Making an Irish Free State City – Great War Memorial questioned

Over two months after the initial discussion on 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.

An application was read into the minutes from the Great War Memorial Committee of the Cork Independent Ex-Servicemen Club, asking for permission to erect a monument on Parnell Place (facing Parnell Bridge) or in the Park at the Grand Parade end of the South Mall.

The Cork Examiner relates that Mr Hare of the corporation’s city engineer's department reported to the councillors present. With reference to the two alternative sites suggested for the erection of proposed monument to Cork soldiers killed in the Great War, Mr Hare visited both sites in company of the secretary of the Cork Independent Ex-Servicemen Club, Marlboro Street.

The first proposed position was on Parnell Place. Here Mr Hare found the existence of a large eighteenth century archway or culvert throughout the length of the roadway at Parnell Place. He deemed that the erection of the monument would not be desirable, as its weight would in all probability seriously damage, if not cause the collapse of the archway.

With regard to the position suggested in the park on the South Mall, Mr Hare was more in favour of it as it was back off the main road and back from the river front and in a prominent position.

Councillor Byrne spoke up in support of the application of the Memorial Committee and wished for the matter to be dealt with, as the 11 November 1924 had been fixed for the unveiling of the memorial. Councillor Horgan then proposed and councillor S. Mahony seconded that the corporation be recommended to grant permission for the erection of such a monument.

As like the situation at the previous public works meeting, objections were heard, but voices against the proposal had grown since the last time. As an amendment and further to the previous debate, the Lord Mayor Cllr Sean French moved to reject the proposal. He noted that he did so for one reason only. He sincerely regretted that an issue of the kind should be put up to them at the present moment. He was sure he would be forgiven by all the members if he went a little bit back into the past in connection with such a matter.

He noted the need to honour the fallen of the War of Independence first: “Ireland's struggle in the past was a struggle for recognition of the complete independence of their country. During their struggle for such independence men died in the service of Ireland who still remained unhonoured; some owing to personal wishes expressed in their lives, and others by wishes expressed by those who were still in the fight, that when Ireland was free Ireland would be worthy to honour her dead. There were friends of his own very dear friends, school pals, men whom he had known all his life, who went out and died in England's war. He knew that most of them went out with the one idea and wish, and with one thing to serve, and that was their own country.”

The lord mayor continued to detail that there was a “parrot cry” that Irishmen should go out and fight for England, and that “they would be fighting and dying for their own country, and they went out with that idea”.

However, the lord mayor asserted that while they were dying on the battlefields of Flanders, the same British came to Ireland and to Cork and burned down a portion of their city, robbed and plundered their homes, shot down their citizens, men and women, and murdered two of their lord mayors. He noted: “There was only one way of looking at the proposed monument, and that was that by having it erected in their city they would be putting up a monument to British ascendancy…If there was a monument to be put up in Cork it should first be put up to their two lord mayors who were murdered by British troops”.

Cllr S. O’Leary seconded the amendment and said the motives for which the ex-servicemen went out to fight were pure, but they could not separate from their action the cause for which they died. He noted: “Any memorial that would be erected would commemorate such a cause, that of British ascendancy. Such a memorial would simply commemorate England's cause, and as long as England held Ireland in thraldom they could not commemorate a cause that was not Ireland's cause.”

Cllr J. Hennessy supported the lord mayor’s amendment and said such a memorial would only consummate England's part in the great war. He noted: “Ireland had no part in that war, though some of their countrymen were gulled into going out and taking part in it in the belief that they were fighting for their own country. If they consented to such a memorial it would create the impression that they approved of England's action in going into the war. He was totally opposed to the erection of such a memorial.”

Cllr C. Neenan supported the amendment and said he could never be a party to the erection of such a monument. He noted: “It would be just a monument to British rule, and in their country that had been tyranny, and England of the past was the same England at the present day.”

In support of the construction of the memorial Cllr Egan said he did not suppose England had any knowledge that such a monument was going up in Cork. It was a project by the men who went out to the war and came home and now wanted to pay a mark of respect to the memory of the comrades they left behind, and who died for Ireland. He noted: “Such a step showed the energy and spirit of those young men and their desire that their comrades who fell by their side should not be forgotten.”

Cllr J. Allen did not see why there would be any objection to the memorial the man to whose honour the memorial was to reflect upon went to fight in a just cause.

Cllr D. Horgan declared that he was surprised at the distorted views that had been put forward about men who gave service in defence of their own country and in defense of countries like Belgium. He noted: “I was surprised what's the narrow political objection being connected to the monument… the position is acutely political stop the men to whom it was sought to pay a tribute of respect to went out to fight for the freedom of small nations and with their help they succeeded.”

A vote was taken with six councillors for the motion and five against. The motion to recommend the council to grant permission for the erection of the monument at the park at the South Mall was then declared carried.

April Historical Walking Tours with Kieran. All tours free, 2 hours, no booking required

Saturday 5 April, The Friar’s Walk Tour. Discover Red Abbey, Elizabeth Fort, Barrack Street, Callanan’s Tower & Greenmount area: Meet at Red Abbey tower, off Douglas Street at 1pm in association with the Cork Lifelong Learning Festival.

Sunday 6 April, Shandon Tour. Explore Cork’s most historic quarter: meet at North Main Street/ Adelaide Street Square, opp. Cork Volunteer Centre at 1pm in association with the Cork Lifelong Learning Festival.

Saturday 26 April, The Cork City Workhouse Tour. Learn about Cork city’s workhouse created for 2,000 impoverished people in 1841: Meet just inside the gates of St Finbarr’s Hospital, Douglas Road at 1pm.

Sunday 27 April, Fitzgerald’s Park: The People’s Park Tour. Hear stories on the Mardyke and the Cork International Exhibition: Meet at the band stand at 1pm.