Tour Group, 6 July 2011

 

Cork Blackrock and Passage Rail Line, Did You Know?!

Cork History, Kieran's Council Work, S.E. Ward Local History, Uncategorized, Ward Events

Kieran's tour down the amenity walk of the former Blackrock and Passage Railway Line, 5 July 2011

Thanks to those who supported the Cork Blackrock and Passage Railway Line historical walking tour this evening!

 

 

Did You Know?

 

It wasn’t until 1834 that the first railway was built in Ireland, the Dublin and Kingstown Railway (D&KR) between Dublin and Kingstown (Dún Laoghaire), a distance of 10 km (6 miles).

 

In 1836, the lands of Lakelands and Ballinure in Mahon were surveyed and the engineer, Charles Vignoles planned the routeway of the railway. In 1837, the Passage Railway Bill was passed in the Westminster Parliament but work only got underway in the late 1840s. By that time, the Cork Passage Railway Company had been reformed into the Cork, Blackrock and Passage Railway Company.

 

The greatest of the Passage industries were the Dockyards. There were two dockyards.

 

Sir John Benjamin MacNeill, the engineer of the Cork Blackrock and Passage Railway, was appointed engineer-in-chief to many projects in Ireland including plans for 800 miles of railway. His railway works include the Boyne Viaduct, the Craigmore viaduct and the Cork railway tunnel. In 1855, he helped survey part of a route for a railway line linking Europe to India, participating in an expedition to the valley of the River Euphrates.

On Tuesday 15 June 1847, Lady Deane turned the first sod on the line. The Band of the 67th Regiment, then solemnly played God Save the Queen”. The guns saluted and the official party retired to Dundanion House for a banquet.

 

Mr. William Dargan was involved in building the final section of the line between Toureen Strand and the Steam packet Quay at Passage (had been involved in the construction of Cork and Mallow line). William, through his company, built dry docks, reclaimed land, improved harbours, pioneered the development of the seaside resort of Bray in County Wicklow, and was a major investor in Irish industries. He financed and organised the Dublin Exhibition of 1853.

 

The line opened for public service on Saturday 8 June 1850. The traffic was enormous over the first weekend. 6,000 people were carried on the Sunday.  One train carried 460 people.

The initial service was to be operated by John Dawson of the Phibsborough Coach Works, Dublin – and operated on a basis of 100 miles per day at 2 shillings per mile.

 

The initial train service consisted of 10 trains each way with – eventually eight each way on weekdays and nine on Sundays. The first class fare was six pence, second class was four pence and a third class fare was later introduced.

 

Trains from Cork left on the hour while corresponding workings departed Passage at half-past the hour.

 

The rail line was served by three small 2-2-2 well tanks, which remained in service for 50 years. They were built by the Sharp brothers and were delivered in 1850 and were named 1,2 & 3.

 

The terminus on the Cork side was originally on Victoria Road where it meets Albert Quay.

 

By the end of November 1850, a surplus of £1,500 was made on the rail line; a total of 198,747 passengers had been carried- 79,106 of those were first class and 119,641 were second class passengers had been carried. A total of 20,000 miles has been run.

 

In 1868 with the draining of Monarea marshes, this removed a 1 ½ mile section of the Cork Blackrock & Passage Railway line between City Park Station and the western end of the Marina. Hence a new terminus was developed at Albert Street.  Cork Corporation bore the cost of the track and the new station opened 6 February 1873.

 

Competition from buses and financial losses closed the 82 year old line on 10 December 1932.

 

Historical Walking Tours of Old Railway Line and Ballinlough, This Week!

Cork City Events, Cork History, Kieran's Council Work, Landscapes, S.E. Ward Local History, Uncategorized, Ward Events

Cllr. Kieran McCarthy will lead a historical walking tour of the Old Cork, Blackrock and Passage Railway line on Tuesday 5 July 2011. The walk starts at 7pm. at the entrance to the line on The Marina side adjacent the Main Drainage station. The Cork Blackrock and Passage Railway, which opened in 1850, was among the first of the suburban Cork railway projects. The walk will discuss the evolution of the line and also some of the historical sites which overlook it.

Cllr. McCarthy will also lead a historical tour of Ballinlough on Wednesday 6 July 2011, starting at 7pm at Ballinlough Pitch and Putt car park, opp. Pairc Ui Rinn, Cork, duration: 1 ½ hours, finishing around Ballinlough Church. With 360 acres, Ballinlough is the second largest of the seven townlands forming the Mahon Peninsula. The area has a deep history dating back to Bronze Age Ireland. In fact it is probably the only urban area in the country to still have a standing stone still standing in it for over 5,000 years. The walk will highlight this heritage along with tales of landlords, big houses, rural life in nineteenth century Ballinlough and the evolution of its twentieth century suburban history. Cllr. McCarthy noted: “South east Cork City is full of historical gems; the walks are not only talks about the history of suburban sites but are also forums for people to talk about their own memories and knowledge of local history in the ward. All events are free and are open to all.

 

Cork Blackrock and Passage Railway Line, advertisement, early 1900s

Munster Agricultural Society, The Story of the Cork Showgrounds

Cork History, S.E. Ward Local History, Uncategorized, Ward Events

Cllr Kieran McCarthy’s new book, which was commissioned by the Munster Agricultural Society, explores the history of the Society and the evolution of the former Cork Showgrounds. With roots in the early nineteenth century, the Society has had a long history, being founded in 1806 under the name County of Cork Farming Society, changing to County of Cork Agricultural Society sometime in the 1830s and evolving in 1908 to its current name.  In 1892, the Society’s agricultural shows moved from behind the city’s corn market (now City Hall) to create the Cork showgrounds.

The society has evolved as the needs of its members changed over time to incorporate what they saw as relevant to the contemporary and future of agriculture in Ireland. Each successful season is immortalised in the society’s minute books, on the society’s perpetual tournament trophies and on the numerous photos that adorn the scrapbooks held in the society’s archive collection. The Munster Agricultural Society has been a pioneer in attaining improvements in Irish agriculture and in agricultural education. Commenting Cllr McCarthy noted: “The society has contributed to technological change, broader cultural change and new areas of knowledge. But this book, through the story and pictures, is about so much more. It is about tradition, nostalgia, pride, change and continuity, promotion, inspiration, leadership, education, motivation and unfailing generosity on the part of the members of all the committees who worked tirelessly through time. This book, at its heart, is an exploration and celebration of all those ideas.”

The book Munster Agricultural Society, The Story of the Cork Showgrounds is on sale in Liam Ruiseal’s on Oliver Plunkett Street or at the offices of the Society in the Marina Commercial Park, 021 4315772. Showjumping at the Society’s new grounds at Greenfields, Ballincollig, takes place this weekend.

Munster Agricultural Society, The Story of the Cork Showgrounds

Cork History, S.E. Ward Local History, Uncategorized, Ward Events

Cllr Kieran McCarthy’s new book, which was commissioned by the Munster Agricultural Society, explores the history of the Society and the evolution of the former Cork Showgrounds. With roots in the early nineteenth century, the Society has had a long history, being founded in 1806 under the name County of Cork Farming Society, changing to County of Cork Agricultural Society sometime in the 1830s and evolving in 1908 to its current name.  In 1892, the Society’s agricultural shows moved from behind the city’s corn market (now City Hall) to create the Cork showgrounds.

The society has evolved as the needs of its members changed over time to incorporate what they saw as relevant to the contemporary and future of agriculture in Ireland. Each successful season is immortalised in the society’s minute books, on the society’s perpetual tournament trophies and on the numerous photos that adorn the scrapbooks held in the society’s archive collection. The Munster Agricultural Society has been a pioneer in attaining improvements in Irish agriculture and in agricultural education. Commenting Cllr McCarthy noted: “The society has contributed to technological change, broader cultural change and new areas of knowledge. But this book, through the story and pictures, is about so much more. It is about tradition, nostalgia, pride, change and continuity, promotion, inspiration, leadership, education, motivation and unfailing generosity on the part of the members of all the committees who worked tirelessly through time. This book, at its heart, is an exploration and celebration of all those ideas.”

The book Munster Agricultural Society, The Story of the Cork Showgrounds is on sale in Liam Ruiseal’s on Oliver Plunkett Street or at the offices of the Society in the Marina Commercial Park, 021 4315772. Showjumping at the Society’s new grounds at Greenfields, Ballincollig, takes place this weekend.