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.
1284a. Crawford Art Gallery staff, l-r, Curator of Collections Dr Michael Waldron, Director Mary McCarthy and Production Manager Kathryn Coughlan pictured during the removal of the Canova Casts from the gallery (picture: Joleen Cronin)
Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,
Cork Independent, 19 December 2024
The Decanting of the Canova Casts
The Crawford Art Gallery’s iconic collection of Canova casts have departed the building for the first time in 140 years, with a delicate process of crating and removing the much-loved artworks concluding the last few weeks. The Crawford Art Gallery closed to the public in September of this year to undergo an enormously exciting capital redevelopment project: Transforming Crawford Art Gallery.
This multi-million euro investment will increase gallery space by almost 50%, preserve and protect three centuries of existing built heritage, and create a cultural legacy for a new century as Cork continues to grow. The project is a Government of Ireland 2040 project funded by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media in partnership with the Office of Public Works (OPW).
It is a historic moment in the life of the gallery, the casts, and Cork, as 25 plaster cast and marble works departed the nineteenth century wing of the gallery, built by brewing magnate William Horatio Crawford in 1884, in part to house the sculptures.
In October 1818 a ship from the UK containing 219 sculpture casts arrived into Cork. The acquisition of classical casts made an important contribution to Cork burgeoning art scene and in today’s Crawford Art Galley a cross section of them form the centre of an impressive sculpture display. Their context and journey to Cork is a unique story. Circa 1810, Pope Pius VII was anxious to express his gratitude to the English people for the return to the Vatican Galleries of many masterpieces looted by Napoleon Bonaparte. The Pope commissioned Italian artist, Antonio Canova, to make a set of over one hundred casts from the classical collection in the Vatican.
Canova (1757-1822) was deemed the greatest sculptor of his time and his name was renown across Europe. A student of antiquity, he had interests in Roman restoration projects of artwork. His early work of a statuette of Apollo Crowning Himself, which he entered into a competition organised by the Venetian aristocrat Don Abbondio Rezzonico. This work led to a large successful line of marble statue commissions across Europe comprising Holland, Austria, Poland, Russia, and England. In France Napoleon Bonaparte was a patron of his commissioning large amounts of work and artistic depictions of Napoleon posing as the Roman God of War. Members of Napoleon’s family were also depicted in marble casts such as his sister, second wife and mother (appears in the Crawford Art Gallery). In 1802, be was given the post of Inspector-General of Antiquities and Fine Art of the Papal State.
As a diplomatic gesture, in 1812, a set of Canova casts were shipped to London by the Vatican as a gift to the Prince Regent, later George IV. The Prince showed a lack of appreciation towards his papal acquisitions and the casts lay firstly in the London Custom House and then in the basement of his residence in Carleton Gardens. William Hare, 1st Lord Listowel of Convamore, Co. Cork (beside the River Blackwater), was a patron of the arts and as friend of the prince suggested that they be donated as a gift to the people of Cork.
The Prince Regent donated the casts to the Society of Fine Arts in Cork City, whose premises was located on what is now the intersection of St Patrick’s Street and Opera Lane. An article in the Belfast Newsletter notes that the casts were shipped on Saturday 24 October 1818 – arriving a few days after. A contemporary account best tells the story of this event, more especially when it comes from a manuscript autobiographical sketch written by one of the greatest beneficiaries from the casts, Corkman Daniel Maclise.
“A former theatre once supported by the Apollo Society of Amateur Actors was fixed upon as the most suitable place for the reception of the valuable collection of casts. It was situated in a principal street, Patrick Street, and the stage was screened off by a well-painted scene of the interior of a Greek temple. The pit was boarded over and the gallery was partitioned off. The boxes remained only as they were, and the statues were arranged around the Parterre with much taste on moveable pedestals under the Superintendence of a London gentleman who was sent over for the purpose, and whose name happened appropriately enough to be Corkaigne”.
Shortly after the acquisition, the Cork Society of Fine Arts suffered financial difficulty and could not pay the rent of the premises in which the casts were kept. Under considerable embarrassment, they applied to the government for monetary aid. The Westminster Government and under the recommendation of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland stated they could grant no aid but recommended them to amalgamate with the Royal Cork Institution. An arrangement was made that the Royal Cork Institution should attain the casts and pay the debt of £500-£600 that was contracted by the Society of Fine Arts. A compromise was made of £300 and the casts were moved to the Institution’s premises on Jameson Row. Years later again, they were moved to the Crawford Art Gallery when it opened in 1885
After months of planning for the delicate operation of moving the Canova casts in our time the operation has included Crawford Art Gallery staff seeking expert opinion from London sculptural conservators Taylor Pearce Ltd. Bespoke storage crates were commissioned for each sculpture. Many of the sculptures are estimated to weigh in excess of two tonnes, with smaller pieces weighing in at anywhere between 75kg to 500kg.
Gallery director Mary McCarthy praised the dedication of the team involved in the removal of the 3D artworks, and said the feat was a pivotal moment in the history of Crawford Art Gallery; She noted: “ I’m delighted to announce the successful removal of our beautiful Canova casts from the Sculpture Galleries, a big moment for Crawford Art Gallery as these treasured works have not been moved out of the building for 140 years. This is a huge milestone in the decant process of the entire collection into safe storage to prepare for Transforming Crawford Art Gallery, our capital redevelopment project.”
Mary also described that the planning and dedication and expertise that has gone into their safe removal has been awe-inspiring to see; “I want to pay tribute to our in-house technical team, supported by additional external experts ,our production manager and our registrar for their work in carrying off this historically important removal smoothly and with great professionalism”.
Caption:
1284a. Crawford Art Gallery staff, l-r, Curator of Collections Dr Michael Waldron, Director Mary McCarthy and Production Manager Kathryn Coughlan pictured during the removal of the Canova Casts from the gallery (picture: Joleen Cronin)
1283a. Historic Cork Butter Exchange, c.1900 (source: Cork Public Museum)
Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,
Cork Independent, 12 December 2024
Making an Irish Free State City – Thomas O’Gorman and the Shandon Brand
A few weeks ago, this column highlighted the initial growth of Sunbeam Knitwear Company at the historic Butter Exchange Building in 1928. After Sunbeam moved to Millfield in 1933, Thomas O’Gorman made the exchange building space into a factory manufacturing caps and accessories.
Thomas O’Gorman was well known for his business activities. The founder of the firm of T O’Gorman and Son, manufacturers of the “Shandon” brand of hats, caps and braces, An obituary for on 13 August 1947 in the Cork Examiner notes that Thomas was born near Thurles, County Tipperary. He served his apprenticeship time with a Galway drapery firm. On coming to Cork in 1904 he opened a drapery shop in MacCurtain Street, which was damaged during the War of Independence. Circa 1920-1921 he started the manufacture of caps and braces at premises on Pope’s Quay and later moved to a larger premises at the historic Butter Exchange. At the time of his death in 1947, Thomas lived at 4 Landscape Terrace, Sunday’s Well.
The Cork Examiner also reveals that in his younger days Thomas O’Gorman was an enthusiastic member of the Gaelic League and was an ardent supporter of everything Irish. He was an all-round sportsman and took a particular interest in swimming. A popular member of the Cork Catholic Young Men’s Society, he was highly respected by the members for his attention to and work for the Society.
Only a handful of stories exist in the public realm that can be used to assemble the story of Thomas O’Gorman’s factory through the decades. There is no shortage of advertisements for the company in newspapers such as the Cork Examiner throughout the company’s existence. The son of the original founder Thomas was also called Thomas. He was educated at Christian College, Cork and at Clongowes Wood in Dublin. Shortly after finishing his schooling Thomas (Junior) joined his father’s business. He was a keen rowing man, a member of the Cork Boat Club and was also very active in sailing circles, being a member of the Royal Munster Yacht Club.
An interesting note in the Evening Echo on 17 January 1961 highlights that Messrs T O Gorman and Son Ltd had associated with Messrs Christy and Company, London. At that point the factory was one of the oldest hat-making firm in Ireland, with at least sixty years’ experience behind them. The famous Christy firm was 189 years old. The association of the two firms was pursued in order to promote the sale of hats in Ireland. The British firm was one of the biggest hat and cap units in the world. The Cork Examiner reveals that part of the manufacturing process would be carried out in England while the finishing stages would be undertaken at O’Gorman’s in Shandon. The Associated British Hat (Christy) products were manufactured under licence at the Cork factory.
As the 1960s and 1970s progressed the firm began successfully manufacturing hats and caps for tourists and golfers. The traditional styles have been selling very well abroad. Following their participation in the Imbrex International Menswear Show at Earls Court in London, T O’Gorman & Son Ltd. negotiated a major deal with a Japanese market.
By 1976 T O’Gorman & Son manufactured men’s hats, caps, belts and braces. It employed about 80 people during the peak production months. The grandsons of the original founder, Tony, John and Gregory O’Gorman were now running the business.
Tragedy struck on 30 December 1976 when an early morning fire broke out. The Evening Echo describes the destruction of the Shandon factory. Three units of Cork Fire Brigade fought to contain a fire, which was discovered shortly after 7.30am when the factory caretaker arrived to open up. Employees who reported in for work after the Christmas holidays watched as firemen hosed down the wreckage inside.
Chief Fire Officer Captain C Garvey, described the blaze as “massive” and said that the inside of the building was completely gutted. Firemen kept crowds back because of the flying glass and explosions inside as the fire swept through the factory. The job of bringing the blaze under control was made more difficult because of the age of the building and the combustible material inside.
The Evening Echo also describes that as the early days of January 1977 progressed, the factory premises was a blackened ruin with steel girders buckled and twisted by the fierce fire. Arrangements were made to keep valued employees on full pay during the re-organisation period. Temporary offices were set up at Bradbury House, 38/39 Washington Street.
Warm-hearted offers of help continued to be received by the stricken makers of hats, caps, braces and belts. From the other end of the country came an offer of all possible help in getting the Cork firm into production again. Mr Howard Temple, owner and managing director of the famous Magee firm in Donegal, got through by phone to offer a full range of samples of his famous Donegal tweed. Mr Temple instructed his factory manager to list all surplus machinery not in use and to offer it to Messrs T O’Gorman & Son for as long as the Cork firm needed it, all without charge. Needless to say the offer was been accepted gratefully.
T O’Gorman & Son eventually got up and running again at a new premises in Churchfield. Today it exists online in the hands of Gregory O’Gorman.
As for the historic Butter Market Exchange in the late 1970s Cork Corporation published a plan designed to revitalise the Shandon area of the city. This plan identified the historic Butter Exchange building as a possible centre for craft retail and production. In 1984 the IDA decided to act on this proposal and it took over the building, which it refurbished and converted into self-contained craft units with the aim of fostering the growth and prosperity of the wide craft base in the Cork region.
The new centre, which opened its doors in 1986, had 18 units, including a restaurant, and it enjoyed a close 90% occupancy rate when it opened. Today, the historic Butter Exchange awaits development as the Enterprise Exchange that will offer a space for young companies involved in technology and innovation.
Caption:
1283a. Historic Cork Butter Exchange, c.1900 (source: Cork Public Museum)
1282a. Front cover of Cork A Potted History by Kieran McCarthy
Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,
Cork Independent, 5 December 2024
Kieran’s Cork Books for Christmas
It’s only a few weeks to Christmas. There are three publications of mine, which readers of the column might be interested in to buy as Christmas gifts. All were published in the past two years and are available in Waterstones, Vibes and Scribes, and Easons.
Cork: A Potted History (2024) is published by Amberely Publishing. The book is a walking trail, which can be physically pursued or you can simply follow it from your armchair. Cork: A Potted History builds upon my other book from Amberley, Secret Cork, but this time it takes the viewer on a walking trail of over forty sites. It takes a line from the city’s famous natural lake known just as The Lough across the former medieval core, ending in the historic north suburbs of Blackpool.
Starting at The Lough – a Cork gem – which once hosted everything from duels to ice skating and its own tree nursery, the trail then rambles to hidden moats, ancient hospital sites, lost meeting houses, legacies of medieval remnants, across ancient streetscapes to exploring forgotten industrial urban spaces. The book reveals the city’s lesser-known heritage and hidden urban and cultural heritage features.
Places matter in Cork. The city’s urban landscape is filled with stories about its past. With some sites, you might stop and contemplate as you’re passing by, and many others might not be given a second look. But a second and even a third look can reveal some interesting historical nuggets and curiosities about Cork’s development. In Cork it always pays to look above the ground floor to shop and house level.
Last year’s publication, The A-Z of Curious County Cork (2023),published by History Press UK (2023) is still selling well. It has been born out of my own personal curiosity for many years now to venture off the main roads of County Cork to explore the curiosities of cultural heritage in County Cork. There are approximately 120 stories from different corners of County Cork. From the A-listing of Apparition to the Z listing of Zeal.
The added task of picking over one hundred curiosities of County Cork was also going to be a challenge. It is difficult to define what a curiosity is. Such a distinction varies from one person to another. The importance of a curiosity in one locale may also not be a curiosity to another locale. The stories within this book, and which I have chosen and noted as curiosities are ones, which have lingered in my mind long after I found them or brought me down further ‘rabbit holes’ of research.
Being the largest county in Ireland, Cork has the advantage of also having the largest number of cultural heritage nuggets. However, with that accolade comes the conundrum of what nuggets to pick from. With any A-Z of anything it does not cover every single aspect of a particular history but this book does provides brief insights into and showcases the nuggets and narratives of cultural interest that are really embedded in local areas. It also draws upon stories from across the county’s geography.
Much has been written on the histories of County Cork. There is much written down and lots more still to be researched and written up. The County is also blessed with active guardians of its past. In particular, there is a notable myriad of local historians and historical societies, which mind the county’s past and also celebrate and even commemorate it through penning stories in newspaper articles, journals, books and providing regular fieldtrips for the general public. There is also the impressive heritage book series on County Cork, published by the Heritage Unit of Cork County Council.
Celebrating Cork (2022) is published by Amberley Publishing and explores some of the reasons why Cork is so special in the hearts of Corkonians and its many visitors. It takes the reader through the familiar and lesser-known layers of Cork’s importance in Atlantic Europe. Different chapters focus on the history of its port; the documents and maps which defined the city’s sense of identity; the Arts and Crafts movements, which can be viewed within the cityscape; its key institutions and charities; its engineering feats; and perhaps why Cork is known for its rebel nature. Illustrated throughout, Celebrating Cork will be of great appeal to residents, visitors and all those with connections to the city. It will be a source of civic pride as well as a valuable contribution to local history.
Celebrating Cork builds on my previous publications – notably Cork In 50 Buildings, Secret Cork, and Cork City Centre Tour – all published by Amberley Publishing. This book focuses on different topics again of Cork’s past and places more focus on elements I have not had a chance to write upon and reflect about in the past.
With more and more archival material being digitised, it is easier to access original source material in antiquarian books or to search through old newspapers to find the voices championing steps in Cork’s progression in infrastructure, community life or in its cultural development.
More and more I am drawn to a number of themes, which I continue to explore in publications. As a city on the very edge of western Europe, and as a port city, Cork has always been open to influences, from Europe and the world at large. Cork’s Atlantic-ness and that influence whether that be location, light or trade is significant.
Corkonians of the past were aware of the shouts of dockers and noise from dropping anchors – the sea water causing masts to creak, and the hulls of timber ships knocking against its wall, as if to say: ‘we are here’, and the multitudes of informal international conversations happening just at the edge of a small city centre.
Cork’s ruralness and its connections to the region around it especially the River Lee and Cork Harbour is a theme which I have been actively writing about for over a decade. There are certainly many stories along the river and estuary, which have been lost to time and Cork’s collective memory.
Cork’s place as a second city in Ireland and its second city engine is an important influencer of the city’s development in the past and for the future.
Captions:
1282a. Front cover of Cork A Potted History by Kieran McCarthy
1282b. Front cover of The A-Z of Curious County Cork by Kieran McCarthy
1282c. Front cover of Celebrating Cork by Kieran McCarthy
1282b. Front cover of The A-Z of Curious County Cork by Kieran McCarthy
1282c. Front cover of Celebrating Cork by Kieran McCarthy
