4 January 2018, Stories from 1918: Entertaining the Citizens

“The column for this year will continue to try to highlight everyday events and local history nuggets from this period of centenary commemorations. The year 1918 brought continuing challenges and opportunities to Cork and Ireland – elements such as rationing, war fatigue, renewed Sinn Féin vigour, the war ending – all offer lenses in telling the story of life in Cork one hundred years ago”. http://kieranmccarthy.ie/?p=13762

11 January 2018, Stories from 1918: Matters of Sugar and Butter

“As World War I raged, rationing of food stuffs continued. The British Ministry of Food set up a food control committee for Ireland on 31 August 1917 and many of its regulations, in theory, applied to this country”. http://kieranmccarthy.ie/?p=13767

18 January 2018, Stories from 1918: Save Our Food

“With war raging since 1914, Cork like many European cities suffered food shortages. In January 1918 Cork Corporation continued to be pressurised by citizens to react to protect food supplies for basic living standards”. http://kieranmccarthy.ie/?p=13818

25 January 2018, Stories from 1918: The Newsom Legacy

“This day 100 years ago, 25 January 1918, brought the news to Cork citizens that one of the its respected merchants had passed away – that of John Charles Newsom. The Cork Examiner records that at a meeting in the City Council Chamber in Cork City Hall Alderman Simcox proposed a vote of sympathy with the Newsom family of whose death they were all sorry to hear”. http://kieranmccarthy.ie/?p=13839

1 February 2018, Stories from 1918: Dobbin, Ogilvie and Hibernia Buildings

“The first week of February 1918 brought a focus to picketing and strikes on Cork’s streets. Picketing was held outside Messrs Dobbin, Ogilvie and Co, on King Street (now MacCurtain Street). The strike concerned 54 workers, 37 females and 17 males”. http://kieranmccarthy.ie/?p=13849

8 February 2018, Stories from 1918: The Pembroke Street Library

“Two owls on a coffee shop entrance and a date 1792 are the only remnants of the Cork Subscription Library on Pembroke Street.  At the annual meeting of the subscribers to the Cork Library, Pembroke street, held on 4 February 1918 Michael Murphy, Solicitor and Honorary Secretary read the auditors’ report, which was published by the Cork Examiner a day later”. http://kieranmccarthy.ie/?p=13863

15 February 2018, Stories from 1918: The Cork Fire Brigade

“This week, one hundred years ago, a fire of serious dimensions occurred on 13 February 1918 in Messrs Baker and Company extensive confectionary works on French Church Street. The conflagration spread with alarming rapidly through a portion of the premises sharing the Carey’s Lane side of the building”. http://kieranmccarthy.ie/?p=13872

 

22 February 2018, Stories from 1918: Liam De Róiste’s Campaign

“This week, one hundred years ago, a public meeting was held on 24 February 1918 under the auspices of the Whitechurch Sinn Féin Club in the village Dispensary Hall. Vice-chairman of Sinn Féin in Cork and Gaelic scholar Liam de Róiste was the guest speaker”. http://kieranmccarthy.ie/?p=13879

1 March 2018, Stories from 1918: Tales from Lyons Clothing Factory

“The 28 February 1918 coincided with the forty-sixth ordinary general meeting at T Lyons Clothing Factory on South Main street. The directors of the company were present with the chairman Sir Stanley Harrington, J P, presiding. Mr John Kelleher, managing director, was also present”. http://kieranmccarthy.ie/?p=13889

 

8 March 2018, Stories from 1918: The Sinking of the SS Kenmare

“The SS Kenmare, one of the fleet of the Cork Steam Packet Company, was torpedoed in the in the Irish Channel on Saturday, 2 March 1918, between Holyhead and Rockabill Light, on a voyage to Cork, under the command of Captain Peter Blacklock. Of the crew of 35 there were only six survivors. Amongst the 29 lives lost was Captain Blacklock, a native of Liverpool but who has resided for some years in Cork”. http://kieranmccarthy.ie/?p=13908

 

15 March 2018, Stories from 1918: Death of John Redmond

“News of the death of Irish Nationalist leader John Redmond reached Cork on Wednesday 6 March 1918 with a heavy sense of shock. His last visit to Cork was towards the end of September 1917 when the Irish Convention sat for three days in Cork. The flags over Cork City Hall, the Harbour Board, and the several public buildings and clubs in the city, as well as some ships in the harbour”. http://kieranmccarthy.ie/?p=13978

22 March 2018, Stories from 1918: Tales from the Victoria Hospital

“This week, one hundred years ago, Cork Church of Ireland Bishop Charles Dowse presided at the annual general meeting of the Victoria Hospital, which was held at the institution. The Victoria Hospital was originally founded as “The County and City of Cork Hospital for the Diseases of Women and Children” which was opened on Union Quay on 4 September 1874. It moved to 46 Pope’s Quay on 31 October 1876 and to its present site on Infirmary Road on 16 September 1885. In 1901 its name was changed to “The Victoria Hospital for Women and Children”. Male patients were first admitted in 1914”. http://kieranmccarthy.ie/?p=14014

29 March 2018, Stories from 1918: Towards an Independent University

“Late March and early April 1918 coincided with the ambition of University College Cork being pursued across newspapers such as the Freeman’s Journal and the Cork Examiner. Under the presidency of Sir Bertram Windele and through the governing body of University College, Cork, they published a pamphlet in the last week of March 1918 highlighting that the time was ripe for demanding an independent University for Munster in the city, and based, of course, on the existing College”. http://kieranmccarthy.ie/?p=14053

5 April 2018, Stories from 1918: An Audience with J J Walsh

“This date one hundred years ago, 5 April 1918, under the auspices of the Cork Cumann na mBan Mr J J Walsh delivered an evening lecture entitled, “My Prison Experiences”, in Cork City Hall. There was a large audience and among those on the platform were – Lillie and Nora Connolly. Wife of 1916 leader James, Lillie, after the Rising, made rare appearances in public. Her daughter Nora Connolly was active in the Belfast Cumann na mBan. Under her command, Nora and nine other members of the Belfast Cumann came to Dublin to take part in the 1916 Rising”. http://kieranmccarthy.ie/?p=14066

12 April 2018, Stories from 1918: The Question of Conscription

“On 27 March 1918, David Lloyd George, the British Prime Minister, presented to his cabinet plans to raise a further 555,000 men for the war effort of which 150,000 were expected to come from Ireland. On 9 April 1918 in his speech in the House of Commons Mr Lloyd George introduced the Westminster’s Government’s new Man Power Bill. The provisions included conscription for Ireland”. http://kieranmccarthy.ie/?p=14077

19 April 2018, Stories from 1918: Conscription and local debates

“The political fallout of the Manpower Bill and its proposal to create forced conscription of males over thirty years of age to the British army led to mass anti-conscription meetings and campaigns across Ireland. The minutes of the Cork Harbour Commissioners meeting on 18 April 1918, as published in the Cork Examiner, reveals the non-black and white, and complex challenges within the wider public debate”. http://kieranmccarthy.ie/?p=14088

26 April 2018, Stories from 1918: The Conscription of Resistance

“By 18 April 1918, the British House of Commons had passed the Military Service Bill, which empowered the British Government to enforce conscription –service became compulsory in the British Forces for all men of military age in Ireland was adopted. This was the catalyst for a mobilisation of Nationalist Ireland to resist what was seen as a gross imposition by another country of unacceptable measures upon Irishmen against their will”. http://kieranmccarthy.ie/?p=14110

3 May 2018, Stories from 1918: Medical Adventures at the Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital

“The death of Dr Henry MacNaughton-Jones, which occurred at his residence in London, on Friday 26 April 1918 was a shock for the people of Cork. He had earned a distinguished reputation as a specialist in obstetrics and gynaecology, on which he was an acknowledged authority. Henry was a central figure in the development of medicine in Cork”. http://kieranmccarthy.ie/?p=14319

10 May 2018, Stories from 1918: A Disappearing Band Room

“One hundred years ago, in early May 1918 the upper portion of No.1 Barrack Street showed physical signs of serious deterioration and a portion of it was ordered by the engineering department of Cork Corporation to be taken down. Today, the gap in the building line is clearly visible in front of Fordes Pub, at the intersection of Sullivan’s Quay and South Gate Bridge”. http://kieranmccarthy.ie/?p=14126

17 May 2018, Stories from 1918: The Sinking of the SS Inniscarra

“Another ship, another sinking occurred on 12 May 1918. This time the SS Inniscarra was sunk by torpedo by German submarine ten miles south east of Ballycotton Island on the approaches to Cork en route from Fishguard”.
Kieran’s Our City, Our Town, 17 May 2018 | Cllr. Kieran McCarthy

24 May 2018, Stories from 1918: The Cork Sailors’ Widows and Orphans Fund

“Across the newspapers of Spring and Autumn 1918, references are regularly made of subscriptions being made to the Cork Sailors’ Widows and Orphans Fund. It was established to consider the impact on families who lost their breadwinners on torpedoed vessels and to relieve a large number of cases of distress among deserving widows and orphans”. http://kieranmccarthy.ie/?p=14208

31 May 2018, Stories from 1918: The Cork Milk Supply Scheme

“A milk supply debate raged across newspapers in 1918. During 1917, new powers were granted to local authorities in England and Ireland to supply milk to children and expectant and nursing mothers at cost price or free. The Irish Local Government Board gave grants to urban and rural sanitary authorities of one half of approved net expenditure in the cost of milk and dinners provided for expectant and nursing mothers and children under six”. http://kieranmccarthy.ie/?p=14215

7 June 2018,  Stories from 1918: Conundrums of the Butter Market

“At the beginning of 1918 the Irish butter industry was subjected to many restrictions of control by the Ministry of Food, which was linked to keeping supply to English markets throughout wartime. The grading of Irish butter by appointed English graders was decided upon as a necessity. Reluctantly the Irish traders complied. However, they unanimously opposed the grading being carried out in England, claiming that it would act very unfairly in Irish interests, and lead to abuses and heavy losses”. http://kieranmccarthy.ie/?p=14235

14 June 2018, Stories from 1918: The Cork IDA Ambition

“The annual report of the Cork Industrial Development Association (IDA) was unveiled to the public on 19 June 1918 to meet their fifteenth annual public meeting. Many insights into Cork’s commercial life and regional challenges are given in the document, which was published for the most part in the Cork Examiner”. http://kieranmccarthy.ie/?p=14242

21 June 2018, Stories from 1918: The Ambitious Region

“Building on last week’s article, the annual report of the Cork Industrial Development Association (IDA) was unveiled to the public on 19 June 1918 to meet their fifteenth annual public meeting. Many insights into Cork’s commercial life and regional challenges are given in the document, which was published for the most part in the Cork Examiner”. http://kieranmccarthy.ie/?p=14262

28 June 2018, Stories from 1918: The Conciliations of Fr Dowling

“One hundred years ago this week, on 21 June 1918, the Freedom of the City was awarded by the Corporation of Cork on Capuchin Fr Thomas Dowling. He was honoured for his invaluable services resolving industrial disputes in the city”. http://kieranmccarthy.ie/?p=14275

5 July 2018, Stories from 1918: Showcases at Cork Summer Show 1918

“Cork citizens looked forward to the Cork Summer Show at the Cork Showgrounds in early July 1918. The event received a two-page spread in the Cork Examiner highlighting the prominent exhibits. Several challenges were alluded to in particular the transit of animals and sales of them. Arising from World War I, the archived minute books of the Munster Agricultural Society reveal there was a high dependency on exporting livestock, dairy and poultry produced to Britain”. http://kieranmccarthy.ie/?p=14292

 

12 July 2018, Stories from 1918: The Aeridheachts of Fr O’Flynn

“During the summer of 1918, the Cork Gaelic League branch was active, especially through community projects under the leadership of Fr Christy O’Flynn. He arranged a number of aeridheachts across County Cork. His personal contributions to local concerts and such functions always ensured successful outcomes (several years later in 1924 he set up the Loft Shakespearean Company)”. http://kieranmccarthy.ie/?p=14310

19 July 2018, Stories from 1918: Buying Out the City of Cork Steamship Company

“One hundred years ago this week, public concern grew to the future of one of Cork’s oldest businesses – that of the City of Cork Steamship Company. A process had begun by Coast Lines Limited for the large-scale purchase of shares from the Cork company’s shareholders through the company chairmen Ebenezer and Joseph Pike. Public meetings were held in Cork City to address the consequences in terms of jobs and business to the city and region”. http://kieranmccarthy.ie/?p=14323

26 July 2018, Spirit of Mother Jones Festival & Summer School, 2018

“The annual Spirit of Mother Jones Festival and Summer School will be held in the Shandon area of Cork City from Wednesday, 1 August to Saturday, 4 August 2018. This year’s festival once again covers a broad range of topics to be covered in a selection of daily lectures and talks and documentary films in addition to the ever-popular music events”. http://kieranmccarthy.ie/?p=14333

9 August 2018, Cork Heritage Open Day, 18 August 2018

“Cork Heritage Open Day celebrates its 15th anniversary this year. This year it takes place on Saturday 18 August with 42 buildings and nearly 100 events and festivals happening. Last year it was estimated that there were over 18,000 visits to the buildings and events on the day”. http://kieranmccarthy.ie/?p=14365

16 August 2018, Cork Heritage Open Day, 18 August 2018

“Cork Heritage Open Day takes place this Saturday 18 August with over 40 buildings and nearly 100 associated events happening. As a way of referencing the buildings’ locations, five themed self-walking routes throughout the city are suggested on the map on the guide you can pick up at venues or online at www.corkheritageopenday.ie”; http://kieranmccarthy.ie/?p=14370

23 August 2018, Water Heritage Open Day, 26 August 2018

“National Heritage Week continues at pace this week. The Old Cork Waterworks Experience presents “Water Heritage Open Day” on Sunday 26 August, 11am-4pm. It is a family fun day themed on the industrial heritage and history of Cork’s Victorian Waterworks on Lee Road”. http://kieranmccarthy.ie/?p=14387

30 August 2018, Kieran’s New Book Cork in 50 Buildings

“My new book Cork in 50 Buildings (2018, Amberley Publishing) explores the history of this venerable old city through a selection of its greatest architectural treasures, from the St Anne’s Church, Shandon, regarded as a symbol of the city, to more recent additions such as the tower of the County Hall, once the tallest building in Ireland. This book offers a glimpse to explore behind fifty of Cork’s historic buildings”. http://kieranmccarthy.ie/?p=14411

6 September 2018, Quarrying, Symbolism & Cork’s Buildings

“My new book Cork in 50 Buildings aspires to celebrate some of Cork’s built heritage. The sunshine rays this summer lit up many of the city’s grey limestone and red sandstone buildings. Cork’s topography is made up of a series of alternative east-west limestone and sandstone strata. The limestone elevations of the St Anne’s Church Shandon face ‘limestone country’ to the south and west while the northern and eastern facades face traditional ‘sandstone country’. The colours of these materials have long been recognised as the colours of Cork”. http://kieranmccarthy.ie/?p=14432

13 September 2018, Launch of Discover Cork: Schools’ Heritage Project 2018-19

“The advent of the new school year coincides with the sixteenth year of the Discover Cork: Schools’ Heritage Project. Brochures have been sent to all Cork City schools. Launched again for the new school term, the Project is open to schools in Cork City at primary level to the pupils of fourth, fifth and sixth class and at post-primary from first to sixth years”. http://kieranmccarthy.ie/?p=14712

20 September 2018, Irish Heart, Coventry Home

  “Irish Heart, Coventry Home is an exhibition, which is currently being exhibited in the new building foyer of Cork City Hall for the next three weeks. It is a project I have been involved with the last year in a small way offering heritage management support and advice on behalf of Cork City Council”. http://kieranmccarthy.ie/?p=14464

27 September 2018, Stories from 1918: Analysis of a Port Trade, September 1918

“The Irish Sub-Committee of the Parliamentary Committee on Inland Transport sat in Cork City Hall on Saturday morning, 14 September 1918 to examine evidence on economic interests in southern Ireland. The sub committee was sent to investigate and report upon the facilities for transport offered by the port and canals of Ireland, and to make suggestions for their development”. http://kieranmccarthy.ie/?p=14470

4 October 2018, The Problem of a Milk Supply

“One hundred years ago this week, the provision of milk to citizens became a contentious issue. Milk was an important commodity for citizens especially with a rationing system in place arising from the ongoing war. Annually Cork City needed circa 500,000 gallons of milk. Over 20 creameries in county Cork supplied the city and region’s needs”. http://kieranmccarthy.ie/?p=14490

11 October 2018, Stories from 1918: The Spanish Flu Arrives 

“The Spanish Influenza pandemic or Spanish flu was one of the devastating pandemics in human history. It resulted in an estimated 25 million death worldwide. It is said to have originated at a US army camp in Kansas in early March 1918 and spread to the front line of World War I with the infected soldiers”. http://kieranmccarthy.ie/?p=14495

18 October 2018, The Recruitment Dilemma

“Sunday 20 October 1918 brought the supporters of Cork Sinn Féin and the World War I Recruitment Office clashing again at a recruitment meeting of the Grand Parade. The Cork Examiner recorded an angry crowd of some thousands present, who interrupted and prevented the speakers from their orations”. http://kieranmccarthy.ie/?p=14506

25 October 2018, A Gift from the Vatican – The Canova Casts 

“Two hundred years ago this week, a ship from the UK containing 219 sculpture casts arrived into Cork. The acquisition of classical casts made an important contribution to Cork burgeoning art scene and in today’s Crawford Art Galley a cross section of them form the centre of an impressive sculpture display”. http://kieranmccarthy.ie/?p=14541

1 November 2018, Stories from 1918: The Tivoli Reclamation Plan

“During and up to the early years of the twentieth century campaigns by leading business organisations such as the two Chambers of Commerce (Incorporated and General) in Cork City and by the Cork Harbour Commissioners were ongoing for berths to be deepened at low water to keep all shipping afloat at the lowest tides. In 1918 the Cork Harbour Commissioners entered into discussion with the Board of Trade to acquire circa 155 acres of slobland at Tivoli for the purpose of pumping dredged material ashore, thus creating new land for industrial purposes”.http://kieranmccarthy.ie/?p=14555

8 November 2018, Stories from 1918: The McNeilus Prison Break

“One hundred years ago this week, news reports abounded in speculation to how one of the most famous escapes from an Irish and Cork prison occurred. On 11 November 1918 Donegal-born Donnacha McNeilus, in an elaborate plan involving dozens of men on the outside, was spirited to freedom”. http://kieranmccarthy.ie/?p=14576

15 November 2018, Stories from 1918: Lest We Forget

“The cessation of hostilities on the Western Front of the First World War took effect at eleven o’clock in the morning—the “eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month” of 1918. The armistice was signed between the Allies and Germany at Compiègne, France. Relief abounded for the families of those soldiers who had made it to the end of the war alive – but vast grief over-shadowed the celebrations, which is played out across British and Irish newspapers of the day”. http://kieranmccarthy.ie/?p=14625

22 November 2018, Stories from 1918: The Struggles of the Cork Lunatic Asylum

“November and December 1918 notably coincided with a focus on the Cork Lunatic Asylum in Shanakiel as it struggled to look after its high number of patients whilst at the same time keep its staff happy in their work. Cork was one of the 24 District Lunatic Asylums in Ireland plus it had an auxiliary asylum at Youghal”. http://kieranmccarthy.ie/?p=14649

29 November 2018, Cork in 50 Buildings

“My new book for 2018 is entitled Cork in 50 Buildings (Amberley Publishing). It explores the history of this venerable old city through a selection of its greatest architectural treasures, from the St Anne’s Church, Shandon, regarded as a symbol of the city, to more recent additions such as the tower of the County Hall, once the tallest building in Ireland”.http://kieranmccarthy.ie/?p=14656

6 December 2018, Stories from 1918: Plans for the Marsh

“Discussions on the influenza epidemic, poverty and housing prevailed across the meetings of Cork Corporation in late November and early December 1918. At the public health committee of Cork Corporation on 26 November 1918 Mr J Horgan (vice-chairman) presided”. http://kieranmccarthy.ie/?p=14686

13 December 2018, Stories from 1918: The Leaving of the American Navy

“On a very fine early summer afternoon in 1917 the Americans first entered the harbour in connection with the great war now ended. Their coming, except to the official few, was almost unknown until an hour or so before their actual arrival in port. From their first landing at Queenstown, they were gladly welcomed by its inhabitants, and their presence gave an added stimulus to an already prosperous war-trade being done in the town”. Queenstown Correspondent, Cork Examiner, 6 December 1918. http://kieranmccarthy.ie/?p=14705

20 December 2018, Stories from 1918: A Crushing Electoral Victory by Sinn Féin

“n December 1918, Sinn Féin swept to a crushing victory over the Irish Parliamentary Party (IPP) or Irish Nationalist Party. which aimed for Irish representation and recognition at any post war peace conference”. http://kieranmccarthy.ie/?p=14721