Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article, 

Cork Independent, 16 May 2013

Technical Memories (Part 54) – Pre World War II Memories

In an article in the Cork Examiner on 2 September 1939, the Compulsory Continuation Education Scheme, as written about in last week’s article, entered into the second year of its existence in Cork City. During late August 1939, the enrolment and registration of pupils continued apace. It was anticipated that 600 boys and an equal number of girls would avail of the scheme during the 1939-40 year. In the 1938-39 session only boys and girls between the ages of fourteen and fifteen were included but in 1939-40 the age limit was to increase from fourteen to sixteen years. It was estimated that the addition to age limit would mean an increase in the number of pupils, from 950 in the previous year to 1,200 for the ensuing years.

To meet the demands of the increased number, the Cork City Vocational Education Committee, which was charged with the operation of the scheme, felt it necessary, not alone to enlarge their existing schools but also to appoint additional teachers to the compulsory scheme’s teaching staff. Girls enrolled under the scheme attended schools at 2 Emmett Place and 18 Parnell Place while the boys were accommodated at the Grammar Schools at St Patrick’s Place. At St Patrick’s Place, the committee acquired further space and built two new classrooms and a workshop. While at the girls’ school at Parnell Place, alterations were also carried out and a new kitchen for domestic economy erected. For the 1937-38 years, the committee had a total of two woodworking shops and four kitchens at the different schools but owing to the increased number of pupils they would in time three woodworking shop and five kitchens.

Increases in the teaching staff were also necessary by the addition of one manual instructor and two domestic economy instructresses. The man in charge was J Whooley, headmaster, who worked with three whole-time wood-working teachers, four male part time teachers of general subjects, one lady teacher of general subjects, five domestic economy instructresses, and two assistant needle-work teachers. In addition, commenting the Cork Examiner on 2 September 1939 noted: “Without the co-operation of city employers and parents alike, the scheme could not have reached the degree of success that it has”.

On 5 September 1939, the Crawford Municipal Technical Institute advertised their advice to parents to send their boys and girls to the voluntary full-time courses already in existence in the Institute. By attending a course students could pursue their general education, and in addition boys could qualify themselves to enter into local occupations such as mechanical, motor and electrical engineering or the many branches of the building trades. Special day courses were also in operation for the training of young girls in power machine and machine knitting for prospective employment in factory work. Priding itself as catering solely for all branches of science and technology, the Institute noted that it had recently installed a new mechanical engineering machine shop. A second feature invested in was a new electrical installation work and an elaborate and well planned gymnasium for the physical training of students.

Entrance and scholarship examinations in 1939 were to be held on 6 September in the morning and also in the evening. At the examination for day classes, 20 scholarships were being offered for competition to the specialised day courses in electrical, motor and mechanical engineering or building trades. At the entrance and scholarship examination for evening classes, 90 free student-ships were offered for competition to the junior and specialised courses.

In terms of staff in the Crawford Municipal Technical Institute, some details are revealed in the surviving minute books of the City of Cork VEC committee from the 1930s onwards (held in the Cork City and County Archives in Blackpool). In neat writing, the minutes over the 1930s remark on changing staff, new courses, requests for increased payment and the routine maintenance of the building. There is an absence in the late 1930s and even in the 1940s of a record of the core staff of the Crawford Technical College.  However, a list of a large majority of the staff are listed in the minutes of the City of Cork Vocational Education Committee on 12 November 1931, who together were requesting the Minister for Education for increased salaries in line with the change in Vocational Education system. This practice seemed coherent with other staff across Ireland looking for increased wages for their work. For the purpose that there may be individuals out there that knew some of these members, I publish the names below. If anyone has info on them they can contact me on 0876553389; Augustine Weldon (Assistant Principal), Denis Madden (Head, chemistry department), George Maculwraith (Head, electrical engineering), David Daly (Head, mechanical engineering), John Higgins (lecturer, mechanical engineering), Cornelius O’Riordan (lecturer, motor engines), Nora Dwyer (senior clerk), Henry Nolan (workshop instructor), Thomas O’Sullivan (laboratory assistant and electrician), Kathleen O’Sullivan (laboratory assistant), Henry Dart (caretaker), William O’Neill (caretaker), Cornelius Murphy (caretaker), James French (assistant caretaker), U O’Donoghue (assistant caretaker), Patrick McDonnell (assistant caretaker), Letitia Manning (cleaner), Mary Looney (cleaner), Ellen Falvey (attendant), Catherine O’Regan (attendant) and Margaret O’Sullivan (cleaner).

To be continued…

Caption:

691a. Interior view of 18 Parnell Place, 2005, still today derelict and awaiting incorporation into a new hotel that was partially developed during the recent boom years but remains unfinished due to the economic downturn (picture: Kieran McCarthy)