Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,

Cork Independent, 10 January 2019

Tales from 1919: Permits, Parcels & Prisoners of War

       Nearly three hundred men, natives of Munster who had been prisoners of war, were given a warm welcome on 7 January 1919 at the Imperial Hotel, Cork, by the members of the Cork branch of the Irish Women’s Association. A special food permit was obtained to have a dinner, which together with entertainment were held in the decorated ballroom. The event was described in detail by the Cork Examiner and gives an insight into the support base back home in Cork whilst Cork soldiers were on the front line. The Branch also had regular meetings, which were minuted and published in the local press. The January 1919 event also took place against the backdrop of a campaign by Westminster’s Ministry of Labour to get returned soldiers and officers back into their old jobs before they left.

    Those present at the Cork branch dinner were representatives of all the Irish uniforms – the strongest contingent being from the Royal Munster Fusiliers and many others from regiments, corps, and the Navy. The Fusiliers had lost nearly 180 officers and over 4,000 men in the World War. Over 10,000 had seen the inside of German Prisoner of War camps. In the ballroom, the gathering was one of war worn soldiers, some of whom had over 25 years’ service and who had fought and survived many times before the war they had just returned from. Others had answered the call to help from 1914 onwards. Many had been prisoners from 1914, with a few been captured in 1918. Some amongst them were maimed and crippled from wounds received in battle. Some suffered from the treatment they were subjected to in Germany. Those present were appreciative of the work of the Cork Women’s Association who supplied parcels to the frontline.

     The Cork Branch of the Irish Women’s Association was founded by the Countess Bandon on Christmas week in December 1915. The volunteer work was organised and led by Mrs Ethel Helen Peacocke from Skevanish House, Innishannon (wife of Lieutenant Colonel Warren Peacocke, who was executed as a suspected spy of IRA activities in 1921). The Cork branch first sent parcels to a small number of Corkmen who were prisoners of war from the 6^th and 7^th Battalions of the Royal Munster Fusiliers in Salonika Greece. The remainder went to France for the benefit of the Cyclist Corps of the 1th Division. The number of men catered for grew as well as the content of the parcels from food initially to gloves, caps, pocket handkerchiefs, vests, milk tablets, soup tablets, soap, socks, foot powder, playing cards books to hurley sticks, balls and footballs. Parcels were posted once a fortnight to Limburg POW camp in Germany through the help of the British Diplomatic Office in Berne, Switzerland and through the Irish Women’s Association, Kensington Palace, London. From time to time, the Cork branch sent parcels to the Munster men in the fighting zone. It also provided parcels to soldiers of the Royal Irish Regiment and Cork men in the Connaught Rangers. The army supply of many provisions was regulated by the information received from the commanding officers as to what was most necessary.

    All the parcels could not be done, without funds. To meet the expense Mr James F McMullen, Branch member (and City Engineer), organised two Munster wide flag days. The first, which took place in December 1915, realised over £1,000, and the second, in November 1916, raised £651. After these, the scheme called “Godfathers and Godmothers” was instituted. This simply meant that the funds for each prisoner’s parcels were supplied by the godfather or godmother.

     Ethel Peacock managed the Cork branch well, ably assisted by many willing volunteers who devoted their time. Her able co-worker was Miss Niva Delacour Gregg. The branch was given a premises at 37 Grand Parade on Christmas week 1915 to pursue their work. At the depot, items as they arrived had to be classified, made up into parcels, addressed and dispatched. At the peak of its work, up to 77 parcels were sent fortnightly. Besides keeping up a constant supply of parcels the branch were able to send £100 to General Hickey in France to assist in buying a motor cinema, to show short films for the Irish regiments at the front, and during Christmas 1918 £100 was also sent to France to help in providing a Christmas dinner for the Munster Fusiliers. In addition, James F McMullen on behalf of the Association sent substantial subscriptions to Lady McDonald and the Hon. Anne McDonald, in London, for the Irish Women’s Association, which was doing similar work for Irish soldiers from other Irish provinces.

    When the armistice was signed, and the prisoners began to arrive home, the Cork Branch decided to devote the funds remaining on hands to provide dinner and entertainment on 7 January 1919. Before and during the dinner the Rev Mr Nicholson’s string band played an entertaining programme. Photos were taken by Messrs Guy and Co, and General Travers welcomed the men and thanked the ladies for their work. The comedy troupe, the King’s Jesters, had a two hour programme.

    Most of the food was the gift of generous donors, and each man was given cigarettes and a box of matches. Ethel Peacocke expressed the wish that any other Munster men in any regiment or corps who had had been prisoners would communicate with her at the Association’s depot, 37 Grand Parade, Cork, as it was intended to host another event for them (on 11 February 1919). Before the event concluded the guests were given tea, and with the singing of “God Save the King” the event was brought to a conclusion. The Cork Branch closed it depot at its final meeting on 22 March 1919.

Missed a column last year, check out the indices at Kieran’s heritage website, www.corkheritage.ie

Kieran is also showcasing some of the older column series on the River Lee on his heritage facebook page at the moment, Cork Our City, Our Town.

Caption:

979a. Grey building on right, Caseys, marks 37 Grand Parade, former depot of the Cork Branch of the Irish Women’s Association, 1915-1919 (picture: Kieran McCarthy)

Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,

Cork Independent, 3 January 2019

Tales from 1919: The Future of a Shell Factory

     Welcome to Our City, Our Town for its 20^th year. The official anniversary is in October of this new year. I wish to continue exploring life in Cork during the period 1916-1921. The back issues of this column, which explored the period from 1916 to 1918 are on the index of my website, www.corkheritage.ie and the articles from this column from the last ten years are now online and accessible to read. Before that many are published in book format and the titles of these books can be viewed on the website. In addition, I post extra articles and pictures on my heritage facebook page, Cork Our City, Our Town or check out my twitter page at @cllrkmac.

    The first week of January 1919 coincided with the ongoing controversy of the ceasing of the Cork National Shell Factory and finding a future use for it. The work of closing down the Irish munition factories begun shortly after the cessation of the First World War in late November 1918. The 1 January 1919 coincided with the public call by the Ministry of Munitions, London that the plant machinery of the respective Irish and British munitions factories would be advertised for public sale and buildings leased by local owners such as Corporations to new leasees. The Government authorities wished not to have role in picking the new owners but would pass on interested business interests to the relevant owners.

   Staff at Dublin, Cork, Waterford and Galway were to be dispensed with. The staff of the Dublin factory, which at one time numbered over 1,500 were all been paid off, except for a small number required to catalogue the considerable machinery and stock. The value of the machinery in Parkgate factory exceeded £100,000. Most of it was not suitable for private work – it being impracticable to attempt to adopt shell making machines to other general uses. The machinery was to be sold as scrap.

    Another effect of the closing down of the Parkgate Street Factory was the freeing for industrial use of a large quantity of gas and electric power. When the factory was in full swing the gas consumed was at the rate of over 6,000,000 cubic feet per annum, while electricity was being used at the rate of 250,000 units a quarter. As big extensions were in progress when hostilities ceased, the amount of gas and electric current required would have been considerably more. The freeing of this amount of power was to greatly benefit, industrial firms in Dublin, who because of the coal shortage had their supplies considerably reduced.

    There were about 150 employees in the Cork Shell Factory, which opened in June 1916. By December 1916, the scale of the wages paid to the girl workers was 10s 6d per week of 45 hours as probationers. At the conclusion of the probationary period, they were to take their places in one of the three eight-hour shifts, when their wages according to the shift in which they were engaged, namely – those on the shift from 6am to 2pm received 2s 6d per day, 2s 9d per day if on 2pm to 10pm shift; and 3s 3d per day if on the shift from 10pm to 6am. At its maximum capacity there were 42 machines, chiefly lathes used for the manufacture of 4.5-inch shells. Elsewhere, there were over 100 hands employed in the shell factory at Galway and 600 workers found remunerative employment in the Waterford Cartridge Case Factory.

    Schemes were developed for the utilisation of the four factories for commercial purposes, but no definite pronouncement was expected immediately in regard to their future. An offer was made for the Cork factory by a Dublin trader and it was favourably considered by the Ministry of Munitions. However, it did not meet with local approval and the offer fell through. At the Tolls and Markets Committee of Cork Corporation on 1 January 1919, reference was made of the Hammond Lane Foundry Company Ltd, Dublin looking for a lease of the premises known as the Cork National Shell Factory, 40-41 North Main Street, which extended to Corn Market Street. The matter fell through owing to a remark made at a Council meeting and broad opinion that the building should be leased to a local firm. The proposal was to employ approximately a hundred men.

    By late June 1919 the lease of the factory in its entirety was taken over from the Corporation of Cork in association with the Ministry of Munitions by Mr Richard Woodhead, who acted on behalf of the Ford Company. The purchase comprised the entirety of the valuable electrical plant, machinery, compressor, and accumulators. It was the specific intention of Mr Woodhead to make the factory a depot for repair work for the South of Ireland for Fordson farm tractors and Ford cars. To that end considerable money was expended in the installation of the most up-to-date plant, and the entire building was altered and renovated. The plant aimed to employ 100 people and trade under the name “City Garage”. The firm was to have its own petrol pump inside and outside the premises and have a modern hydraulic tyre press. The business survived 1921 and during the 1920 saw two lessees, first the Universal Motor Company, circa 1924 to 1929 and then the Lee Motor Company, c.1930s onwards.

Happy New Year to all readers of the column.

Captions:

978a. Section of Goad’s insurance plan of North Main Street and Cornmarket Street, 1938 showing Dwyer’s’ Lee Hosiery Company, former site of Cork National Shell Factory (source: Cork City Library).

978b. Former site of Cork National Shell Factory, now the Bodega on Cornmarket Street; the factory site stretched to North Main Street (picture: Kieran McCarthy)

   The column for 2018 highlighted everyday events and local history nuggets from this period of centenary commemorations. The year 1918 brought continuing challenges and opportunities to Cork and Ireland – elements such as rationing, war fatigue, renewed Sinn Féin vigour, the war ending – all offer lenses in telling the story of life in Cork one hundred years ago. The full index is here: http://corkheritage.ie/?page_id=4835