Incoming Speech, Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Kieran McCarthy, 23 June 2023

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St Finbarr's Cathedral, Cork, present day (picture: Kieran McCarthy)
St Finbarr’s Cathedral, Cork, present day (picture: Kieran McCarthy)

“Got Cork” – Adventures in the Southern Capital

Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Kieran McCarthy,

23 June 2023

The Diary Entry:

Dear colleagues, [dear TDs, senators], dear Chief Executive, dear family, dear Lady Mayoress, dear Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends;

Cork 1863 – A letter is dispatched to the UK to a young architect letting him know he was successful with his design proposal for a new cathedral.

William Burges, the newly appointed architect of a new St Finbarr’s Cathedral, immediately and proudly remarked in his diary, “Got Cork” and with that embarked on a remarkable piece of building work, a voyage of discovery into the origins of Cork history. He created an iconic structure relevant for his time and forged a structure as it was seen at the time as [quote] “worthy of the name cathedral” [end quote].

And proudly I can write in my diary this evening also “Got Cork”.

Mar sin ar dtús báire, ba mhaith liom mo fíor buiochas do mo mholtóir Comhairleoir Des Cahill agus do mo thaiceoir, Comhairleoir Terry Shannon, an bheirt iar-Ard Mhearaí Chorcaí, agus a chomhghleacaithe daor as do mhuinín a chur ionam, agus as bronntanas dom an noiméad seo “Got Cork”.

Many thanks dear colleagues for your trust in me here this evening.

Such a term “Got Cork” has always stayed with me through many years since my first reading of them.

And this diary entry by William Burges leads to many questions on what it is to “Got Cork”.

William was tasked to be a guardian of a key part of the city’s heritage – to carry out a project, with multiple roles – some of which included remembering and representing a legacy, projecting and re-animating the origins story of the city’s patron Saint Finbarr.

He built upon past legacies of former churches, He assembled striking architectural designs in a historic medieval style. He managed a team, and most interestingly conducted archaeological excavations and move skeletons and burials because the new cathedral was twice the size of the church it was replacing.

Whereas this evening, you are not entrusting me to build a Cathedral or to move graves [I hope not, but I cannot confirm I have read all of the terms and conditions with the role!].

But we are, I feel, in our own political cathedral where “Got Cork” takes on new meanings– we are in a space of guardianship, representation and inheritance.

In our ancient ceremony of handing over the chain at our annual general meeting this evening from Cllr Forde to myself – that strong sense of guardianship is ever present. There is a guardianship over the chain as an object of high symbolism – firstly a gold medallion with the city’s coat of arms and its Latin inscription Statio Bene Fida Carinis or translated A Safe Harbour for Ships,

Secondly a portcullis showcasing the ancient water gate of the medieval walled town of Cork thirdly the SS chain links symbolising sacredness and guardianship, and lastly the medallion inscription where 1787 marks its creation.

 There is the guardianship of how this chain links the past to our present, almost seamlessly – that one could argue that the chain links are not just physical links but if it could speak it has seen the highs and lows of Cork history from boom to bust and vice versa. The chain has been a witness to it all in its over 230-year history;

…to the creation of the term of Lord Mayor in 1901 with Daniel Hegarty to the tragedies of office holders such as Tomás MacCurtain and Terence MacSwiney and then woven into a myriad of personal connections by those who have engaged with office holders.

 …and then there is the guardianship on how its essence the chain projects the city into the future as debated during the recent boundary expansion scheme. That of all the elements of those contentious debates, which emerged a few short years ago was that the chain and its societal connection meant much to the people of Cork.

And indeed, when you mix the guardianship elements of the past, present and future, one gets a strong mix of high emotion and a deep attachment to the title of Lord Mayor of Cork.

Lord Mayor of Cork's chain (picture: Kieran McCarthy)
Lord Mayor of Cork’s chain (picture: Kieran McCarthy)

A Personal Journey:

And for someone like me, it’s not lost on me what this chain means.

I was the child on the annual Lord Mayor school visits who felt a deep attachment to the essence of the chain and its connection to the sense of place and pride in Cork– something that made me feel proud, made me connect to my city, driven by proud parents and teachers of Cork. Thanks Mum and Dad, and to my sister Deirdre and my brother Aidan for everything.

I was someone who likened the Lord Mayor’s visit to a form of Christmas and that they had some sort of super powers and that the medallion of the chain was an actual key to a rich box of stories and papers of my city. I look forward to seeing it later.

I was the child who wanted to be Lord Mayor when I grew up

I was the teenager who pursued civic education projects of former Lord Mayors– someone who began to research and photograph the city – its buildings and public spaces – and someone who consumed history books written about the city.

I became a someone who has studied and written on the high and lows of Cork history across time encountering mayors and Lord Mayors like ghosts walking across my research of historic books and newspapers;

A someone who created walking tours, a someone who wrote books on this historic city, and ultimately an epic voyage that has led me straight into this hallowed political gladiatorial space to meet and work with you good people,

to work with different Lord Mayors of differing political hues and interests, to learn more about how this city ticks and develops,

to work in the European Committee of the Regions and now this journey has come to this enormous moment this evening.  

So, what my 11 year old self engaged with 35 years ago has brought me on a voyage of epic personal proportions where “Got Cork” has a very high emotional value.

Kieran and his fifth year local history project, Colaiste Chriost Ri, 1993
Kieran and his fifth year local history project, Colaiste Chriost Ri, 1993

A House of Democracy:

But perhaps it is my journey since I joined the Council in 2009 that has been the most enriching.

I have had wow factor memories, deeply worrying memories and very proud memories.

I have been very fortunate to work with colleagues who care deeply about Cork’s communities – its essence and people, who represent its people and neighbourhoods, where every meeting is a chance to make a difference. In my time, some evenings we have won incredible things for this city and during other evenings, we remain pushing forward inch by inch, or stuck, or we have gone back to the drawing board, but we have always remained true to a forward-looking path.

Indeed, in the past four years of this Council as a significant house of democracy, we have achieved so much.

In this Council term alone, we have gone through many challenges – the expansion of the city’s boundaries, which feels like years and years ago, brought us many nights of debates.

In 2019 in a special booklet to mark the boundary expansion of the city the Council commissioned poet Theo Dorgan to reflect on the winds of change  and the related challenges and visions. He wrote:

[quote]:

“Great changes are coming, the worst of the old ways are dust in the wind and the new energies are crackling with light and variousness of daring thought and music. Go on, said one of my brothers, give us a mad vision of Cork in the coming years. That’s Easy I said, it will be the Athens of a new republic, the dream city where a noble past will give birth to a glorious future. He looked at me and said, would you ever cop yourself on. Fair enough I said – getting a bit carried away…but all the same though. What if”.

[end quote].

Again, a sense of “Got Cork” but little did we know what was ahead of us.

We pushed forward through the significant challenges of Covid. We created an online digital platform to enable us to interact. We created a strong Climate Action team. We established a strong Women’s Caucus. We hosted a strong and rich commemoration programme. We passed an ambitious development plan. We found new ways forward to serve in more ambitious ways our respective local electoral areas or neighbourhoods, to placing a focus on our City of Welcomes paradigm, and much much more.

We kept the Council’s work on the road.

This has been due in no small part to your dedication dear colleagues and our strong Executive led by our CE Ann Doherty.

At this juncture I would like in particular like to thank our former Lord Mayors of this Council Cllr Dr John Sheehan, Cllr Joe Kavanagh, Cllr Colm Kelleher and the outgoing Lord Mayor, Cllr Deirdre Forde for leading us through days ranging from “is this our life now sitting 2 metres away from people” to re-opening the city sprinkling it with hope, positivity and charm, to beginning our journey on the development plan, to championing the rebooting of business and community life” and much much more.

We kept this house of democracy going – the importance of guardianship, democracy and representation never wavered.

I am reminded of the words of Tomás MacCurtain in his Lord Mayoralty speech in late January 1920 where he noted:

[quote]: “I expect from the members of the new Corporation a sacrifice of time and a sacrifice, perhaps, of personal interest…that no self-interest would be put before the interest of the community at large”.

[end quote].

 And in our time to each member of this chamber you have made sacrifices to your personal lives to make sure this chamber forges paths forwards through its multitude of its work programmes.

The Hope for Tomorrow:

And so now as we face into the last final 12 months of this Council, there is still much to do. There is much work to finish and much work to start.

And when I say all of that I am very conscious that our citizens and their voices and requests must continue to be listened to, new ideas forged and implemented, and need to be the bedrock of Cork’s DNA building into the future.

In our City, democracy matters. It is renewed every time we have a meeting. It will be renewed with the impending local elections next year.

Lord Mayor Terence MacSwiney in his book Principles of Freedom spoke about people gifted with certain powers of soul and body. That it is of vital importance to the individual and the community that one be given a full opportunity to place a value on developing one’s talent, and [quote] “to fill one’s place in the world worthily” [end quote].

He also wrote about the citizen and a hope for tomorrow. As he noted:

[quote]:

“The citizen will fight for that ideal in obscurity, little heeded – in the open, misunderstood; in humble places, still undaunted; in high places, seizing every vantage point, never crushed, never silent, never despairing, cheering a few comrades with hope for tomorrow. And should these few sink in the struggle the greatness of the ideal is proven in the last hour”.

[end quote].

And in a similar vain Eamon de Valera opening this City Hall building and our chamber on 8 September 1936. Addressing the masses, he noted:

[quote]

“I am sure the people will not shrink from the work that is necessary so that the efforts of the past are not to be in vain. The people of this city have clung tenaciously to their nationality with courage and hope even in the darkest hours. Surely that courage and that hope will not sway them now when the dawn is at hand”.

[end quote].

We will have myriads of meetings ahead of us in our final year where the “hope for tomorrow” can make sure our citizens are the front and centre of our priorities such as reducing homelessness, making sure our construction of our new social housing projects keeps on track, as well as keeping our affordable housing programmes on track, to making sure we are put on a firm footing to be Climate Neutral as part of the EU led Horizon Mission,

We need to keep adding to sustainable mobility plans; we need to keep enhancing the offering of the city centre; we need to make sure we keep creating new amenities, and we need to continue to make sure our communities are future proofed by weaving them with the sustainable development goals and the WHO Healthy Cities project. The list is a long one.

And then we need to sprinkle all those priorities with the energy and ambition that a second city brings or what I call Ireland’s southern capital and one gets an exciting future for our city by the Lee.

Cork City Council is on the frontline in building the future of communities in Cork.  The Council is a story builder, a strategy builder, and a capacity builder.

In addition, one would be hard pressed to find a community within the city’s boundaries and in its outliers that doesn’t have a strong sense of place and identity – where building community capacity, family nest building, ambition and creating opportunities matter, and when compiled create a very strong Cork Inc.

Without doubt my Lord Mayoralty will champion these many priorities but in particular I would like to offer a voice to many of our citizens through my theme of Building our Communities Together and through a pet project I will be calling the Voices of Cork. My interests in heritage, history and education will be at the heart of this project.

So, at our Annual Meeting this evening, we continue to carry with hope, with confidence, with passion, with wit, with leadership, and all of that bound to the city’s hopes and dreams, which burn brightly for the future. This great city keeps moving and the tests of our time demand continuous action.

And so this evening I can proudly inscribe in my diary “Got Cork” with its multitude of meanings that we all continue to explore, engage and push forward with.

To conclude, I am also reminded of the words of two famous composers, Rogers and Hammerstein who once penned the most beautiful lyrics.

“Oh what a beautiful morning, oh what a beautiful day, I got a wonderful feeling, everything is going my way,

eh, O what a beautiful day”.

Go raibh míle maith agaibh arís ar an onóir seo.

[Ends].

Sunset at St Anne's Church, Shandon, present day (picture: Kieran McCarthy)
Sunset at St Anne’s Church, Shandon, present day (picture: Kieran McCarthy)

Kieran’s Our City, Our Town, 22 June 2023

Cork History, Kieran's Council Work, S.E. Ward Local History, Uncategorized
1207a. Ex-Service Men Housing, unveiled June 1927, in Ballinlough, Cork (source: Cork City Library).

Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,

Cork Independent, 22 June 2023

Recasting Cork: The Ex-Service Men Houses

One hundred years ago, references are made in an editorial in the Cork Examiner on 20 June 1923 to the challenges associated with the construction of First World War ex-servicemen housing. Concern was noted in Cork that there was a delay in providing housing for ex-soldiers and sailors.

            In many districts throughout County Cork and across Munster, schemes of a limited nature had been in progress. In many cases these houses were already occupied. However as far as Cork itself, with its large population of ex-service men, the editorial describes that the public had not “so far been aware of any steps being taken to provide a suitable scheme of houses for these men”.

The context to the latter concerns was connected to an eight-year old housing programme for ex-servicemen of the First World War. After the war providing cottages & agricultural small holdings were key aims of the British Government’s programme for reconstruction and national reform. Historian FHA Aalen writes in his history article entitled Homes for Irish Heroes, that initially under the Small Holdings Colonies Acts 1916 and 1918, the goal was to settle ex-servicemen on the land in experimental colonies of cooperative smallholders. The scheme was not successful due to a myriad of problems including high prices of buying good agricultural land and constructing housing. That being noted, over 16,800 applications though in England and Wales, out of a total of 56,000 were received.

In the Irish context, providing land with housing though was deemed political interference by Westminster in Irish land speculation. However, through the legal mechanism of the 1919 Irish Land (Provision for Sailors and Soldiers) Act, the Local Government Board could promote co-operation among those settled on the land and it was hoped to create newly established colonies of ex-service men all over Ireland with the guidance of the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction. Over 10,000 acres were allotted, which made up 360 holdings to ex-servicemen. Initial housing was located in rural areas but also nearby to cities and towns, where ex-servicemen could find work.

Many ex-servicemen’s cottages were constructed along roadsides, either singly or in smaller groups of perhaps four to ten houses. Their important compact estates and garden suburbs, some of them carefully planned, were also built on the outskirts of cities.

Many ex-servicemen’s cottages had a living room, a kitchenette and three bedrooms. Bathrooms were provided when a municipal water supply was available. The bulk of the cottages were two-storeyed with a total area of 600 to 700 square feet, some slightly exceeding 1000 square feet. Concrete block walls, then an innovative method of construction, were widely used in the construction of the cottages. In general, the had a front and back garden.

As a result of the foundation of the Irish Free State, the new measures were short-lived. That being said by the end of 1923, expenditure had exceeded £2 million and almost 2,000 houses had been built (1508 in the Free State and 408 in the north) and several hundred more were under construction. There was a limit of a cost of £400 for a labourer’s cottage of 500 square feet.

The Cork Examiner records that by June 1923 in Charleville 59 houses had been built and occupied, 26 in Mallow, 50 houses in Midleton rural district, including Ballycotton, 19 in Kinsale rural district including Crosshaven, 13 houses at Frankfield, six at Rochestown, four at Passage West, 46 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, and ten in Ardfinnan, County Limerick. Colonel Kirkwood had been busy in Cork inspecting what may be suitable sites for the scheme in the city. He had received valuable assistance from a Captain Penny and Councillor M J O’Callaghan, who is taking a very active interest in seeing the scheme brought to fruition. It was hoped to build a number of houses on three or four sites in the suburbs, which had been provisionally selected.

Post Irish Independence through a unique trust was set up by the governments of the Irish Free State, the United Kingdom, and Northern Ireland. The trust came into being legally on 1 January 1924. In the Irish Sailors’ and Soldiers’ Land Trust, first report, 1924-1926, it is noted that the Trust comprised of a non-political body comprising five members – three appointed by the British government, one by the Government of Northern Ireland, and one from the Irish Free State. 

The Trust, once established, sustained the pace of building. By March 1926, 1692 cottages had been completed in the Free State and 733 in Northern Ireland, making a total of 2425. Amongst these over 200 houses were built in and near Cork city – Fairhill Villas and Kerryhill Road in St Mary’s Parish formed the largest development with 62 houses in blocks of either four or six units along straight avenues.

Considerable estates were also built at Friary Gardens (30 houses) and Friary Road (54 houses) in St Nicholas’ Parish, and at Whitehorn, Douglas Road (44 houses). Smaller developments included Bryan Terrace, Haig Gardens, Knockrea Gardens and Douglas Terrace, all in Ballinlough.

Caption:

1207a. Ex-Service Men Housing, unveiled June 1927, in Ballinlough, Cork (source: Cork City Library).

McCarthy: Welcome News on All Saint’s Graveyard, Carr’s Hill being handed over to Cork City Council, 21 June 2023

Cork City Events, Cork History, Kieran's Council Work, Landscapes, S.E. Ward Local History, Uncategorized, Ward Development

Cllr Kieran McCarthy has welcomed the takeover of ownership by Cork City Council from the HSE of All Saint’s Cemetery in Carr’s Hill.

Cllr McCarthy noted: “It is really great to see the City Council take ownership of this really historic and very important graveyard in Cork’s and in Ireland’s history. There have been many calls in the City Council Chamber and from the general public during the last few years for the graveyard to have a proper maintenance and conservation plan. Whereas the HSE have pursued successful conservation projects in Cork, I feel when it comes to historic graveyards, Cork City Council has more experience; it has concentrated teams focussing on amenity development, heritage and archaeology. Access, the collapse of the historic entrance and stone walls  as well as adding to the information history panels need now to be addressed through utilising local heritage City Council funding and drawing down national conservation funding”. 

Cllr McCarthy continued; “The graveyard’s history goes back to 1847. As St Joseph’s graveyard could not cope with increase in burials during the Great Famine, Fr Mathew suggested to the Cork Union Workhouse Guardians that a new burial ground should be acquired. As a result, land was attained from George Carr, a workhouse official on the road between Douglas and Carrigaline. Thousands of poor men, women and children are buried there with no headstone. This sacred, sad and hallowed ground needs to be cherished, respected, given dignity. It’s a historically sensitive area which needs TLC”.

View Kieran’s short film here:

Kieran’s Our City, Our Town, 15 June 2023

Cork History, Kieran's Council Work, Uncategorized

Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,

Cork Independent, 15 June 2023

Recasting Cork: A Sweepstake Pitch

In the immediate years of the Irish Free State, hospitals across the country, which for the most part were self-financing, struggled to raise additional finance. Hospitals faced a financial crisis in the early 1920s which threatened their survival. In the past hospitals had survived on large scale public financial contributions. This enabled hospitals to give free treatment to poorer patients. However, war time inflation, public demand for new and costlier medical treatments increased as well as demands to replace old medical equipment and the need for upkeep of old buildings.

To remediate the costs, some patients were asked to contribute towards the cost of their treatment. In an overall context, the process did not create new significant funding pools. Calls were made that the fledging Irish Free State Government should meet costs. However, many hospitals functioned as an independent operation and did not want state interference.

Historian Marie Coleman in her work, entitled The Origins of the Irish Hospitals’ Sweepstake (2002) details that in order to fill the severe financial gap, lotteries and sweepstakes emerged. However, lotteries, sweepstakes, and other games of chance, including raffles were prohibited by legislation as far back as 1823 – but traditionally a blind eye was turned towards smaller lotteries used for charitable purposes. When the new Irish Free State came into being there was confusion over the legal situation of lotteries and there were more pressing items arising from the ongoing Civil War, for the government to follow up on. But by early 1923, they enacted a prohibition on lotteries of which a number of key individuals went ahead at any rate.

Despite the prohibition in March 1923 and in the Cork context, P L Smyth – a Dublin businessman – through his Derby sweepstake proposal pitched an immediate cash investment of between £10,000 and £12,000 into Cork hospitals. He had had a successful sweepstake in the spring of 1923 in Dublin in aid of the Cancer Research Fund (Ireland) in connection with the Cancer Hospital on Dublin’s Hume Street. In a letter to the editor of the Cork Examiner on 21 March 1923, Richard Cody, a representative of the North Fever Hospital of the Cork Workers and Hospitals’ Committee, wrote in support of Mr Smyth’s proposal. The Committee was composed of representatives of the workers of Cork and of the various city hospitals. Richard wrote about the huge debt of the Fever Hospital. He outlines their bazaars, which were started to aid local charitable institutions at which “all the features of the racecourse, from the “thimble and pea” to the “art of fortune telling were resorted to”.

However, Richard explains that Mr Smyth laid before them a business proposition by which he was prepared to place in any bank in the city the sum of £10,000 to be divided up between the hospitals willing to accept their share of his generosity; “Win or lose, the sum would be the property of the committee of citizens that is to be set up to take charge of the money and distribute same”.

In addition, Richard describes that Mr Smyth would also lodge the sum of £10,000 or £12.000 towards providing the prizes in connection with the sweepstake. Such latter money would be distinctly independent of the thousands of pounds that would go towards printing, clerical work, postage, which would nearly all to be done locally.

Richard denotes that he personally has no interest in betting nor had he spent a shilling in betting but he looked at the offer to help Cork’s hospitals as a “splendid one”; “We will have no connection, one way or the other with its success or failure—we get the money before the sweepstake comes off”.

On 3 June 1923, Sir John Scott, Cork City High Sheriff, entertained and toasted P L Smyth, at a dinner at Cork’s Imperial Hotel. Many representative citizens were also present. After the toast the company then rose and after singing “For he’s a jolly good fellow” drank the toast, after which three cheers were given for Mr Smyth.

Sir John Scott revealed that Mr Smyth had encountered great difficulties in organising the sweepstake due to government prohibition. There was a general anti-sweepstake stance by Minister for Home Affairs Kevin O’Higgins. Despite this the four city hospitals – North and South Infirmaries, the Mercy Hospital, and the Fever Hospital, still were to benefit from the sum of £10,000.

Councillor John Horgan seconded the vote of thanks and outlined to the audience that the overall loss to Mr Smyth amounted to £33,000. In addition, when the hospital authorities discovered that the sweepstake was not going to be a success they had given Mr Smyth the opportunity of abandoning it. Mr Horgan noted of Mr Smyth that he had been “too honourable, too generous and too upright to avail himself of that opportunity”.

Mr P J Kavanagh, solicitor, detailed that he had known Mr Smyth for some years, and unfortunately legislation had been enacted “not favourable to sweepstakes, and this had increased Mr Smyth’s difficulties tenfold”.

When Mr Smyth’s time came to address the audience, he was greeted with prolonged applause. He noted was afraid he did not deserve all the things said of him, and he would tell them why; “I am first of all an Irishman, and I have simply rendered a service for the one outstanding county of the thirty-two, and that was for Cork. I stand for a gallant Cork where the ‘big fellows’ came from. I have been at all times humanitarian, and I hope considerate and thoughtful”.

Mr Smyth’s loss of £33,000 led him to not invest again. The Free State government continued their protest against sweepstakes and lotteries expressing an open view that were open to fraudulent activity. From 1929 onwards though, legislation was enacted to regulate the loopholes of lotteries and sweepstakes especially with regard to prize money, audits, and free tickets distribution.

Kieran’s Upcoming Walking Tour (free, two hours, no booking required).

Sunday afternoon, 18 June 2022, Blackpool: Its History and Heritage; meet at square on St Mary’s Road, opp. North Cathedral, 2pm.

Caption:

1206a. North Infirmary, Cork, c.1914 (picture: Cork City Library).

Kieran’s Our City, Our Town, 8 June 2023

Uncategorized

Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,

Cork Independent, 8 June 2023

Recasting Cork: Re-Creating a Tourism Market

In late May 1923 at a special meeting of the Council of the Cork Chamber of Commerce, its President John Callaghan Foley presided over a debate on tourism promotion in Cork City and the wider region. Mr Alfred Canavan of the United States Shipping Lines (liners), who was interested in developing tourist traffic between the United States and Ireland, attended. The Cork Examiner (1 June 1923) detailed that Mr Canavan articulated that all sections of the Cork community stood to gain by promoting the tourist traffic. He was of the opinion that a tourist promotion organisation was really needed for the South of Ireland.

Indeed, the national Tourist Organisation Society had been in existence since 1915. In that year owing to the absence of cross-channel tourist traffic, the railway companies and several hotels united to encourage the exchange of tourists between the north and south of Ireland. After 1916 the Society became less active and by 1918 it was decided to suspend activities to such a time as their efforts would be more fruitful. 

Member D P Mr Buckley informed the council meeting that some members of the Society were residing in Dublin and not as actively involved as before. Mr Buckley felt that a national organisation rather than a Munster one would be better able to cope with the work of developing an Irish tourist traffic. He further pointed out that such an organisation would be of great service to the South of Ireland in particular.

Member Mr T F O’Leary pointed out that the hotel accommodation in Dublin was not even sufficient to meet the requirements of home visitors. He found from experience that it was necessary to books rooms several days ahead.

Mr Canavan remarked that there was a big revenue lying dormant in the tourist traffic market. He detailed that from the United States there was an average an annual influx of a quarter of a million Americans to Europe. Only a very small percentage of that tourist traffic came through Ireland. He articulated that the aim of Irish Chambers of Commerce and kindred organisations should be to secure at least 75 per cent of this tourist traffic. Referring to the potential revenue dormant in the tourist traffic, he pointed out that up to £4m sterling could be made; “On average each tourist would spend in Ireland at least £20, which on the above basis, should mean a revenue of Ireland of £4,00,000 sterling. Such a revenue would find its way into the coffers of Irish banks, railway companies, hotels, warehouses, and shops with the all-round betterment in the economic and financial position of the country would mean much to Irish industrial development, commerce and shipping”.

Mr Canavan maintained that the acquisition of such a revenue was worth striving for. He agreed with Mr Buckley that a national organisation for the development of tourist traffic should be re-formed. He was of the view that considering the fact that there was over 40,000 unemployed in the 26 counties and that with peace demobilised soldiers would add considerably to the number, every step should be taken to utilise the manpower of the country within the country for the development of Ireland’s natural resources. Of the most beneficial activities that the country might take up would be that of developing a tourist traffic on business lines similar to those followed by Swiss, Italian, French, and English tourist agencies.

Mr Canavan noted that the historical attractions of Ireland were such as to attract foreigners from all parts of the world, especially from the United States. He respectfully suggested the appointment of a sub-committee to deal with development of tourist traffic.

Mr Canavan stated that arrangements had been made in the offices of the US Shipping Lines at New York and Chicago for tourist bookings through to Killarney. He further stated that arrangements had been completed by US Lines for conducted tours to Europe in which Ireland was included in the itineraries. The first party was due to arrive in Cobh on 7 June 1923.

Member P O’Mahony of the Universal Motor Company stated that on behalf of the Munster Motor Association he would like to state that sufficient motor facilities would be provided so as to enable tourists to visit any district, in Ireland they were anxious to see. He would lay the matter before the Munster Motor Association and do his best to help tourist visitors to Ireland to visit the most renowned scenic spots and districts of historical interest.

Member (and town planner) Mr Joseph F Delany proposed that a joint sub-committee of the Chamber and the Munster Motor Association be formed with the object of organising South of Ireland Tourist Traffic Association. He added that representatives of railway companies, hotels, etc., should be invited to participate in the work of organisation. He further suggested that an information bureau should be set up in Cork City so that tourists could readily obtain information regarding Irish itineraries.

Subsequently in September 1923 the Munster Tourist Development Association was formed in Cork with a membership of eighty members and fifteen directors including Cork Chamber director John Callaghan Foley, Alfred Canavan of the US Shipping Lines and Barry Egan, jeweller and Chamber member. Of the eighty members, forty-five were hoteliers, of whom thirteen were women, mostly situated in the Munster region.

 In June 1924 the Munster Association led to the creation of the Irish Tourist Association. The new national body would initially have twenty members and was registered under the Companies Act. Its membership included Cork Chamber of Commerce’s President John Callaghan Foley who became Vice President of the national association. The Association was established with the aim of “promoting tourism to the benefit of the nation”. Initially it operated without any financial support from the Irish Free State at the time. However, it could boast within its first six months of operation membership of 400 Irish hotels and the publisher of Irish Travel newsletter (now digitised and online). In 1952, the Association was renamed Bord Fáilte.

Kieran’s Upcoming Walking Tours (All free, two hours, no booking required)

Sunday afternoon, 11 June 2023, Cork South Docklands; Discover the history of the city’s docks, from quayside stories to the City Park Race Course and Albert Road; meet at Kennedy Park, Victoria Road, 2pm, in association with the Cork Harbour Festival.

Tuesday evening, 13 June 2022, The Lough and its Curiosities; meet at green area at northern green of The Lough, entrance of Lough Road to The Lough, Lough Church end; 6.30pm.

Sunday afternoon, 18 June 2022, Blackpool: Its History and Heritage; meet at square on St Mary’s Road, opp. North Cathedral, 2pm.

Caption:

1205a. Postcard showcasing Cork Harbour, 1902 (picture: Cork Harbour Through Time by Kieran McCarthy & Dan Breen).

Kieran’s Our City, Our Town, 1 June 2023

Uncategorized
1204a. The Lough, present day – one of Kieran’s walking tour destinations for June (picture: Kieran McCarthy).

Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,

Cork Independent, 1 June 2023

Kieran’s June Historical Walking Tours

My summer walking tours of Cork’s historic suburbs and parts of the city centre continue for June. To encourage engagement, the tours have been free for many years.  There is no booking required. Just show up on the day.

Tuesday evening, 6 June 2023, Cork and the River Lee, An Introduction to the Historical Development of Cork City; meet at the National Monument, Grand Parade, 6.30pm, in association with the Cork Harbour Festival (free, 2 hours, no booking required for all tours).

Cork City city possesses a unique character derived from a combination of its plan, topography, built fabric and its location on the lowest crossing point of the river Lee as it meets the tidal estuary and the second largest natural harbour in the world. Indeed, it is also a city that is unique among other cities, it is the only one which has experienced all phases of Irish urban development, from circa 600AD to the present day. This tour explores the city’s earliest historical phases and its connection with the riverscape.

Sunday afternoon, 11 June 2023, Cork South Docklands; Discover the history of the city’s docks, from quayside stories to the City Park Race Course and Albert Road; meet at Kennedy Park, Victoria Road, 2pm, in association with the Cork Harbour Festival (free, duration: two hours, no booking required). 

Ever since Viking age time over 1,000 years ago, boats of all different shapes and sizes have been coming in and out of Cork’s riverine and harbour region continuing a very long legacy of trade. Port trade was the engine in Cork’s development. By the nineteenth century, the port of Cork was the leading commercial port of Ireland. 

Two hundred years ago, considerable tonnage could navigate the North Channel, as far as St. Patrick’s Bridge, and on the South Channel as far as Parliament Bridge. St. Patrick’s Bridge and Merchants’ Quay were the busiest areas, being almost lined daily with shipping. Near the extremity of the former on Penrose Quay was situated the splendid building of the Cork Steamship Company, whose boats loaded and discharged their alongside the quay.

Through its docks, Cork was connected to the outside world – the international and small town – ambitious in its ventures linked to a world of adventure and exploration. The tour also explores the rich built heritage from the Custom House to Albert Road housing to railways to tram depots.

Tuesday evening, 13 June 2022, The Lough and its Curiosities; meet at green area at northern green of The Lough, entrance of Lough Road to The Lough, Lough Church end; 6.30pm (free, duration: two hours, no booking required)

This walking tour circles the Lough and explores the area’s origins and histories. The Lough is part of the city’s necklace of key amenities. It attracts people from across the city. Many local historians have written on this district plus areas like Glasheen, Ballyphehane and Togher. This fresh water 18-acre lake was created by the erosion of moving ice during one of the Glacial periods, sometime between 10,000 and 2 million years ago. It rests on a bed of limestone running east and west about 60ft above sea level.

In 1659 the population in the immediate vicinity of The Lough consisted of four persons only, all Irish in descent. Some decades later in 1690 during the Williamite Campaign in Ireland a detachment of King William of Orange‘s army re-grouped at The Lough prior to pressing the assault which became known as the Siege of Cork.

In the early eighteenth century, the lands around the lake were deemed commonage lands and rented out by the Corporation of Cork. Indeed, from 21 October 1732all “black cattle” that stood in The Lough or on the ground about The Lough, in order to cool for slaughtering, had to pay one penny for every head of such black cattle, a halfpenny for every pig or sheep. No Freeman at large was liable to pay any of the duties as long the cattle belonged to such Freeman.

In such a corner of the city, stories abound ranging from duels, ice-skating, market gardening, Victorian nurseries and legend making as well as housing and church sites.

Sunday afternoon, 18 June 2022, Blackpool: Its History and Heritage; meet at square on St Mary’s Road, opp North Cathedral, 2pm, (free, two hours, no booking required).

The walking tour weaves its way from the North Mon into Blackpool, Shandon and Gurranbraher highlighting nineteenth century life in this corner of Cork from education to housing to politics, to religion, to industry and to social life itself. Blackpool was the scene of industry in Cork in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries for industries such as tanning through big names such as Dunn’s Tannery and distilling through families such as the Hewitts. The leather industryat one vibrant in Blackpool with no fewer than 46 tanyards at work there in 1837 giving employment to over 700 hands and tanning on average 110,000 hides annually.

Blackpool also has messages about public relief projects in the form of the former Poor House site at Murphy’s Brewery to Madden’s Buildings to highlighting the work of Ireland’s social reformers through street names such as William O’Brien, Gerald Griffin, Daniel O’Connell and Tomás McCurtain. All these messages inject the place with memories of difficult times but also times of determination to survive against the odds.

Caption:

1204a. The Lough, present day – one of Kieran’s walking tour destinations for June (picture: Kieran McCarthy).

Cllr McCarthy Announces his Historical Walking Tours for June 2023

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Cllr Kieran McCarthy has announced his set of historical walking tours for the month of June, which range from City Centre, South Docks, The Lough, to the area in and around the streets and spaces of Blackpool.

Cllr McCarthy noted: “The stories on the four tours for the month of May have different timelines ranging from earlier centuries such as the early swampland development to nineteenth century industrialisation. They all reflect on the multitude of historical tangents within Cork history. All of these stories have influenced Cork’s cultural and built heritage and have added significantly to how the city’s story as a whole came into being. All four tours also cover special parts of Cork’s geography such as the City’s relationship with the River Lee, its tributaries and its suburban lake of The Lough. I am delighted to team up again with the Cork Harbour Festival to present two tours. The festival continues to create a range of educational opportunities for people to discover the River Lee and its estuary and harbour”.

The dates and times for Kieran’s tours are below:

Tuesday evening, 6 June 2023, Cork and the River Lee, An Introduction to the Historical Development of Cork City; meet at the National Monument, Grand Parade, 6.30pm, in association with the Cork Harbour Festival (free, 2 hours, no booking required for all tours).

Sunday afternoon, 11 June 2023, Cork South Docklands; Discover the history of the city’s docks, from quayside stories to the City Park Race Course and Albert Road; meet at Kennedy Park, Victoria Road, 2pm, in association with the Cork Harbour Festival (free, duration: two hours, no booking required). 

Tuesday evening, 13 June 2023, The Lough and its Curiosities; meet at green area at northern green of The Lough, entrance of Lough Road to The Lough, Lough Church end; 6.30pm (free, duration: two hours, no booking required).

Sunday afternoon, 18 June 2023, Blackpool: Its History and Heritage; meet at square on St Mary’s Road, opp North Cathedral, 2pm, (free, two hours, no booking required).

Kieran’s Submission to Bus Connects , Phase 2, 25 May 2023

Climate Action, Cork History, Kieran's Council Work, Landscapes, S.E. Ward Local History, Uncategorized, Ward Development

The amendments that have appeared in the phase 2 plans are welcome. I remain pro the need for a better sustainable bus service and associated mobility works. Within several neighbourhoods with the south east area of Cork City, which I represent, many of the phase one plans created much deep anger and deep mistrust of the NTA and Bus Connects, mainly because of what I would deem a tokenistic communication campaign.

Whereas the plans for phase 2 are significantly less maddingly in terms of physical changes and consultation with local people, I am still receiving many emails from local people whose general questions, through email to Bus Connects email during this past phase two process, have been left unanswered. I am still calling for a root and branch review of communication to local people. Certainly, I deem it very unfair to send out animation videos into the public realm, which do not show the below and after changes belonging to the phase two proposals.

Boreenmanna Road:

The decision to retain the vast majority of the trees on Boreenmanna Road and the backing down of CPO-ing of small garden units is welcome. The sustainable compromise reached with the resident’s group is positive. Many residents though in the western part of the road are still very much in the dark of plans for local parking and how the narrow Rockboro Road to the South Link will be widened.

Douglas Road:

Despite a series of alternatives being put forward by resident groups, very little change has been made to the initial emerging proposals from the NTA on the physical changes to the Douglas Road roadscape – which includes compulsory purchase orders, culling of front garden biodiversities and the reconstruction of nineteenth century stone walls. To me as a Cork heritage promoter the reconstruction of built and environmental heritage is high end heritage vandalism.

From what I have seen affected local residents on Douglas Road have received letters from the NTA but those slightly off the road have not. So, a lot of people are in the dark, both who live on the road and those who use the road. The NTA animations that have been created do not tell the full story of the destruction in particular of historic walls and trees. The same animations also do not tell the full story for houses affected on Maryborough Hill.

The bus gate concept also needs actual traffic data as traffic will be re-routed into the heart of areas such as Well Road and Ballinlough at peak times, and access to schools on Douglas Road could be non existent. Many local people are very worried about what might happen when it comes to the re-routing of traffic and have many questions.

In addition much work is needed with Douglas Village residents who also remain concerned about the impact of the Bus Corridor on Douglas Village.

Beaumont Walled Garden:

As part of the phase two plans, a proposal has now appeared to turn the interior of the historic 19th century walled garden space adjacent Cherrington, Ballinlough Pitch and Putt Club and Beaumont Park into a car park for the area. In recent years a number of residents have expressed the view that such a space would (once again) make a fine community garden space, and should be rejuvenated as such. The project had even been developed to a point of a physical plan with Cork City Council. So it is very disappointing that after years of idea development that this important community project could now be possibly shelved and that damage would be inflicted on a historic walled garden. I ask that this community garden project be allowed progress.

I ask that the above points are taken into consideration as well as those of my constituents in the south east of Cork City,

Sincerely,

Cllr Kieran McCarthy

Kieran’s Our City, Our Town, 25 May 2023

Cork History, Kieran's Council Work, Uncategorized

Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,

Cork Independent, 25 May 2023

Recasting Cork: A Visit by Jim Larkin

Exiled Jim Larkin General Secretary of the Irish Transport and General Workers’ Union (ITGWU) made his return to Ireland in April 1923. Subsequently he set about touring the country meeting trade union members and appealing for an end to the Irish Civil War. 

On Saturday evening 26 May 1923 Jim Larkin paid a visit to Cork. He addressed a public meeting from the windows of the old Connolly Hall on the Lower Glanmire Road. On his arrival at the railway station the well-known Labour leader was met by a large crowd and three bands – the Transport Workers’ (Connolly Memorial) Brass and Reed, the Workingmens’ Drum and Fife, and the Lee Pipers’. After he had been welcomed by Robert Day TD, Michael Hill Chairman of the Cork Executive of the Irish Transport and General Workers’ Union, Cllr Kenneally, and others, Jim Larkin was escorted to Connolly Hall. There a public meeting was held, which hosted a large attendance by the public.

The beginning of Jim’s career as a labour organiser dated from an earlier part of his career when he lost his post as foreman in a Liverpool shipping firm because he showed sympathy with strikers. He became an organiser for the National Union of Dock Labourers in Great Britain and Ireland. Belfast was the first Irish port in which his ability as an organiser was employed. Unskilled workers struck on a large scale for better conditions. 

In 1908, following clashes between workers and employers In Dublin and Cork, Jim was instrumental in forming the ITGWU in which he occupied the position of General Secretary. The Union grew quickly and was engaged in a long and continuous series of disputes. Following the foundation of the ITGWU, he founded the Irish Women Workers’ Union and a newspaper called The Irish Worker.

From 1911 onwards the atmosphere for a bitter labour fight grew in Dublin. In 1913, William Martin Murphy, owner of the Irish Independent and controller of the then Dublin United Tramways Company, sacked despatch workers in the newspaper who belonged to the ITGWU. The strike lasted until early in 1914 and was marked by the most stirring scenes ever witnessed in Dublin labour disputes. Police baton charges were features of every meeting held by the workers and on one day alone there were 500 civilian casualties. Two workers were killed during the dispute.

When the strike ended in a sort of triumph of failure for the workers Jim Larkin went to America on a Trades Union Congress mission for funds, in 1916. As a result of his labour and pacifist attitude during the 1914-18 war he was arrested and sent to penal servitude in New York’s Sing Sing prison. Jim spent several years in prison, before he was eventually pardoned by Al Smith, Governor of New York, in 1923 and was later deported.

In Cork on 26 May 1923, Jim Larkin reminded the public that there had been a revolution in the country and the working classes should look around and see what they as workers had achieved as the result of it. Until such time as they as a class took over the political control of the country, they need not expect any favours from any government, native or foreign. He used a quote from James Connolly; “The freedom of the working class will comb only through the industrial organisation backed up by the official leaders of Labour in every legislative and governing body in the country. It was their duty to secure their emancipation”.

Giving his reflections, on the course of history, which occurred whilst he was in the US, Jim noted because he was a republican, or a “Republican before many of those who are not Republicans”. He wished to advise leaders of both sides that the time had come to keep the truce for one month, and then sit down and arrange peace terms. He wished to not ask any of them to give up their principles. He noted that some people had told him that he advised Republican supporters to surrender. He noted that that was a lie; “I would sooner die at that window gone ask any true man to surrender”.

Jim advised on what he believed that the facts must be first. The Irish Free State government was an overwhelming power; “The government had 50,000 bayonets but the people of Ireland knew that the government lived by the permission of the British Empire. Their hearts in Ireland had always been true to Cathleen Ní Houlihan, and if that were true was it not only natural that their sympathies should be with the men on the hills”. He further articulated that the power of the government was such that Republican soldiers and advisers had not the strength of arms to “win out against such power and it was the duty of the officer to save his men”.

A member of the crowd shouted to Jim a reference to the Treaty; Jim replied;“You are very good to shout about the Treaty. I am not responsible for the Treaty and no labour man is responsible for it. The labour men were not asked to go to England to talk over the treaty”.

Proceeding Jim wanted to get the country back to a “Christian point of view” where human beings would argue facts, where words would be forgotten and where principles are not personalities would be considered; “They must go on arguing. To go on fighting would never bring them anywhere. It would only weaken them”.

Jim noted that ultimately the people of Ireland had two facts to consider – the unity of Ireland and the safety of its people; “The two crimes are the partition of the country and its countrymen or killing each other…I am for the honour and glory of fighting for peace – peace by understanding and not peace at the point of the bayonet for that was the British way”.

Caption:

1203a. Jim Larkin, pictured in Sing Sing Prison, New York, 1919 (picture: Cork City Library).

Kieran’s Historical Walking Tours, June 2023

Cork History, Improve Your Life, Kieran's Council Work, Landscapes, S.E. Ward Local History, Uncategorized

Tuesday evening, 6 June 2023, Cork and the River Lee, An Introduction to the Historical Development of Cork City; meet at the National Monument, Grand Parade, 6.30pm, in association with the Cork Harbour Festival (free, 2 hours, no booking required for all tours).

Sunday afternoon, 11 June 2023, Cork South Docklands; Discover the history of the city’s docks, from quayside stories to the City Park Race Course and Albert Road; meet at Kennedy Park, Victoria Road, 2pm, in association with the Cork Harbour Festival (free, duration: two hours, no booking required). 

Tuesday evening, 13 June 2023, The Lough and its Curiosities; meet at green area at northern green of The Lough, entrance of Lough Road to The Lough, Lough Church end; 6.30pm (free, duration: two hours, no booking required)

Sunday afternoon, 18 June 2023, Blackpool: Its History and Heritage; meet at square on St Mary’s Road, opp North Cathedral, 2pm, (free, two hours, no booking required).