2 January 2025, Fr O’Flynn, Shakespeare and the Education of the Heart

The mid-1920s coincided with the emergence of Fr Seamus O’Flynn’s growing interest in Shakespeare. The Cork Examiner on 17 December 1924 notes that under the auspices of the Fermoy Catholic Young Men’s Society, Fr O’Flynn, accompanied by some of his pupils, delivered to a crowded house a most instructive and educational lecture entitled, “How to Study Shakespeare”. Kieran’s Our City, Our Town, 2 January 2025 | Cllr. Kieran McCarthy

9 January 2025, Making an Irish Free State City – Fr O’Flynn and the Shakespeare Mission

Fr Seamus O’Flynn’s championing of community life in his North Parish was exemplary. In 1911, the Christian Brothers at the North Monastery Schools celebrated their centenary. They decided to put on a pageant of Irish mythology and history and invited their past pupil, Fr O’Flynn, to act as producer. He took on the project and soon after he was scouring the shelves of the libraries in Cork for books on Irish mythology. Kieran’s Our City, Our Town, 9 January 2025 | Cllr. Kieran McCarthy

16 January 2025, Making an Irish Free State City – Fr O’Flynn Produces Shakespeare Plays

In the mid-1920s, the Cork Shakespearian Company presented full or extracts of Shakespearean plays at places across Cork City and County. On the first weekend of August 1925, against a backdrop of Capel Island and the beaches of Youghal, the Cork Shakesperean Company staged outdoors The Merchant of Venice at Knockadoon. Kieran’s Our City, Our Town, 16 January 2025 | Cllr. Kieran McCarthy

23 January 2025, Making an Irish Free State City – Fr O’Flynn & the Cork Opera House Week

In early May 1927 Fr O Flynn rented Cork Opera House and staged a week-long season of six Shakespearean plays. Large scale financial investment was made and a large effort was made to assemble daily audiences. There were six evening performances and one matinee performance. The plays Richard II, Twelfth Night, Hamlet, The Merchant of Venice, Othello and Richard III were all performed by players who played different characters in these plays. Kieran’s Our City, Our Town, 23 January 2024 | Cllr. Kieran McCarthy

30 January 2025, Making an Irish Free State City – Pursuing the Beautiful in Drama

From 1927 to 1932 Fr O’Flynn and his Cork Shakespearean Company were a highlight of the annual programme at Cork Opera House. Over the six week long programmes, eighteen different Shakespearean plays were presented. The time and effort into rehearsals and financial investment into costumes and venue hire were high. Kieran’s Our City, Our Town, 30 January 2025 | Cllr. Kieran McCarthy

6 February 2025, Making an Irish Free State City – Figures of the Cork Shakespearean Company

As time rolled on for the Cork Shakespearean Company, many of its members stayed to champion the Company, but grew older, or left to take up duties in several walks of life. A short few of these members were showcased in the press such the Cork Examiner over the decades. Kieran’s Our City, Our Town, 6 February 2025 | Cllr. Kieran McCarthy

13 February 2025, Making an Irish Free State City – The BBC Interview with Fr O’Flynn

In 1960, Hywel Davies of the BBC visited Fr O’Flynn at The Loft to make a half-hour documentary on his life called, It Happened to Me, produced by James Buchan. Mr Buchan noted of Fr O’Flynn: “I have met many great humanitarians in the course of doing documentary programmes for television, but Father O’Flynn was the greatest of them all What impressed us all about him was his tremendous love of his fellow-man as well as for God. To us he epitomised the Christian”. Kieran’s Our City, Our Town, 13 February 2025 | Cllr. Kieran McCarthy

20 February 2025, Making an Irish Free State City – The Work of Henry Dale

The announcement in the Cork Examiner on 12 January 1925 of the death of 84 year-old Mr Henry Dale (1841-1925) at his residence, Riverview House, Sunday’s Well, was received with widespread regret in the city. It was marked as an end of an era – the end of an era for an important Cork figure and one of the drivers of public health reform in particular in late nineteenth century Cork. Kieran’s Our City, Our Town, 20 February 2025 | Cllr. Kieran McCarthy

27 February 2025, Making an Irish Free State City – The Retirement of City Engineer Joseph Delaney

Spring 1925 coincided with the formal retirement of Cork Corporation City Engineer Joseph F Delaney who had amassed just over 21 years’ experience working for the Corporation. The aftermath of dealing with the Burning of Cork in 1920 and the long and complicated quest to commence reconstruction within the five acres of burnt out premises brought added stress and health complications for Joseph. Kieran’s Our City, Our Town, 27 February 2025 | Cllr. Kieran McCarthy

6 March 2025, Making an Irish Free State City – The Making of the Cork Legion of Ex-Service Men

March 2025 coincides with the centenary commemoration of the unveiling of the First World War Memorial on Cork’s South Mall. The campaign for its construction was organised by the Cork Legion of Ex-Servicemen, which was founded in the middle of 1921, following the formation of the British Legion. The Cork branch was one of several regional branches in Ireland and in the UK. Kieran’s Our City, Our Town, 6 March 2025 | Cllr. Kieran McCarthy

13 March 2025, Making an Irish Free State City – The Munster Cross at Ieper

In April 1924, the Cork Legion of Ex-Servicemen, through large scale funding, erected a 20 feet high memorial Cross at Ypres/Ieper in Belgium. The Munster Memorial had its origins in a decision taken by the Cork Legion early in 1924 to erect a suitable memorial in Flanders in memory of the comrades from Munster whom sacrificed their lives fighting to liberate Belgium from German occupation. The person chosen to design and manufacture the memorial was John A O’Connell, a well-known Cork sculptor, who had his studio in Cork City. Kieran’s Our City, Our Town, 13 March 2025 | Cllr. Kieran McCarthy

20 March 2025, Making an Irish Free State City – A Great War Memorial Proposal for Cork

The construction of First World memorials in Europe inspired small voluntary organisations in cities such as Cork to think about commemorating deceased veterans. A proposed Great War memorial for Cork City was championed by The Cork Legion of Ex-Servicemen and the Cork Independent Ex-Servicemen Club. Kieran’s Our City, Our Town, 20 March 2025 | Cllr. Kieran McCarthy

27 March 2025, Making an Irish Free State City – Questions on the Cork Great War Memorial Proposal

Over two months after the initial discussion whether to support a Great War memorial, the Public Works Committee of Cork Corporation met again in mid-October 1924 to discuss the findings of the City Engineer official Mr Hare. Cllr J Kelleher, Vice-Chairman of the committee, presided. Kieran’s Our City, Our Town 27 March 2025 | Cllr. Kieran McCarthy

3 April 2025, Making an Irish Free State City – Ms MacSwiney’s Letter to the Editor

The decision in mid-October 1924 by Cork Corporation’s Public Works committee to give permission to advance a Great War Memorial on the South Mall brought debate outside into the public realm. Much historical material survives on the opinions of those individuals for the memorial and on those individuals completely against the memorial, with all opinions made against the varied meanings of such a memorial in an evolving political landscape in Cork. Kieran’s Our City, Our Town, 3 April 2025 | Cllr. Kieran McCarthy