Kieran’s Our City, Our Town, 

Cork Independent, 17 February 2011 

In the Footsteps of St. Finbarre (Part 248)

Irish Unity and City Hall 

 

“We are in the midst of ruins of various sorts, and it is time that the people-especially people with the capacity of the people of Cork had shown – to look ahead and take stock of the present needs and of the prospects that lie ahead for the people who will make use of them and take proper advantage of them” (Eamonn DeValera at the luncheon celebrating the laying of the foundation stone of City Hall, 9 July 1932).

 

Three weeks after the opening of the Savoy Cinema, another important Cork building began its life. On the 9 July 1932 the foundation stone of the new Cork City Hall was laid by Eamonn DeValera, newly elected President of the Executive Council or the Government of Ireland. The Cork Examiner gave ample coverage to the event. It was DeValera’s second visit to Cork in the space of a fortnight; he had also visited the Industrial Fair on the Straight Road. The ceremony for City Hall took place on the site of the former City Hall, which was demolished in 1929. It was burned out in December 1920 during the ‘Burning of Cork’ and for many years, the site was one of civic controversy. The Cork Examiner writes about how the compensation allowed by the British government for the destruction of the old premises was deviated to social housing schemes. This was driven by the then City Manager Philip Monahan who was appointed in 1924 when the elected councilors could not agree on issues and the Council was disbanded. In 1929, a new council was re-elected and they sought a new civic building.

 

When President DeValera arrived at the city hall site he was greeted by a large gathering of the citizens, who had not only thronged the large space within the hoardings and outside on the street. Catholic Boy scouts and Civic Garda were under pressure to maintain control over the enthusiastic crowds. On DeValera’s arrival, he was led onto the city hall site. The foundation stone was suspended from a pulley block and lowered into position, and with the aid of silver trowel, with an ivory handle (now in the Lord Mayor’s Chamber, City Hall), he performed the function of laying the stone on the foundation. Then in a few words in Irish, the President declared the stone laid. The band of the Greenmount Industrial Schools then played the national anthem.

 

Then followed the blessing of the stone by Rev. Monsignor Patrick Sexton, Dean of Cork who was representing the Bishop. In passing, the corkandross.org website reveals that Monsignor Sexton was Parish Priest of St. Patrick’s Church in 1932 and one of those who introduced the Catholic Boy Scout and Catholic Girl Guide movements to Cork.

 

As President DeValera was about to walk away from the foundation stone, a voice behind him shouted “Give us a word, Eamonn”. The President, addressing the gathering, said: “All I wish to say is that I hope that with this stone we are laying the foundation for renewed prosperity for your city”. The President subsequently motored to the Victoria Hotel where he was entertained to lunch, with the Lord Mayor, presiding. As the President passed into the hotel the no.2 Army Band played the National Anthem and a military guard of honour presented arms.

 

The Lord Mayor at the luncheon welcomed the President and company and referred to the deaths of Lord Mayor’s MacCurtain and McSweeney and the circumstances in which the old city hall was destroyed. He linked the laying of the foundation stone of the new building to both individuals and how they strived to lay moral foundations of unity in the Irish nation. DeValera in his speech referred to them as comrades in the Irish Republican Army. He was imprisoned with Terence McSweeney so he knew him well and appreciated “his wonderful strength of character he possessed throughout his life”. In coming to lay the foundation stone of the new City Hall in Cork, he hoped that it would be “symbolic of the prosperity and the future glory of the country, to come as a result of the sacrifices, which had been made by the men like those to whom the Lord Mayor had referred to”.

 

DeValera continued and referred to the future prospects for Ireland:

“There was great work for the Irish people to do not only at home but elsewhere for they were scattered throughout the world; The world needed the efforts of the Irish people who had already done wonderful work; and had reached high ideals in positions throughout the world. The Irish people today had a wonderful chance for a great spiritual leadership in a world which needed restoration from the ruin of social order to which it had fallen. If only they could push these efforts in the right way there was a big chance for the Irish people to set a great example to the rest of the world. The Irish people had a wonderful chance to experiment in bringing about the right social order in a world where it had fallen to pieces”. Following the luncheon, the entire party proceeded to a tour of the fair grounds.

 

To be continued…

 

 

Captions:

 

578a. Laying of the foundation stone of Cork City Hall (source: Cork Corporation diary, 1932; Cork City Library)

 

578b. Architectural drawing of Cork City Hall, 1932 (source: Cork Corporation diary, 1932; Cork City Library)