Independent Cllr Kieran McCarthy is calling on
residents, and communities in the south east of the city and beyond to have
their say on the 2022-2028 draft Cork City Development Plan. The
draft Cork City Development Plan, has recently been published and provides an
overarching framework to help shape the transformation of the City over the
next six years by supporting the creation of 20,000 homes and 31,000 jobs.
Cllr McCarthy noted: “Eight weeks of public
consultation on the plan have just commenced and I encourage members of the
public, community groups, representative organisations to make a submission to
the draft plan before the closing date of 4 October. The draft plan can be
viewed at www.corkcitydevelopmentplan.ie and the public can have
their say on the Plan at https://consult.corkcity.ie/”
“There is some great ideas and opportunities within
this draft blueprint for Cork as the city embarks upon an exciting phase of
growth and change – with sustainability, quality of life, social inclusion, and
climate resilience at the plan’s core. In particular the need to protect green
spaces and create more in areas from Ballinlough to Douglas is essential”.
Cork City Council CE, Ann Doherty said: “This Plan
is significant in many ways; not least it is the first local policy-based
expression of the ambition for Cork contained in ‘Project Ireland 2040’ and the
National Planning Framework. The Plan follows widespread listening and
engagement with stakeholders in the first round of public consultation. The
draft plan’s rationale is further informed by a suite of evidence-based studies
on the various opportunities and challenges facing the city”.
1110a. Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Donal Óg O’Callaghan, 1920 (picture: Cork City Council).
Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,
Cork Independent, 29 July 2021
Journeys to a Truce: Lord
Mayor Donal Óg Returns
The Truce amongst Cork politicians was largely welcomed. In
his diary, Alderman Liam De Róiste of Cork Corporation and TD comments at
length on the multitude of nuances and correspondence between Lloyd George and de
Valera. The diary can be viewed in Cork City and County Archives. He ultimately
embraces the truce but acknowledges the long road ahead to create a mutually
acceptable agreement on Irish and British sides. On the 9 July 1921, at 1pm
Liam De Róiste writes: “The details of the truce are to be published today.
There are many rough rocks in the road of peace yet, but this at least is the
evidence of the will to peace. I am sure the mass of the people are filled with
joy. As for me, I accept the matter calmly. We are not yet sure of our
footsteps. The joy of my companions here is also subdued. They incline to be
critical. A few moments ago, Black and Tans appeared: ‘Here They are’; a rush
to search a hiding place. They came on ordinary business to convey a poor
patient to the institution. The rush shows that through the dawn of the peace
appears with the announcement of the truce, the shadows of the night are still
dark and thick over the land”.
The Lord Mayor of Cork Donal Óg O’Callaghan had recently
returned after an eight months’ public speech tour across America to grow
interest in Irish Independence and to raise finance for Dáil Éireann. His campaign
work, which wove with the visit of de Valera and Harry Boland to the United
States is well captured in the fine book Forgotten Lord Mayor Donal Óg
O’Callaghan, 1920-1924 by Aodh Quinlivan. Through Aodh’s research, he
discovers that Donal Óg, on the whole, was welcomed by those communities he
engaged with. There were a number of small exceptions. Politically though,
Donal’s journey ended as America’s Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby came
under British diplomatic pressure to end his permission to stay longer in the
States. Through the Truce, Donal returned to a less threatening environment.
Heretofore he was on a most wanted list by the Black and Tans.
ln the course of an interview with a Cork Examiner
representative on 18 July 1921, Donal Óg noted that it was very gratifying to find the
state of affairs which existed in Ireland. He noted: “It seems possible that
the just object for which the people of this country have been fighting for
years is at last about to be secured through negotiations. Like the President,
the people of Ireland heartily desired to see peace, to see the end of the
state of war and destruction which has been obtaining in this country for some
years past, desired to devote themselves to the work of reconstruction and to
the general development of the prosperity of our country”.
The Lord Mayor continued that the manner in which the Truce
has been observed throughout the country was a tribute to the discipline and
unity of the people of Ireland. He noted: “Nowhere has it been more loyally
observed than in Cork. While I would regret at the moment to say a word which
might be construed as calculating to interfere with the existing peace. I feel
bound to say that the truce doesn’t appear to have been on loyally kept by the
British Army in Cork as it might have been. For the past few days I have seen
police and military fully armed parading the streets; armoured cars and lorries
containing armed troops driving through the city, in what I can only regard as
a wantonly provocative planner. I trust that this matter will be immediately
remedied, and that nothing will occur to mar the favourable conditions of the
moment or the atmosphere of the negotiations
about to take place, which we all sincerely hope will be successful, and
will make the temporary peace of to-day the lasting peace of to-morrow”.
In his press interview the Lord Mayor also thanked the
people of America for the manner in which they received him while in the United
States, and to thank them, on behalf of the people of Ireland for the deep
interest they took in Ireland fight for freedom and what he described as “the
spirit animating them in doing all they could to assist in the fight”. To the
people of Cork he wished to say that he left Cork, and left
momentarily the duties to which they had elected him, “as the result of an
order from the Republican Government”. Only on such an order would he leave
them or lreland under the circumstances. He noted: “While the people of Ireland
hoped to see their freedom achieved as a result of the present negotiations
going on their spirit and determination are alike unimpaired, and should they
have to continue the fight for freedom they will continue to rely on the
liberty loving people of America for assistance”.
A few days after the 18 July, the Cork Examiner
records that Cork Corporation had a Council meeting but it was again chaired by
Deputy Lord Mayor Cllr Barry Egan. Donal Óg had gone to Dublin to be part of
the welcoming group for the Peace Delegates at Kingstown (now Dún Laoghaire),
Dublin. De Valera had returned from talks in London with the British Prime
Minster Lloyd George. A famous picture was taken by photographer W D Hogan of the
welcoming group and this forms part of the National Library of Ireland
photographic collection. In the picture is Donal Óg as well as Chairman of
Dublin County Council, H Friel, the acting Mayor of Limerick, Máire O’Donovan,
Waterford TD Vincent White, Limerick TD Kate O’Callaghan, and Cork Corporation
Alderman and TD Liam De Róiste. All six greeted de Valera as well the large
number of general public waiting. All six were also involved in the early peace
talks in the summer of 1921 offering advice and support.
Captions:
1110a.
Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Donal Óg O’Callaghan, 1920 (picture: Cork City
Council).
1110b. Welcoming group for the Peace Delegates at Kingstown (now Dún Laoghaire), Dublin with Chairman of Dublin County Council, H Friel, the acting Mayor of Limerick, Máire O’Donovan, Waterford TD Vincent White, Limerick TD Kate O’Callaghan, Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Donal Óg O’Callaghan, and Cork Corporation Alderman and TD Liam De Róiste (picture: William Hogan Collection, National Library of Ireland).
1110b. Welcoming group for the Peace Delegates at Kingstown (now Dún Laoghaire), Dublin with Chairman of Dublin County Council, H Friel, the acting Mayor of Limerick, Máire O’Donovan, Waterford TD Vincent White, Limerick TD Kate O’Callaghan, Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Donal Óg O’Callaghan, and Cork Corporation Alderman and TD Liam De Róiste (picture: William Hogan Collection, National Library of Ireland).
Independent Cllr Kieran
McCarthy wishes to remind business owners that grants applications are
still being received for outdoor seating and accessories for tourism and hospitality
businesses in Cork City for 2021.
Cllr
McCarthy noted: “Outdoor hospitality was much enjoyed by the public last summer
and is playing a key role this year as well in welcoming people back to a
vibrant and safe Cork City. A new outdoor seating and accessories grant
scheme, supported by Fáilte Ireland in partnership with local
authorities such as Cork City Council, is now open for applications. Grants
are available to support businesses in the hospitality and tourism sector in
enhancing their outdoor offering”.
Any restaurant, cafe, bar,
hotel, visitor attraction or other hospitality/tourism business where food or
drink is sold for consumption on the premises. The scheme is open to
existing businesses located throughout Cork City.
Applicants should
have no commercial rates outstanding to Cork City Council, or have a payment
plan in place. Applicants must have signed up to the Covid 19 Safety
Charter (Apply for the Covid 19 Safety Charter. All applicants are required to
comply with planning codes, legislative requirements and other compliance
requirements. Only premises branding is permitted. No fixtures with
commercial/product advertising are eligible.
Those
businesses availing of public land for outdoor furniture must be in possession
of a Street Furniture License for 2021 from Cork
City Council before availing of the scheme. Each business can apply for up
to €4,000 per premises (exclusive of VAT) towards the above eligible
costs, up to a maximum of 75% of the total cost. Applications can be accepted
at any time between now and 5pm on Thursday, 30 September 2021. More
information can be got from outdoordininggrants@corkcity.ie or log onto
the Council’s website home page at www.corkcity.ie
1109a. Colourful front cover of first Anvil Books paperback edition (1962) of Guerilla Days in Ireland by Tom Barry (picture: Kieran McCarthy).
Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,
Cork Independent, 22 July 2021
Journeys to a Truce: Guarding
the Truce
On the advent of the Truce, Michael O’Donoghue, Engineer
Officer with the 2nd Battalion of Cork No.1 Brigade, remarks in
witness statement (WS1741) of the Bureau of Military History of a new-found
freedom. He had been based in the West Cork Brigade in the early summer of 1921
and decided to return home to Cappoquin in Waterford to study for his final engineering
exam in UCC. He returned though via Cork and ended up staying in his old digs in
the Shamrock Hotel on the Grand Parade, where he spent a few days and nights
before heading for home. On his first post Truce night in Cork, he notes that
he was amazed at the reactions of the public to the abolition of curfew and
other restrictions on their freedom.
“At 10pm they could be seen sitting on the
pavements, in doorways everywhere, on the streets under the open air, as if
they were trying to assure themselves that it was really true that British
tyranny no longer operated and that they were now free and no longer under the
baleful hostile gun-muzzle of Tan and Tommy. But Republican Police appeared
like mushrooms and enforced the licensing laws with strictness and even
harshness. The RIC and Tans strolled around aimlessly and at ease and seemed to
regard the rather puritanical activities of their successors in law–enforcement
with amused benevolence. The citizens played holiday round their streets until
well past midnight each night, rejoicing in their new found liberty. The young
girls, particularly, fell over themselves in their admiration for the returning
Republican Volunteer youths, and I and young IRA men like me basked in the
sunshine of female smiles and admiring glad eyes”.
West Cork Brigade Commander Tom Barry in his book Guerilla
Days in Ireland gives a chapter to the Truce negotiations and the impact of
the peace. He relates that the sudden ending of hostilities left IRA men dazed at
first and uncertain of the future, as no one considered during those early July
days that the Truce would continue for more than a month. Tom notes that his own
concerns were not eased by the arrival of a dispatch on 9 July, from Sinn Féin
headquarters, stating that the President de Valera had appointed him as Chief
Liaison Officer of the Martial Law Area of Cork or an important post making
sure the ceasefire and peace was kept. Tom describes of the Truce:
“As
July 11 approached one slowly began to appreciate what the Truce and all it
entailed signified. Gradually it dawned on me that the forcing of the enemy to
offer such terms was a signal victory in itself; that days of fear were ended, at
least for a time, and that one could return to normal life and thought, away
from the hates, the callousness and the ruthless killings of war. The respite
might only be brief, but one would not dwell on that. The sun blazed from God’s
Heavens during those cloudless days of the longest and most brilliant summer in
living memory, as if to remind man that the world held brighter things than the
darkness of war. At peace and relaxed we rejoiced with our own people, who had
been so good to us in the troubled past, until it was time for me to leave for my
new liaison post”.
The Bureau for Military History has a number of
files in its archives on the correspondence and work of the Office of the Chief
Liaison Officer. It operated from the Gresham Hotel, Dublin and was set up
following the successful negotiation of a Truce between the British Government
and the Army of the Republic (also known as Irish Republican Army), effected on
11 July 1921.
Representing the British was General Sir Nevil
Macready Commander in Chief, Colonel J Brind and A W Cope, Assistant
Under-Secretary, acting for the British Army. They agreed as follows that there
would be no incoming troops, Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC), auxiliary police
and munitions. There would be no movements for military purposes of troops
and munitions, except maintenance drafts. There would be no provocative display
of forces, armed or unarmed. It was understood that all provisions of the Truce
apply to the martial law area equally with the rest of Ireland. There was to be
no pursuit of Irish officers or men or war material or military stores. There
was to be no secret agents, noting description or movements, and no
interference with the movements of Irish persons, military or civil, and no
attempts to discover the haunts or habits of Irish officers and men. There was
also to be no pursuit or observance of lines of communication or connection.
Commandant Robert C Barton TD and Commandant Éamonn J Duggan TD, acting for the Army of the Republic
agreed as follows; Attacks on Crown forces and civilians were to cease. There was
to be no provocative displays of forces, armed or unarmed. There was to be no interference
with Government or private property. There was to be no move to “discountenance
and prevent any action likely to cause disturbance of the peace which might
necessitate military interference”.
The Chief Liaison Officers included Commandant Éamonn Duggan, Commandant F Murphy and Commandant Emmet
Dalton. By December 1921, the Office of the Chief Liaison Officer was
liaising with 30 appointed Liaison Officers with locations amongst 30 counties
and liasing with the British authorities in reporting and investigating alleged
breaches of the Truce.
Caption:
1109a. Colourful
front cover of first Anvil Books paperback edition (1962) of Guerilla Days
in Ireland by Tom Barry (picture: Kieran McCarthy).
19 July 2021, “This is great news; apart from a possible judicial review by the developer, the legal planning processes have now been gone through- it is clear that the potential of babies buried beneath parts of the grounds has seriously hindered future development; More and more the process is leading to the need for State intervention on the future of Bessborough and other Mother and Baby Home sites”, Independent Cork city councillor and historian Kieran McCarthy also welcomed ABP’s decision, Developers unsuccessful in their appeal of refusal for apartments at Bessborough site, Developers unsuccessful in their appeal of refusal for apartments at Bessborough site (echolive.ie)
Independent Cllr McCarthy wishes to remind residents and businesses in the vicinity of Monahan Road that Cork City Council’s Monahan Road Extension (MRE) project is now open to public consultation until 3 September.
Cllr McCarthy noted: “The new roadway will begin on Monahan Road, at the existing junction with the ‘Marquee Road’ where a new cross-roads junction will be formed. From there, the extension project will extend eastwards and pass to the northwest of Páirc Uí Chaoimh. At the eastern end of the proposal, the road levels will be elevated above existing ground level to connect to the future Eastern Gateway Bridge over the River Lee estuary. Approximately 400m of new four-lane two-way carriageway (two eastbound and two westbound) with central reservation, verges, cycle tracks and footpaths is proposed”.
Plans and particulars of the proposed development, including an Appropriate Assessment screening report and an Environmental Impact Assessment screening report are available to view by visiting https://consult.corkcity.ie.
This week is the centenary
of the signing of the Truce on 11 July 1921 bringing the Irish War of Independence
in Ireland to an end. Technically talks had begun in December 1920 but they
petered out when British Prime Minister David Lloyd George demanded that
the IRA first relinquish their arms. Renewed talks began in the spring of 1921,
after the Prime Minister was lobbied by Herbert H Asquith and
the Liberal opposition, the Labour Party, and
the Trades Union Congress.
From the perspective of the
British government, it seemed as if the IRA’s guerrilla campaign would persist
indefinitely, with escalating losses in British casualties and in
finance. In addition, the British government was confronting acute blame at
home and abroad for the measures of British forces in Ireland. On 6 June 1921,
the British made their first peace-making act, calling off the strategy of
house burnings as reprisals.
On the other side, IRA
leaders and in particular Michael Collins, felt that the IRA, as it was
then organised, could not continue indefinitely. It lacked arms and ammunition
to face down the even regular British soldiers arriving into Ireland.
On 24 June 1921, the British
Coalition Government’s Cabinet decided to propose talks with the leader of Sinn
Féin. Coalition Liberals and Unionists agreed that an offer to negotiate would
strengthen the Government’s position, especially if Sinn Féin refused. On 24
June Prime Minister Lloyd George wrote to Éamon de Valera as “the chosen
leader of the great majority in Southern Ireland”, suggesting a
conference.
Sinn Féin agreed to talks.
De Valera and Lloyd George ultimately agreed to a truce that was intended to
end the fighting and lay the ground for detailed negotiations. Its terms were
signed on 9 July and came into effect on 11 July. Negotiations on a settlement,
however, were deferred for several months as the British government demanded
that the IRA first decommission its weapons, but this demand was ultimately
withdrawn. It was arranged that British troops would stay restricted to their
barracks.
However, in the three days
between the terms being signed and coming into effect, Irish Truce historian
Pádraig Óg Ó Ruairc details at least sixty people from both sides of the
conflict were killed across the country. Such stories appear in the heart of Dara McGrath’s photographic exhibition
entitled For Those That Tell No Tales in the Crawford Art Gallery on
sites associated with the War of Independence. There is a poignant picture of an
execution location of The Lough with associated descriptive text. It was at 8
pm, on the evening of Sunday 10 July 1921, four young unarmed and off-duty soldiers,
Private Henry Morris (aged 21) and Corporal Harold Daker (aged 28) of the South
Stafforshire Regiment and Sappers Albert Camm (aged 20) and Albert Powell (aged
20) of the Royal Engineers were seized by a patrol of seven Volunteers. The
Volunteers had been searching an area from Donovan’s Bridge along the Western
Road in search of a suspected civilian informer.
Executed on the northern side of The Lough, the four bodies were dumped
at Ellis’s Quarry on its southside. All four were found blindfolded and shot
dead.
The only surviving account of the executions by a
Volunteer participant is the official report sent to IRA Headquarters. It
simply reads: “We held up four soldiers and searched them but found no arms. We
took them to a field in our area where they were executed before 9pm”. It has
been suggested that the killing of these men was a personal reprisal by the IRA
for the murder of Volunteer Denis Spriggs just two days earlier on 8 July.
Private Morris was from Walsall and served in the East Kent Regiment during the
First World War. He is buried in Ryecroft cemetery, Walsall. Corporal Daker was
the son of William and Mary Daker. He is buried in St Ann’s Churchyard,
Chasetown, Walsall. Sapper Albert Camm was from Holland Street in Nottingham.
Sapper Powell was the son of Arthur and Jane Powell of Abbott Road, London. He
is buried at Nunhead, All Saints Cemetery in Southwark.
On the advent of the Truce, Michael O’Donoghue, Engineer
Officer with the 2nd Battalion of Cork No.1 Brigade remarks in
witness statement (WS 1741) of the Bureau of Military History of a new-found
freedom and an almost too good to be true scenario;
“Now came July, and with the scorching summer
heatwave came rumours of peace and negotiations for a cease fire. Then before
we had time to realise what was happening, as everything moved so suddenly, the
Truce was upon us on a July 11th 1921 at midday. Overnight
everything was changed. The fugitive rebel army, the IRA, was recognised as Ireland’s
national army by the British Government. There was an uneasy peace. ‘Twas hard,
even for the IRA themselves, to credit that the fortunes of war had changed to
such an extent. we could now move everywhere in town and country. We exulted in
our new found authority and importance. Everywhere the people regarded us as heroes
and hailed us as conquerors and turned our heads with flattery, adulation and
praise. We were youngsters in our teens and early twenties, and who could blame
us if we got intoxicated with all the hero worship and rejoicings. Even those
people who had maintained a cautious neutrality, standing on the ditch during
the War of Independence, now rushed to acclaim us and to entertain us”.
Caption:
1108a. Execution location site for four
British soldiers, 10 July 1921 at northern side of The Lough, Cork, present day
(picture: Kieran McCarthy)
To ask the CE on the city schools, which received
Safe to School funding through the NTA and the associated Green Schools An
Taisce initiative in 2019, 2020 & 2021, and how much was allocated to each
school? (Cllr Kieran McCarthy)
Motions:
That the entrance to Broadale be examined from a safety perspective. Double yellow lines may be required to dissuade parked cars from blocking the entrance (Cllr Kieran McCarthy)
That a more user friendly Planning website be explored where is easier to access information such as letters and drawings (Cllr Kieran McCarthy)
10 July 2021, “Independent Kieran McCarthy have asked that Cork City Council, in partnership with the parish of Shandon and Diocese of Cork, mark the 300th anniversary of the construction of the church, recognising its impact on the citizens of Cork city and its unique landmark for Cork citizens and beyond”, Calls for anniversary of Cork city landmark to be celebrated, Calls for anniversary of Cork city landmark to be celebrated (echolive.ie)
Cllr Kieran McCarthy has asked Irish Water that Ballybrack Woods stream needs to be protected more from pollution outbreaks as witnessed in recent weeks. Cllr McCarthy noted: “I was very disappointed to see the pollution outbreak in the stream. Much work has been done by volunteers such as Douglas Tidy Towns, citizens environment activists and Cork City Council to protect this gem of a green space within the heart of Donnybrook”.
“Irish Water has got back to me and have completed
their site investigation; the water quality is back to normal and whoever the
culprit was and has stopped pouring a chemical or chemicals into the stream.
Many thanks to everyone for raising the pollution incident so quickly. Irish
Water at this point have not formally discovered who the culprit was, so one
needs to be legally careful on naming anyone. I’d ask though that all
users of the woods and the Mangala just keep an eye out for future pollution
incidents and report them just as fast”, concluded Cllr McCarthy.
In correspondence to Cllr McCarthy, Irish Water confirmed
that a site inspection of the wastewater infrastructure was undertaken in the
Calderwood/Ballybrack area on 7 July following Irish Water receiving this
report. The wastewater infrastructure at Calderwood Road and the Ballybrack
Walkway were inspected and was observed to be operating normally. A full walk
through check of the Ballybrack Stream was undertaken – there was no evidence
of pollution (no gross solids, no ragging, no evidence of third party
discharges) on the date of the visit.
The wastewater network was inspected along the route of
the pollution incident. This was observed to be operating normally. In
addition, a member of the public advised the team during the site visit that
construction work in the area may be the cause as they had observed similar
incidents over recent weeks. From these investigations Irish Water have noted:
“it would appear that the most likely source of this issue would appear to be
related to third party activity in the area. However Irish Water are unable to
formally confirm this issue”. The wastewater infrastructure in the area is
fully operational and is operating normally.
