Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,

Cork Independent, 6 March 2025

Making an Irish Free State City – The Making of the Cork Legion of Ex-Service Men

March 2025 coincides with the centenary commemoration of the unveiling of the First World War Memorial on Cork’s South Mall. The campaign for its construction was organised by the Cork Legion of Ex-Servicemen, which was founded in the middle of 1921, following the formation of the British Legion. The Cork branch was one of several regional branches in Ireland and in the UK.

The British Legion started as a merger of four different organisations, all with a similar purpose. These four organisations were: The National Association of Discharged Sailors and Soldiers, The British National Federation of Discharged and Demobilized Sailors and Soldiers, The Comrades of The Great War, and The Officers’ Association.

The Cork Examiner records that one of the first key events for the Cork Legion was on Sunday 13 November 1921. The members (both Roman Catholic and Protestant in nature) formed up at 9am outside their headquarter rooms at No 6 South Mall and marched to their respective places of worship. The order of the procession was The Band No 1 Company under Mr. T O’Leary, No 2 Company under Mr J Sheehan, No 3 Company under Lieutenant S Ahern and No 4 Company under Captain C Tully. A Captain Murtagh was in charge of the parade. After the band marched the officers and committee.

Fast forward to August 1923 and one can get a sense of the scale of the Cork Legion and how many people it represented. The Cork Examiner records that at special general meeting of 23 August 1923 at 6 South Mall, the Cork Legion met to consider what stance to take on during the upcoming General Election on the candidature of Mr J J Walsh, a Cumann na nGaedheal candidate. Mr Walsh was in attendance and was accompanied by his election agent Mr W F O’Connor, solicitor and former Lord Mayor of Cork.

The Cork Legion noted it represented over 12,000 ex-servicemen in Cork. In return for electoral support, the Cork Legion asked J J Walsh for four acts of supports, which he agreed with and signed a document. Such asks also encompassed the Cork Legion’s work and other legions as well across Ireland. Firstly that if elected that J J Walsh would use his influence and position in the Irish Parliament to obtain from the British Government “just and equitable fulfilment of the claims of Irish ex-service men”. 

Secondly J J Walsh was requested to avail of every opportunity to ensure that past services in the British Army or Navy or in any other branch of the British crown services would not militate against such men in regard to employment and other matters affecting them as citizens.

Thirdly the ask was that J J Walsh would oppose any attempt at interference by the Irish Government with pensions, allowances and housing of ex-service men and their dependents and the dependents of the fallen in the First World War, “whether reserved to the British Government or in the hands of a trust, unless and until the Legion of Irish Ex-Service men desire a change”. Fourthly and lastly J J Walsh was asked to further the interests of ex-service men and the dependents of “all fallen soldiers on all occasions”, and endeavour to have ex-service men accepted for services in the public, departments of the Irish Free State, “equitably with other citizens of the country”. 

By 9 October 1923, further advancement of the Cork Legion had been made, which tallied with the overall work at national Legion level and across other branches in Ireland. The Cork Examiner on 9 October 1923 published a letter by the secretary of the Cork Legion, T Long, who outlined its extent campaigns.

The housing and land question for the soldiers and sailors had been advanced. It was anticipated that houses and plots would shortly be provided within the City area for ex-servicemen and their families. Early applications were requested to be sent to 6 South Mall. Owners of land in the Borough of Cork who wished to offer land for development were asked to come forward.

The provision of a grant from the national Unemployment Grants Committee to provide money for work with a public utility with a view to the employment of ex-servicemen was also receiving careful attention of the national Legion of Irish ex-servicemen. The national Legion were carefully watching on behalf of pensioners and the dependence of fallen soldiers the progress of events in regard to the a change of the pension administration in the emerging Irish Free State. The organisation had already put forward concrete proposals to improve and consolidate the position of the service for disability pensioners in the country.

It was hoped to open a list of ex-servicemen who were in need of employment showing their qualifications. Employers would then be asked to cooperate in placing these members in suitable positions “to enable them to earn a livelihood in their own country”.

In addition arrangements had also been completed by the Cork Legion to receive applications from the next of kin who fell in the First World War and who were buried in the various cemeteries of France in Belgium. This was pursued with a view to providing, in cooperation with the British and French Legion, for the free travelling and hotel expenses of the parents for other next of kin. It was recognised that there were relatives who were not able to visit the graves and who for reasons of financial distress were unable to pay their own expenses.

The Cork Legion continued their focus on the act of pilgrimage to Belgium. Indeed, by April 1924, the Cork Legion, through large scale funding, erected a 20 feet high memorial Cross at Ypres/Ieper. It was carved by Mr A O’Connell, MacCurtain Street, Cork. It was such a cross, which sparked even more the interest in erecting a memorial in Cork.

To be continued… 

Caption:

1294a. Battlefields of the First World War, near Ieper, Belgium c.1918 (source: In Flanders Fields Museum, Ieper, Belgium).