Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,

Cork Independent, 15 May 2025

Making an Irish Free State City – Abolishing the Tolls

My historical walking tour of The Lough – coming up again on Sunday 25 May – is an opportunity to once again take interested people across the rich historical landscape of Cork City’s most treasured amenity.

Through ongoing research for this column, I came across an article in the Cork Examiner published on 15 January 1925. It provides insights into the toll booths of the city, of which there was one on The Lough Road on the route into the Greenmount area.

Historically, under several charters granted from the time of Henry III in the thirteenth century, the Corporation of Cork claimed the exclusive right to hold markets within the walled town of Cork funded by tolls. On 15 October 1303, the bailiffs and “men of Cork”, obtained permission to pay the expense of a conduit for supplying the town with water, out of certain tolls called murage, which they had for six years, and which were granted to the cities of Ireland, for the purpose of building or repairing their walls. The tolls imposed early in the seventeenth century by the Corporation were for the specific purpose of  “keeping the North, and South Main streets in good repair”. The tolls schedule enumerated a number of goods, all of which through time immensely varied both in absolute and comparative value.

Campaigns to remove the tolls were consistent. Circa 1710 petitions were sent to the Irish Parliament by Cork farmers, and the following year the differences that existed were, it appeared, amicably settled with some farmers, who became exempt.  On 17 July 1787, the toll areas were described; “The Gateage Tolls and other customs be set in the following lots, to wit: The Dublin road and Mallow road, together; Fair Hill, Cattle Market, and Blarney Lane, together; Youghal Road, Spring Lane, and Leitrim Street, together; the Lough and Gallows Green roads, together; the Upper and Lower Glasheen roads together; the Upper and Lower Douglas roads together”. Many of the toll sites were houses on the side of roads more so than the iconic St Luke’s Cross toll booth that has survived the test of time.

In the late nineteenth century, hides or grain, which happened to be sent by rail from Queenstown or Aghada to Cork, were subject to a heavy toll. However, if they were sent by water from the harbour towns they were not subject to toll or dues of any kind.

In 1888, the members of Cork Corporation expressed their desire to abolish the tolls. However, they considered that due to the then state of the Corporation’s finances they could not recommend the Council to sacrifice a net revenue of about £2,400 per annum, unless a plan could be devised by which they might be indemnified for at least some portion of the loss.

By the early twentieth century, there was also a rising cost to collect the tolls at the toll houses. It was admitted by the Corporation of Cork that at several stations the cost of collection was greater than the whole sum received. Cork families were employed at their properties to collect the tolls. Another anomaly was that the tolls were not payable at all by freemen of the city, and of course, all their relatives and friends could escape by sending animals or corn in their name.

The toll houses listed in the 15 January article in 1925 list 14 sites. On the north side of the city, there were nine listed toll houses located at Blarney Road, Commons Road, Dillon’s Cross, Fair Hill, Glanmire Road, Lee Road, Lower Road, Red Forge in Blackpool, and in Sunday’s Well.

The south side toll house locations were at five sites. They comprised of toll houses on Blackrock Road, Brandy Lane (off Bandon Road), Evergreen Road, Friar’s Walk and on Passage Road. The western entrance of the city was served by a toll booth on the Western Road.

The income in 1917 was £543 13s. 5d with an expenditure of £738 3s. 1d. Hence there was a loss in 1917 of £194 9s. 5d. In 1923 the income was £607 18s. 0d with an expenditure of £1,130 14s. Od. The loss was £522 15s. 6d.

As the loss was growing, investigation into the abolishment of the tolls took place with some mild restructuring resulting some mild bounce back into profit could be seen. In 1925, the income was £1,415 with an expenditure of 1,843 leaving a loss of £428. In 1926, the income was £1,871 with £1,469 in expenditure leaving a profit of £402.

On 27 April 1927, at the Cork Corporation offices, Philip Monahan, City Commissioner, argued his case for abolishing the tolls. He outlined that that for a great many years past tolls had been levied on cattle, sheep, pigs, and certain classes of goods entering the city. These tolls were collected by the different railways, as well as by the Corporation toll collectors. The latter collected tolls on goods entering the city by road. Until the advent of the motor lorry it was possible to intercept all cars/ horse and carts entering, and in previous years the bulk of goods on which tolls were levied came in by motor lorries.

However, the toll collectors deemed it difficult to deal with motor lorry transport, and hence goods entering by road were allowed in free, while goods entering by rail were subjected to the usual toll charges. However, with changing administration practices, the Great Southern Railway Company noted they were phasing out the collection of tolls.

Philip Monahan declared that as it would not now be possible to levy the tolls without greatly impeding the transport system of the city. He announced his decision to allow all goods into the city free of the usual tolls as from 4 May 1927.

The Cork Examiner noted of staffing at the toll sites; “It has been ascertained that the abolition of the tolls will involve small, if any, disemployment of officials, as in practice the collection is usually carried out by unpaid assistants, usually members of the family of the nominal collector, who in most cases derives his living from some other occupation. The decision, however, signifies the end of a system which has been employed almost exclusively in Cork for several hundred years”.

Caption:

1304a. Section of First Edition Ordnance Survey Map showing the Lough c.1840; the area is part of Kieran’s upcoming historical walking tour (source: Ordnance Survey Ireland).

Next May Walking Tours with Kieran (All free, two hours, no booking required). 

Saturday afternoon, 24 May, Stories from Blackrock and Mahon, Historical walking tour of Blackrock Village, from Blackrock Castle to nineteenth century houses and fishing; meet in adjacent carpark at base of Blackrock Castle, 2pm.

Sunday evening,25 May, The Lough and its Curiosities, historical walking tour; meet at green area at northern area of The Lough, entrance of Lough Road to The Lough, Lough Church end; 6.30pm.

Friday evening, 30 May, Cork Through the Ages, An Introduction to the Historical Development of Cork City; meet at the National Monument, Grand Parade, 6.30pm.