Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,

Cork Independent, 24 November 2022

Journeys to an Irish Free State: Commercial Optimism and New Connections

Contrasting against the escalating Civil War, the business community in Cork did what they could to manage the disruption. Indeed, an editorial in the Cork Examiner on 16 November 1922 highlights an actual revival and growth of trade with the city’s and region’s economy in the winter of 1922.

Wholesale houses of Cork during October and November 1922 witnessed their orders steadily increasing. Traders of county towns were gaining confidence in the protection afforded to property by the new Civic Guard. In addition, many traders of wholesale houses no longer went to England to make purchases due to the danger, difficulty, and cost of travel. They were content to send their orders to Cork. One of the effects of this was more employment being given to the factories – a welcome change from half-time to five days a week having taken place in some instances. For example, the manufacture of boots for the National Army troops gave much needed local employment in the boot factories of Cork. About £400,000 worth of boots were made annually in the country with the importation rate at six millions’ worth.

The Cork Examiner also focusses on other aspects, which combined to help the revival of industry in Cork. A greater number of the goods, previously carried to the country towns and to the city by rail, was conveyed by motor. It was not unusual to see hundreds of motor cars and lorries enter and depart from the city to places as far distant as Castletownbere, and districts equally remote.

The quays of Cork were busy spaces. Little steamers, sailing vessels and motor boats made their way regularly between the port and nearly all the sea coast towns of the south and west of the country. There was the large steamer of 150 tons side by side with the modest little schooner of fifteen tons. The Cork Examiner highlights that the names of the vessels were striking – St Brigid, St Michael, Alice, Young Dan.

However, car loads of goods were sometimes waiting in a queue on the quays for half the day, which added to waiting and ultimately the cost. In addition, for a horse and car to take a ton of goods to Macroom, a charge of £5 was made. The distance to Macroom by road had greatly increased due to the destruction of bridges during the Civil War. One had to get to the town in a roundabout way via Blackpool and Blarney. Road transport charges were expensive. Commercial travellers also had to pay high prices.

The Cork Examiner also highlighted that the principal retail houses of Cork were also optimistic. The extreme cold weather of the winter of 1922 compelled men and women to rush to the draper’s shops to spend some of their savings.

On the third week of November 1922, the annual general meeting of the Cork Chamber of Commerce also provided insights into the commercial world. In the annual report by its Honorary Secretary Mr M O’ Herlihy, and published in the Cork Examiner on 24 November 1922, it noted of commercial challenges; “The outbreak of Civil War, threatening our existence as a nation and as a commercial unit, has meant for our city a certain amount of isolation, which has lost for our merchants a big portion of our inland markets”.

Under the circumstances, the Chamber took the initiative in the formation of representatives of the city’s two Chambers of Commerce, Cork Employers’ Federation Ltd, and the County Cork Association of the Irish Farmers’ Union. The standing executive acted as a local advisory body to the Irish government. Representing the commercial community of the city, it dealt with all matters of the public interest such as the provision of transport facilities, the presentation of claims, commandeering etc. It has also acted in an advisory capacity on such matters as the administration and collection of income tax, road and motor licence duty.

Under the auspices of the Chamber and the Cork Industrial Development Association, in early 1922 a trade deputation visited Belgium first and then visited France to investigate the possibilities for the development of direct import and export trade between Ireland and the continent. The deputation was met by Count Gerard O’Kelly, Irish Consul, Belgium. The deputation visited the leading commercial magnates of Belgium and all the large factories in Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent, Hall, Liege and Verviers.

Dr Leon Moreau, managing director of the Compagnie Ultramarine de Commerce, visited Cork and delivered an illustrated lecture at the Pavilion cinema on Belgo-Irish trade.

Mr Leopold H Kerney, the Irish Consul based in Paris, made two visits to Cork during the year, and interviewed the directors and managers of local firms interested in promoting direct trade with the Continent. Mr Kerney successfully urged on French traders the necessity of linking up Brest and Cork, by running a direct passenger-cargo service between the two ports. There was also a Compagnie France-Irlande of which share capital could be bought.

In October 1922, Mr Kerney and twenty others came to sell their manufactures and products, others came to buy the products of Ireland and to transact merchanting by direct methods.

One of the key drivers to search for new markets was Mr John O’Callaghan Foley, President of Cork Chamber of Commerce. He noted of the French support at the annual general meeting in mid-November 1922; “I may say the French people were the first to recognise and were quite enthusiastic about it that Ireland dropped out of the United Kingdom, and they were anxious to secure some business here, and come and transact business with the people they have so much in common with”.

John was a member of the Council of the Cork Industrial Development Association and held directorships at Messrs Dowdall and Company Ltd, John Daly and Company, Ltd and the Victoria Hotel Company Ltd. He openly had interests in the development of direct foreign trade for companies such as the Canadian Government Merchant Marine, Moore and MacCormack Company Ltd, New York, Michael Murphy Ltd, Dublin and Cork, Societé De Navigation, France-Irlande, Brest, France. John was also a member of the Governing Body of University College, Cork.

Caption:

1178a. John O’Callaghan Foley, President of Cork Chamber of Commerce 1922 (source: National Library of Ireland, Dublin).

Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,

Cork Independent, 17 November 2022

Journeys to an Irish Free State: Questions of Sanitation

Across October and November 1922, there were regular debates in the press commenting on the condition of internees in Cork’s gaols – namely the City Gaol and County Gaol. During the Civil War it is estimated that over 14,000 men were interned by the Irish Free State in gaols across the country. Due to such a large number, public pressure for release for such prisoners and calls for lessening the internee population in such confined cell spaces were common place.

On 10 October 1922 at the meeting of the public health committee of the Cork Corporation Alderman Seán O’Sullivan presided. The Cork Examiner recorded that Councillor Gamble asked if it were known that there had been an outbreak of diphtheria in the County Gaol, and that some of the prisoners had been conveyed to the Fever Hospital. The outbreak, he was informed, was due to bad sanitary arrangements. He continued to ask what was the role of Dr O’Donovan, who was in charge of the health of the city, in remedying the sanitary conditions.

Mr William Ellis, Deputy Lord Mayor, noted that he had called attention to the sanitation and Councillor Barry Egan and himself had already gone to the military authorities. They were received by General Emmet Dalton who told them that Dr Donovan would get permission to visit the gaol. However, when a letter was forwarded to Dr Donovan, the doctor noted apprehensively that the matter was outside his locational jurisdiction that the County Gaol fell in the jurisdiction of the Cork Rural District Council.

Deputy Lord Mayor, William Ellis, then relayed that he had immediately got onto public health committee of the district council. However, they noted that they had no control whatever over the public healthy practicalities within the County Gaol. They had though sent their Medical Doctor of Public Health, Dr D Gleeson, to express their concerns to General Dalton.

The Deputy Lord Mayor in his concluding remarks noted: “Where the lives of five or 600 men are involved they could not stand by professional etiquette or red-tapeism. I understand however, that the doctor has no power to go into the gaol, but they should take whatever action was possible to safeguard the health of citizens”.

On 14 October 1922, at the Cork Rural District Council Mr Micheál Ó Cuill, Chairman, presided and raised the sanitation issue at the County Gaol. The Cork Examiner detailed that the engineer that was present reported that many complaints had been made to him has to the existence of a very bad stench in the vicinity of the bridge near the gaol. During investigation he found that this was due to two damaged openings to the sewer. These acted as outlets when the sewer was over charged, discharging the excess sewage into the river. This took place during heavy rain.

In addition, the engineer noted that the Corporation of Cork were responsible for the upkeep of the stone weir at the waterworks upstream. Until the gaps in the weir were made good practically all the water would continue to flow down the north channel leaving the south channel as an open sewer not being flushed out by the river.

At the meeting a notification of three cases of diphtheria in the County Gaol were highlighted. The Medical Officer of Health of the Rural District Council Dr Gleeson visited the gaol and had a personal interview with Commandant Scott. The patients suspected of having diphtheria were removed to the Fever Hospital and the cells in which they were confined or disinfected under the supervision of the Medical Officer of the National Army forces, Dr Kelly.

At the meeting of the Council of Cork Corporation on 10 November 1922, Alderman O’Sullivan presided. The Cork Examiner reported that the Town Clerk read the following letter: “W. Ellis, Esq, Deputy Lord Mayor, Cork. A Chara, I am directed to inform you that a deputation of ladies from the Republican Prisoners’ Relatives Committee intend to lay before the Corporation at its meeting this evening the treatment of prisoners in Cork gaols at present, and as to the sanitary conditions there, with a view to requesting the Corporation to appoint a committee to investigate these and other facts forthwith. I am also directed to ask you to be so good as to allow the deputation to lay its facts briefly before the Corporation under your privilege”.

When the deputation arrived, Miss O’Mahony, who spoke for the delegation, said that apart from the “sufferings of the men” they felt that unless drastic action was taken by the Corporation an epidemic of disease would break out in the city, and then the Corporation would have to bear the responsibility. She deemed that the sanitary conditions were appalling – “the dirt of the place was indescribable, and clothes were in an unspeakable condition”.

The delegation proposed that the Corporation of Cork appoint a committee to inquire into the conditions at the gaol, and demand permission from the military authorities to enter the gaol and see the conditions for themselves;

“Such an investigation would relieve the anxiety of the relatives and friends of the prisoners. A good many persons didn’t know whether their relatives who had been arrested were alive or not. An agitation had gone on in Dublin, but the Provisional Government had so far refused the demand for an investigation. If all was well with the prisoners, there should be no hesitation about allowing a committee to carry out an inspection”.

The proposal was carried a committee of seven councillors were tasked with approaching General Emmet Dalton.

Caption:

1177a. Cork County Gaol adjacent UCC, c.1920; it is now the site of the Kane Science Building. Only the entrance portico has survived (source: Cork City Library).

Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,

Cork Independent, 10 November 2022

Journeys to an Irish Free State: Mary MacSwiney’s Hunger Strike

November 1922 coincided with the hunger strike of Mary MacSwiney as part of her continued protest at the Treaty and as her part in the Irish Civil War. After Mary’s re-election to Dáil Éireann in June 1922 she abstained from the political institution. She fought the Irish Civil War making regular speeches in the public realm but remained in a non-combatant role.

On 4 November 1922, Mary was arrested at the home of Nell Ryan at 40 Herbert Park, Ballsbridge, Dublin. Her premises were raided by National Army soldiers. She was interned at Mountjoy Gaol where she immediately went on hunger strike. At once Mary’s national political presence attracted attention. The gaol doctor, Dr O’Connor, asked for a waterbed for her comfort. Nevertheless, during the hunger strike Mary refused doctor visits. Just outside the prison walls Cumann na mBan members held vigils demonstrating against Mary’s internment and the internment of others like her.

The Cork Examiner reported on 9 November 1922: “Dublin, Wednesday 8 December 1922 – Miss Mary MacSwiney, sister of Terence MacSwiney, late Lord Mayor of Cork, entered today on her fifth day of hunger strike in Mountjoy Prison. She has been joined since Monday in the hunger strike by four other prisoners, Madame O’Rahilly, widow of the [Michael Joseph] The O’Rahilly, Mrs Humphries his sister and her daughter, Sheila, and Miss Honor Murphy”.

In connection with messages of protest received by President WT Cosgrave of the Irish Provisional Government from the American Association for the Recognition of the Irish Republic referring to the arrest and detention in prison of Miss Mary MacSwiney, TD, the Government Publicity Department issued a statement in the evening of 3 November. President Cosgrave wrote about returning with General Richard Mulcahy from a tour of the Dublin hospitals where he had visited seriously injured soldiers of the National Army and his thoughts upon such suffering;

“Deaths and sufferings, and a daily toll of further deaths and sufferings, are the direct consequences of the doings of people who formerly were, and still claim to be, political leaders, the consequence of the action which Mr De Valera has described as Rory O’Connor’s unfortunate repudiation of the Dáil, which I (De Valera) was so foolish as to defend”.

“Mr De Valera, Miss MacSwiney, and their associates, far from wishing to make amends for what they refer to as their ‘foolishness’, show that they intend to go on being foolish, even at the terrible cost of Irish blood and suffering. They are responsible for the shedding of blood in Ireland, and for its continuance cannot themselves claim immunity. We, on whom the Irish people have placed the responsibility of asserting their authority, will not allow the discharge of that duty to the nation to be hampered by the consideration of any individuals, be they whom they may”.

At a Cork Harbour Board meeting in mid-November 1922 the chairman received a delegation of ladies (Mrs Sheehan, Mrs K Riordan, and Miss Sheehan) who read a document asking for the release of Mary MacSwiney; “We the constituents of Miss MacSwiney ask the Provisional Government, as an not of chivalry, to forthwith release Miss MacSwiney, hoping by this kindly act to alleviate bitterness between Irishmen will help towards the cessation of fratricidal strife, which is slowly destroying our country”.

Continuing the Chairman said he appreciated the manner in which the document had been worded. He described it as having no party bitterness in it, and he hoped that as they were celebrating the second anniversary of Terence MacSwiney’s death, which had evoked such world-wide admiration, he hoped the Government would act on it.

Board member and member of Cork Corporation Sir John Scott, in proposing the adoption of the resolution, said that there were times in the “affairs of men and women when politics had to be put aside”, and he thought that was one of them. He regretted that Miss MacSwiney had been arrested, because he thought that action was an “error of judgment”, and he had no hesitation in asking that she be released Mr Barry Egan seconded.

Mr T J Murphy wished to be associated with the request. He noted that Miss MacSwiney was a member of their Board and TD for the city, and he did not think it would hurt the Provisional Government to grant her release. He thought, in fact, it would be much better for the Provisional Government if they did so. Mr O’Brien also supported the resolution. He did not think it would serve any patriotic purpose to keep Miss MacSwiney in prison. The Chairman said he supposed there was no objection whatever to passing the resolution. The motion was formally passed and the deputation withdrew.

Members of Cork Corporation also called for Mary’s release as well as the Cork Worker’s Council. In addition on the twentieth day of the hunger strike, Mary’s sister Annie MacSwiney, who had been fasting outside the gaol for a week, was removed in a very weak state to a private nursing home in Eccles Street, Dublin. Annie was determined to fast until she was admitted to the gaol to see her sister.

Beyond the twentieth day of Mary’s hunger strike, her condition was grave and she was given the Last Rites by a Roman Catholic priest. On the 24^th day though the Government were not prepared to let hunger strikers die, and she was released.

In early April 1923 Mary was arrested again and taken to Kilmainham Gaol and was released after 19 days of hunger strike.

Caption:

1176a. Mary MacSwiney TD, 1921 (Source: Houses of the Oireachtas Archive).