Monthly Archives: December 2020

The Blessing of a Candle, Christmas 2020

by Cllr Kieran McCarthy

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.

McCarthy Christmas Candle

McCarthy Christmas Candle

Kieran’s Our City, Our Town, 24 December 2020

1080a. Daly's Bridge AKA Shakey Bridge, post refurbishment, December 2020 (picture: Kieran McCarthy).

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).

Cllr McCarthy – Bessboro Planning Proposals still open to Submissions, December 2020

Independent Cllr Kieran McCarthy has noted that the planning applications for a Strategic Housing Development (SHD) of 179 units and the proposal for 67 units, both in Bessboro, with An Bord Pleanála and Cork City Council respectively, are still open to submissions by the public until early in the first week of January.

In his submission to both bodies Cllr McCarthy has taken issue with the project splitting that has been pursued by the developer with regard to planning proposals being sent to both An Bord Pleanála and to Cork City Council respectively. Cllr McCarthy noted: “both proposals have serious massing, scale and height obtrusive issues. They do not provide for an acceptable standard of open space amenity for future residents. They would seriously injure the proper planning and sustainable development of the area”.

“Secondly and most notably and morally wrong, the proposals have not waited for the publication of the Government’s Mother and Baby Home Commission Report. The proposals have not waited to see the summary of recommendations for sites of former institutions. By not waiting, the situation just drives another dagger into the hearts of the Cork Survivor’s Alliance, who are just looking for recognition, knowledge of what happened and a chance to memorialise their babies”.

“I would encourage members of the general public who are interested in Bessboro to make submissions to Cork City Council and to An Bord Pleanála sooner than later. My email is kieran_mccarthy@corkcity.ie if there are those who need help where to send submissions”, concluded Cllr Kieran McCarthy.

Cllr McCarthy: Democratic Call Held Up On Pedestrianising The Marina, December 2020

Press Release:

Cllr McCarthy has welcomed that the democratic call on permanently pedestrianising The Marina has been upheld and passed at the most recent City Council Ordinary Meeting. Cllr McCarthy notes; “The recent public consultation process of 250 submissions showed that 90 per cent were for the plan, with 5 per cent with specific issues on carparking and access, which are also resolved in the Directors response leaving 5 per cent against the proposal.

Several referred to The Marina’s function as a road in modern times and several have called for a review of the heavy traffic on Blackrock Road – and that latter thorn is something the City Council will have to grasp – especially around traffic speeds and pedestrian safety.

What we have seen down The Marina in recent months – in terms of the temporary pedestrianisation and the investment into Marina Park, phase 1 –  is probably the first time in several decades that investment has filtered into renewing this area  as one of the City’s key recreational areas.

The Marina as a pedestrianised space has a great future ahead of it – there is much to do on its place-making vision and to enhance the vision of the Council for The Marina walk, that has been around for almost 170 years.

My hope is that Marina Walk 2.0 would be worked at – I certainly would like a refocus to be placed on some of the heritage assets both built and natural – and also that we become bold in beginning to look at river front of ESB Marina and the Marina Commercial Park in terms of extending the western end of the Marina Walk and extending it to Cork Docks. That right of way was there 150 years ago when The Marina name was fashioned”, concluded Cllr McCarthy.

Evening Echo, Shalom Park, 17 December 2020

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)
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)

Cllr McCarthy: Opening of Douglas Library will support 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”.

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”.

Cllr McCarthy: Daly’s Bridge Press, 17 December 2020

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

17 December 2020, “Local historian and Independent councillor Kieran McCarthy was amongst the first people to test out the newly restored bridge”, Iconic Cork bridge is formally reopened but has it retained its signature shake?, Iconic Cork bridge is formally reopened but has it retained its signature shake? (echolive.ie)

Daly's Bridge, Post Refurbishment, 16 December 2020 (picture: Kieran McCarthy)
Daly’s Bridge, Post Refurbishment, 16 December 2020 (picture: Kieran McCarthy)

Kieran’s Our City, Our Town, 17 December 2020

1079a. Map of burnt out sites from Burning of Cork, December 1920 from the Sinn Féin and Irish and English Labour Party publication Who Burnt Cork City (1921).

1079a. Map of burnt out sites from Burning of Cork, December 1920 from the Sinn Féin and Irish and English Labour Party publication Who Burnt Cork City (1921).

Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,

Cork Independent, 17 December 2020

Remembering 1920: The Aftermath of Arson

Throughout Sunday 12 December 1920, many willing helpers rendered assistance to the firemen in their challenging duties as fires smouldered after the Burning of Cork the previous night. Streets ran with sooty water, strewn with broken glass, and strong smell of burning. Dublin Fire Brigade with the assistance of firemen from Limerick and Waterford helped Cork Brigade.

On Monday morning, 13 December, the work of clearing away the debris in the widely devastated area was commenced. To keep the public back, rope chains were placed around many streets and their ruined and wrecked buildings. Considerable progress was made as immense quantities of debris were cleared. Representatives from numerous builders’ firms were busily engaged inspecting the ruined premises in the flat of the city and with difficulty trying to save important books and documents from safes. At the gutted City Hall and at the Carnegie Library, it was possible to recover some documents, which were kept in strong safes within the buildings.

On being interviewed by the Cork Examiner, Cork Corporation Engineer Mr Joseph F Delany had already completed a hurried survey. Five acres of property had been destroyed. The St Patrick’s Street business premises from Merchant Street to Cook Street were all gone; the eastern side of the northern section of Cook Street had been demolished, while establishments in Oliver Plunkett Street, Winthrop Street, Morgan Street, Merchant Street, Maylor Street, and Caroline Street were wiped out – in addition to the extensive drapery establishment of Messrs Grant and Company situated between Princes Street and the corner of Grand Parade in St Patrick’s Street.

On Monday 13 December debate ensued in the House of Commons in Westminster, Independent MP and former member of the Irish Parliamentary Party Mr T P O’Connor asked for the particulars of the fires in Cork – “the number of buildings and the value of the property destroyed, the number of persons, if any, killed and wounded, whether the government had the discovered the authors of this series of crimes; whether any of them had been arrested, and whether the government would undertake to bring them to trial at the earliest moment”. Sir Hamar Greenwood, Chief Secretary for Ireland, replied that he had not received a full or even a written report regarding the occurrences. To opposition jeering, he denied knowing who started the fires and rejected the suggestion that the fires were started by the forces of the Crown and that such claims were being used to undermine Government policy in Ireland.

Greenwood argued that “every available policeman and soldier in Cork was turned out to assist and without their assistance the fire brigade could not have got through the crowds and did the work they tried to do”. His contention was that the forces of the Crown had saved Cork from absolute destruction and that the whole event was orchestrated by Sinn Féin. He further related that there were “no incendiary bombs in the possession of the forces of the Crown in Ireland and there are incendiary bombs in the possession of the Sinn Féiners and we are seizing them every week”.

Back in Cork political reaction to Greenwood’s side stepping of responsibly saw full scale anger. The Lord Mayor of Cork, Donal Óg O’Callaghan and Corporation members sent a message to leading MPs rejecting Greenwood’s suggestion that Cork City was burned by any section of the citizen’s and demanding an impartial inquiry.

The immediate follow up at Westminster was the creation of the Court of Enquiry, which was organised between 16-21 December 1920, by Major-General Sir E P Strickland, Commander of the British Sixth Division at Cork. Testimony was taken from 38 witnesses, including thirteen military, eleven police, and nine civilians. A number of Irish civil leaders declined to take part in the enquiry.

The Court stated there was circumstantial proof that K Company of the auxiliary division of the RIC and three members of the RIC were involved in the fire, which later broke out at the Cork City Hall. The remainder of the arson was credited to the fire having disseminated from the original outbreaks, and especially to the incompetence of the local fire brigade. The Enquiry failed to note that firemen had been prevented from controlling the burning by British forces who cut the hoses with bayonets and turned off the water at the hydrants.

While praising the military for its efficiency and discipline and, the Court recognised the outrageous activity of the police to the fact that a higher authority had sent to Ireland ill-disciplined and inexperienced men. The resulting report of the Court of Enquiry was widely referred to as The Strickland Report, though never officially published.

While the burning was admitted in report, for weeks afterwards Sir Hamar Greenwood, minimized it in Cabinet discussions. On 14 February 1921 the Cabinet decided to withhold the Strickland Report and not to establish any tribunal. The Cabinet did conclude that 50 men in K Company were seriously guilty of indiscipline, though they could not be individually identified.  The Ministers also decided that the company should be broken up, and its commander suspended.

Meanwhile in Cork, in the absence of an immediate official report, Seamus Fitzgerald, Cork IRA Brigade No.1 penned Who Burnt Cork City. In Seamus’s witness statement in Bureau of Military History (WS1737),he notes that the great majority of the depositions contained in the pamphlet “Who Burnt Cork City” were obtained by him while Cork was still burning.

Seamus conferred at length in the preparation of the pamphlet with its editor, Professor and Sinn Féin Cllr Alfred O’Rahilly, who wrote the foreword to same. Every witness statement had to be sworn, and in no case did any witness refuse, despite the danger attached to same. The pamphlet had to be prepared quickly and published before Hamar Greenwood would make his promised speech in the British House of Commons absolving the British Forces. It was felt that the pamphlet would obviously suffer if published under the aegis of Dáil Éireann or Sinn Féin. It was arranged, therefore, to publish it under the name of the Irish Labour Party with a connection to the English Labour Party.

Caption:

1079a. Map of burnt out sites from Burning of Cork, December 1920 from the Sinn Féin and Irish and English Labour Party publication Who Burnt Cork City (1921).

Happy Christmas to all readers of the column.

Missed one of the 51 columns this year, check out the indices at Kieran’s heritage website, www.corkheritage.ie

Cllr McCarthy: Cork’s ‘Shaky Bridge’ set to reopen this weekend following €1.7m restoration

14 December 2020, “The Councillor and historian has long been a champion of the suspension pedestrian bridge, one of the last of its kind in operation in the country”,
Cork’s ‘Shakey Bridge’ set to reopen this weekend following €1.7m restoration,
Cork’s ‘Shakey Bridge’ set to reopen this weekend following €1.7m restoration – Cork Beo