Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,

Cork Independent,  23 May 2013

Technical Memories (Part 55) – War Breaks Out

Choosing the first week of September 1939 to give a cross-section of insights into the early state of vocational education in Cork (as outlined last week) means one cannot also avoid the myriad of column inches devoted to the outbreak of World War II. On 3 September 1939, as a consequence of Germany invading Poland, Britain and France declared war on Germany. World War II had begun, which despite Ireland’s neutrality, witnessed enormous amount of refugees settling in Ireland fleeing Great Britain and a limit put on the import of materials and food.

The beginning of “The Emergency” can be seen in the Cork Examiner. Many cross-channel boats brought Irish emigrants home and British refugees to Cork, especially children. The evacuation of children and mothers from London began early Friday morning on 1 September 1939. In the poorer quarters of the city, children were lined up in readiness to be taken away into the country as early as five and six o’clock. They were taken to the various London stations and entrained for the destinations, while parents shouted messages of farewell. The ages of the children ranged from three to thirteen years. Each carried a gas-mark, a packet of food, a change of clothing and was identified by three labels.

The Cork Examiner on 4 September 1939 noted that the previous afternoon a cross-channel boat arrived nearly four hours late and berthed in Cork. The boat was crowded by those fleeing London with a total of 850 passengers.“The scene when the passengers were disembarking was both confused and pathetic. Children were very much in evidence, but babies were even more numerous. Quite a large number of the women who came ashore had babies in their arms, and some could not have been more than a few weeks old…there were tears in the eyes of many too, as they returned to the home-land, where they presume they are safe from raiding aeroplanes”.

Outside the arrivals shed, the quay was a solid mass of people. Some came out of curiosity but many were there to await the arrival of their loved ones. Tears were again shed as old friends welcomed home their grown-up children, and gazed for the first time upon their grandchildren. Of the huge numbers on board, by far the greater number seemed to be travelling third-class. As the motor-vessel drew up the quay there was hardly an inch of standing room around the stern and other spaces utilised by passengers aft.

The reason for the ship being so late was that the trains on the other side were all running well behind time, due to troop movements and evacuation. Three trains were to bring passengers for the ship, but she sailed before the third train had arrived. One of the passengers from the boat told an “Examiner” reporter that there were several hundred left behind as there was no accommodation for them. Precautions had been taken to prevent any lights showing; portholes were painted over and all curtains drawn. The London stations were also practically in darkness, the only illumination being from dark blue lamps, which were insufficient to read by. A gentleman who travelled to Dublin from Liverpool expressed to the “Examiner” representative that there was a great rush for accommodation on the boat. Armed military assisted in controlling the crowds.

The discontinuation of public lighting in the Cork City and elsewhere was to continue at the request of the government. The Cork Examiner on 2 September 1939 advertised that proprietors of electrical and other lighting display signs, as well as those whose shop windows were normally illuminated by night were respectfully requested to discontinue all such lighting displays one half hour before sunset each evening until further notice. Those that were partially lit were also cowled even further.

At a special meeting of Cork Corporation on 4 September 1939, air raid precautions were the topic of debate by councillors and city manager Philip Monahan. One of the main stances adopted at the meeting was in the form of “now it’s your turn” to the citizens at large. The Cork Examiner in a follow-up editorial argued the importance of the role of citizen participation; “Admittedly, war seems far removed from us at the moment. Any day, however, news of the bombing of cities and town about an hour’s journey from Britain may come”. An appeal was made to the public to give some of its spare time to the modern craft of saving life in the event of attack from the air. Medical and first-aid workers were wanted; wardens were needed, and the rank and file, of Air Raid Precautions, who were to be the control of wardens, were required; The Cork Examiner commented;“The application of a few hours each week to the study of certain types of wounds, certain types of bombs and certain types of grisly situations may not be exactly a past time. That is what ARP requires, however, and particularly, the younger men of our city will be asked in the near future to give their time to such tasks”.

To be continued…

Caption:

692a. Air raid precautions poster, World War II (picture: Cork City Library)

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)

Question to the Manager:

To ask the City Manager for the litter regulations with regard to displaying posters in the city advertising public meetings? (Cllr Kieran McCarthy)

Motions:

That an annual summer Cork Proms programme be created in Fitzgerald’s Park, especially in light of the revamp of the park (Cllr Kieran McCarthy)

That this Council protests against the giving of an annual salary of E.843,000 to the Chief Executive of Bank of Ireland (Cllr Kieran McCarthy)

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Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,

Cork Independent, 9 May 2013

Technical Memories (Part 53) - A Princely Contribution

“There was a splendid gathering, who filled the spacious hall of the new School when at 3 o’clock yesterday afternoon, Mr Thomas Derrig, Minister for Education performed the opening ceremony of the new School of Commerce and Domestic Science at Morrison’s Island, Cork. Among them were many  ladies, clergymen, professional and business men of the city, together with representatives of Cork public bodies, educational, labour, and other organisations” (Journalist, Cork Examiner, 8 June 1938).

The official opening of the new Cork School of Commerce building on 7 June 1938 marked another stage in the development of vocational education in the city. On the day, having opened the main door with a gold key, Minister Thomas Derrig entered the new building, and then Fr J Canon assisted by Canon E Fitzgerald blessed the entire building. With the Minister and the Lord Mayor James Hickey, Canon Scannell entered the Assembly Hall, where the large audience had gathered and where the blessing ceremony concluded.

Once the chairman of the VEC committee Mr Ellis introduced the Minister, the choir sang the National Anthem. The Chairman said that it was a happy occasion for the citizens of Cork and for the progress of Vocational Education generally and that future generations should praise the memory of the benefactor of the site, William T Green for his “princely contribution in the noble cause of education”. Continuing Mr Ellis noted: “The citizens of the Cork of today and tomorrow are fortunate-far more fortunate- than we of the Cork of yesterday were, in that they now possess not only facilities for cultural studies but no less important facilities for fitting and training themselves to be leaders of industry and commerce”.

The Minister noted the importance of the occasion and highlighted that the site of any school should be carefully chosen, especially if it is being used for both day and evening classes. A school should be central and free as possible from the disturbances of traffic. He thanked Thomas Green for his generous gift of land: “The building is really a fine one and will remain as a standing monument of the genius of the architect and the efficiency and skill of the contractor and his craftsmen…it gives to the citizens of Cork a school worthy of the traditions to which it is heir and admirably adapted to the training of young people of the city in the various branches of commerce and domestic science”.

The Minister was particularly interested in the Assembly Hall in which the group were gathered. He commented that it would give excellent facilities for school meetings, lectures and dramatic performances and that it was also fitted for the display of educational firms. The Assembly Hall could also be used as a gymnasium for the students, and provision had been made for dressing rooms with hot and cold showers.

The Minister commented on the work by Seamus Murphy of the relief panels at each side of the main entrance to the school. They were symbolic of the two aspects of the Vocational Education, for which the school was intended. “I should like to see other committees imitate the example of Cork is this respect, and incorporate in their school buildings, some distinctive piece of artistic work. This might take the form of a mural decoration, illustrative of a period of local history, or an example of a craft for which the locality is noted. I believe that there is no more suitable place for fine paintings or sculptures than in a school building, where the merit of the artistry makes a ready appeal to the active imagination and creative instincts of the young”.

In a fine building the Minister believed that progress would be as rapid as it was under the old and less favourable conditions in the former building on the South Mall. He called for the authorities of the school to provide for special studies that were of importance to a great commercial centre- studies in economics, insurance, salesmanship, advertising, industrial design, and the display of goods: “Not only should the school train the rank and file of the commercial life of the city, but it should provide a programme of studies that will induce every student to advance to the fullest extent of his capacity. Without this specialisation, you cannot satisfy the student of ambition and ability, who is marked out for leadership and on whom enterprise and progress so largely depend”.

In concluding his address, the Minister paid a special tribute to the City of Cork Vocational Education Committee for its whole-hearted acceptance of his request to undertake an educational experiment in connection with raising the school leaving age. As from 1 September 1938, every young person in Cork, under the age of 16 was to be required to attend some form of school. The attendance of those in employment was to be restricted to five hours weekly: “The results of the experiment over the next few years will largely determine our policy on the general issue and be the subject of much interest in educational circles”.

To be continued…

Captions:

690a. Front entrance of Cork College of Commerce showing Seamus Murphy sculptures (picture: Kieran McCarthy)

Cork City Council is preparing a new City Development Plan for the period of 2015 - 2021. To assist the preparation of the new plan, interested members of the public are invited to attend the public consultation meeting at 5.30pm, 15th May, in the Imperial Hotel, South Mall, Cork and/or make a written submission to the Council by 4pm, Monday 17th June 2013. Full details in relation to the meeting, and how to make a submission are outlined at the following link.

http://www.corkcity.ie/services/strategicplanningeconomicdevelopment/citydevelopmentplan2015-2021/