Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,

Cork Independent, 27 October 2022

Journeys to a Free State: Quests by the Trade Union Movement

During October and November 1922, the Cork and District Trade and Labour Council came to the forefront of promoting peace plus endeavoured to champion local industry. With regard to peace, on 26 October 1922, at a meeting of the Council, Mr George Nason, Chairman, presided, and praised the peace seeking work of their Honorary President, Fr Thomas Dowling, had, for some time past, been very busy in an endeavour to bring about peace in the country.

Fr Dowling’s obituary in the Cork Examiner on 9 January 1951 highlights that he was a native of Kilkenny, where he was born in 1874. He entered the Capuchin Order in his native city at the age of sixteen and was ordained in the Capuchin Church in Kilkenny in December 1896. He arrived shortly afterwards to Holy Trinity Church in Cork.

During the Great War 1914-1918 the cost of ordinary commodities rose considerably in Cork City. As a result, the interplay between rising costs and wages began to affect the economy. Wages could not match prices so strikes were called. Fr Thomas, who had studied social reform, threw himself wholeheartedly into the work of mediation and arbitration in 1918 between employers and trade unions. Fr Thomas clocked up notable accolades. The Freedom of Cork City was conferred upon him in June 1918. The Senate of the National University of Ireland paid tribute in 1920 by conferring on him the honorary degree of LL.D. A physical recognition for his general services for the Cork Trade Unions exists in a stained-glass window, to his memory in Holy Trinity Church.

George Nason commented that Fr Thomas was leaving no stone unturned to bring about peace, and he asked the delegates, to pass a resolution showing that the workers of Cork were with him in his good work. Proposing the motion, Mr Weldon said they heartily welcomed the efforts of Fr Thomas, and felt proud that these efforts emanated through him as a representative of Labour. Mr Weldon proposed the following resolution:

“We, the Workers’ Council of Cork, gladly welcome the news of the efforts for peace that have reached us. We appeal to all concerned to submerge all personal feelings in an effort to save our loved country from the ruin that threatens it. The stagnation of industry is causing appalling suffering, to thousands in our midst, and on their behalf we strongly appeal. We congratulate our beloved Honorary President, Very Rev. Dr. Thomas on his patriotic efforts to end the present deplorable position in the country, and feel sure that if any man could effect a settlement he will do so”.

Mr Matheson seconded. The resolution was passed unanimously. Miss Buckley of the Women’s Workers’ Union), supported the motion and called for peace; “If we do not take a stand now and put an end to this awful tragedy we cannot expect other people to do it for them…I hope that this peace would be a lasting peace, and not one calculated to give breathing space to either side”.

Apart from promoting peace, the Cork District Trades and Labour Council objected strongly through a campaign to lessen the wholesale importation of goods, which could be very easily manufactured locally. They liased closely with the Executive Council of the Cork Industrial Development Association. They asked the Association to appoint a deputation to interview the manager of the Cork Clothing Factory for the purpose of discussing ways and means to avoid the importation of ready-made clothing. As a result of the interview, it was discovered that in the purchase of ready-mades the public still regarded price as the chief determining factor. Indeed the workers and housekeepers when purchasing ready-made garments rarely enquired as to whether such garments were made in Ireland or were made up of Irish material.

It was demonstrated to the members of the deputation of the Cork Industrial Association that in the case of two to three garment articles of Leeds and Cork manufacturersthat although the Leeds product was a few shillings cheaper in price, the Cork product had wearing properties of three times the duration of the corresponding English ready-made suit. However, the material of the all-Irish ready-made very much excelled the material and finish of the corresponding English ready-mades.

The Cork Industrial Development Association were quick to note that in purchasing a ready-made suit turned out in Leeds that Cork workers were keeping English woollen mills in operation and English workers in constant employment.Whilst on the other hand the Association argued that they were helping to close up Irish woollen mills and to disemploy Irish factory hands in clothing establishments.

Under these circumstances it was decided to circularise all the trade unions in Cork asking the officials of same to circularise all their members a request that when purchases were being made that Irish goods should be given preference. Where there was a marked discrepancy in prices as compared with those of foreign make, the Cork Industrial Development Association was prepared to investigate the reasons and to take up all cases.

Coupled with the promotion of Irish goods, the Association approved of the formation of the Cork Animated Advertising Agency at St Patrick’s Street, Cork and several “Irish manufacturers of good standing” availed of the medium of advertising offered through the Agency. The Association was satisfied that the advertisements inserted in the publication of the Agency would be in the interest of Irish industry.

Caption:

1174a. Fr Thomas Dowling, on the left, c.1924 from The Irish Capuchins, Record of a Century, 1885-1985 (source: Cork City Library).

Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,

Cork Independent, 20 October 2022

Journeys to a Free State: Skirmishes on the Streets

Whereby September 1922 coincided with offensive and randomly located rifle fire by Anti Treaty IRA volunteers on the National Army troops, October 1922 coincided with a step up in the type of weapon used especially using hand grenades. The Mills grenade was a traditional design; a grooved cast iron “pineapple” with a central striker held by a close hand lever and secured with a pin. The casing was grooved to make it simpler to grip. The Mills type was a defensive grenade to be thrown from behind cover at a focus in the open, wounding with fragmentation.  

However, story after story, which appears in the Cork Examiner tells of warning shots more so than anything else by the IRA. However, they still shocked the general population, who tried to go about their daily business and found themselves part of tit-for-tat skirmishes on Cork City’s main streets.

            A bombing of National Army troops occurred in Cork on 19 October 1922. Since the closing down of the railways owing to the destruction of local and regional bridges, a military guard was placed on duty in each station to prevent damage to rolling stock and railway property generally.

At the Cork-Bandon Railway terminus on Albert Quay, a party of 49 men were placed on duty. There were stationed at various points in the yard, but the greater number remained in the centre. At 1.15pm, an IRA volunteer came over a new bridge connecting Rockboro Road with Anglesea Street, and which ran immediately underneath the South Infirmary church and wards. After he arrived about the centre of the bridge, he flung four hand grenades in quick succession at the sentry on duty underneath. At the time, the sentry was in the engine shed, but this was not observed by the bomb-thrower.

Of the four grenades thrown only one exploded, and this was outside the shed inside, where the sentry was. The other three remained where they fell. The explosion of the single bomb while it caused consternation, fortunately did no damage, and no one was injured. The troops in other parts of the yard observed a man running towards Rockboro Road, and shots were fired at him. He, however escaped, jumping up the three steps leading from the bridge to Rockboro Road, where he had the shelter of the houses. The three unexploded grenades, which were fired at the sentry lay unexploded and were rendered harmless.

On 21 October 1922 at about 1pm a three ton lorry, containing National Army troops, was coming through St Patrick’s Street from a westerly direction, and when it had arrived in the vicinity of Messrs Thompson’s and Messrs Lipton’s, a bomb was thrown at it. It rolled a short distance after it landed before it exploded. The bomb damaged the premises of Messrs Whelan and French.

A small pony cart, which was in the vicinity at the time, was damaged. A boy named William Hornibrook was unfortunate. When the bomb was thrown, the lorry, in an endeavour to get away, struck into William’s small pony cart. The animal bolted and William’s cart was smashed into small pieces. The pony though escaped uninjured.

Others who were in the street at the times also suffered, though their injuries were fortunately of a minor nature. John O’Leary, an employee of the Macroom Railway Company, sustained an injury to the head, and he and the William – the boy – were removed to the Mercy Hospital. John has mild bruising and William suffered from shock.

The National Army troops were soon on the scene and the locality was searched, but no arrests were made. Another live grenade was found on Paul Street, which suggested that the perpetrator of the bomb escaped that way and got rid of the bomb through fear of being held up. A short time later the tram service, which was held up resumed its business.

On 22 October, at about 8.30am two lorries in convoy was on its way towards the County Gaol. When it reached the Grand Parade, it was fired on near Woodford Bourne. Several volleys were discharged from the shelter of crowds, but the troops suffered no casualties. The officer-in-charge within the National Army gave the order to his men to fire in the air, which dispersed the assailants and the general crowd very quickly. A little girl named Ms O’Donovan, aged about 13 years, was hit in the knee by some splinters. She was treated by Dr Joseph Dalton in the Mercy Hospital.  About the same time snipers opened fire on several of the city’s posts, particularly at the Custom House, but return fire silenced any further hostilities.

On 30 October 1922, at 12.15pm, there was another street attack on St Patrick’s Street. The throughfare was crowded at the time.  A private touring car containing three or four of the National Army was passing through the street towards the Grand Parade. They just reached Fr Mathew Statue when the attack was made.

Two bombs of the Mills’ type grenade were thrown. One was a number nine and the other number five – the number nine bomb being the larger of the two. One of the bombs struck the wooden pavement in a line with the Irish Lace House, while the second lodged on the opposite side of the street in the direction of Messrs Evans establishment. The large size bomb hit the iron work of a passing tram car – the fragments of the bomb entering the windows of the establishments of Messrs Dowden’s and Piggott’s and those of the Irish Lace House.

The passengers in the tram car were naturally terrified. One of the female occupants fainted and had to be assisted out of the car, which was not damaged to any material extent. Another female had a lucky escape when she had the heel of her boot blown completely off by a splinter of a bomb. Again, National Army troops arrived on the scene, nearby houses were searched but again no arrests were made.

Caption:

1172a. St Patrick’s Street, c.1920 from Cork City Through Time by Kieran McCarthy and Dan Breen.

Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,

Cork Independent, 13 October 2022

Journeys to a Free State: The Gaol Shooting

On Thursday night 21 September 1922, thirty-nine anti-Treaty IRA men made their escape from Cork County Gaol off Western Road. Of these two were recaptured near Ballinhassig the following day, but of the remaining in the ensuing days after their escape there was no trace.

The Cork Examiner recalls that the men got away by means of a tunnel, or rather a disused ventilation shaft. Becoming aware of the existence of this shaft, the men confined in one cell dug their way down until they met with the shaft, and then broke into the narrow passage. A man was sent down to explore and came back with the news that the tunnel was just passable and led out through a larger shaft beyond the gaol premises.

One by one then, the 39 prisoners who had access to this particular portion of the gaol went into the cell and down the narrow hole at the back, through the shaft, and up through a manhole in the centre of the road outside the gaol walls. As each man made his way out, he quickly disappeared. It was not until a considerable time afterwards that the escape was discovered, but by then the men had got clear away.

Following the escape of thirty-nine prisoners, the remaining colleagues interned there rioted on Sunday, 24 September 1922. The Cork Examiner records that circa 435 IRA volunteers went on strike while on the parade ground at 7am on the 24^th. Having previously been on hunger strike, they refused to go into their cells when the time had arrived for doing so, and the National Army guards were obliged to use force in order to get them to comply with the regulations. They still refused, and the guards forced them from the recreation ground with the butts of their rifles.

The prisoners on reaching the cells smashed the doors, and refused to enter, and continued the disturbance which they had initiated on the parade ground. After some hours, during which every effort was made to induce the prisoners to desist from their conduct, the guards gave them a quarter of an hour in which to return to their cells. They still refused to obey, and an extra five minutes was give as a warning to back down. When the five minutes expired the prisoners still made no attempt to obey. The guard then fired one volley, and two of the prisoners were hit, both being seriously wounded. One of them, Lismore born but Cork based Volunteer Patrick Mangan Junior, died on the following day at the Mercy Hospital.

A military inquiry was held by the National Army. The inquiry found that Patrick Mangan met his death as the result of a rifle shot fired by a sentry “in the execution of his duty”, and that the officer, who gave the order to fire was justified, as the prisoners had sufficient warnings and ample time to comply with the order to return to their cells.

Commandant of the Gaol Mr Scott, being sworn in, noted that on the night of 23 September he received a deputation from Mr Carey, who introduced himself the Commandant of the Prisoners, at 10.30pm. He handed Commandant Scott a list of demands, and informed him if they were not granted the prisoners would go on hunger-strike the following morning at 7 am if demands were not met – (1) the cell doors and yard doors should open from 7am to 9pm; (2) there should be free communication between and all wings; (3) parcels, letters in and out should be allowed; and (4) there should also be a supply of mattresses, blankets,  mugs, plates, knives and forks.

Regarding requests no.s 1, 2, and 3, Commandant Scott informed the inquest that he had instructions from Headquarters, owing to the taking of advantage of privileges previously given, that all privileges were withdrawn, except exercise two hours a day – one  hour in the forenoon and one hour each afternoon. Privileges would be renewed at a later date, when according to Scott the prisoners became “amenable to discipline”. As regards request no.4, Scott deemed that the prisoners had a sufficient supply of blankets and mugs, and as regards bedding and equipment in general, he argued they were better equipped than his own men.

The tension between prison guards and prisoners was highly charged. The prisoners were boisterous all through the night, and after Mass next morning refused breakfast, except a handful of men. Commandant Scott allowed them out between 8am and 11am but was unable to get them to return them to their cells. Scott detailed that he ordered a party of soldiers to fire over the prisoners’ heads at the wall. After cautioning the prisoners that he intended firing, he ordered fire. The deceased, Patrick Mangan Junior, further desisted any order to leave. He was fired at. A priest and doctor immediately went to attend to him and he was removed to hospital as soon as possible, but was declared dead.

Chaos continued to reign in the weeks that ensued. About 8pm on 6 October 1922 there was an attack on the Cork County Gaol, apparently from the western side. The sniping was replied to by the guard with equal vigour. People in the district quickly moved within doors, and many who were going to evening devotions at St Finbarr’s West or The Lough Church, returned to their homes. The shots came apparently from the area directly west of the Gaol Walk. No casualties were sustained.

The guards, both inside and outside the Gaol, was promptly supplemented, and searches and investigations were immediately began, with the result that a number of arrests were made.

About the same time a small party of National Army troops were fired on at the Mardyke Walk near the entrance to Fitzgerald’s Park. Only a few shots were fired, and no damage was done.

Caption:

1171a. Remnants of Cork County Gaol, off Western Road, Cork, present day (picture: Kieran McCarthy).