Lower Glanmire Road/Water Street - December 9 1920

It was 4:30 on the evening of Tuesday December 9th 1920 when John Fleming and his two brothers and a friend were making their way back from Horgans Quay. They had been down at the quay where a British vessel was docked. 

The Fleming brother's friend was an ex British soldier who wanted to leave Cork and they were there organising his passage home with the British vessel. They were told to come back in an hour and the men decided to head up Water Street to a pub where they would kill the hour.

John Fleming was a 36 year old married man from Cattle Market Street on the north side of the city. He was an ex member of the Royal Navy in which he had served 22 years. He served during World War I and saw action at the Battle of Jutland. 

                                                                      John Fleming

 
As Fleming and his brothers, along with their friend, reached the top of Water Street at it's junction with the Lower Glanmire Road they heard the sound of lorries approaching at high speed.

 The men made a dash across the road for the public house but just as they did three Crossley Tenders of Auxies sped past and a hail of bullets rained down in their direction. John Fleming shouted out "I am shot!" He stumbled towards the footpath before collapsing near the wall of a house.

The Freeman's Journal December 9 1920

An ambulance brought Fleming to the North Infirmary where an operation to remove the bullets from his abdomen proved unsuccessful and he died shortly after 8pm that night. 

Irish Independent December 9 1920

The British authorities denied the bullets which killed Fleming came from their guns. The Fleming brothers and their friend stated the opposite. 

The auxies had earlier that day been rampaging across Cork city, or as they called it "performing searches." They had ransacked homes and looted shops. Troops racing around the city in lorries shooting wildly had become a common feature of life on the streets of Cork during those tense times and John Fleming was one such victim of their unruly actions.

The junction of Water Street and Lower Glanmire Road which is today forming part of the Horgans Quay redevelopment site.

Grand Parade - December 8 1920

Harriet King Meara was standing near Finns Corner when she stepped off the footpath to cross over to the Grand Parade. Unfortunately for the elderly lady, four lorries of Auxiliaries were hurtling up Great Georges Street (today's Washington Street) and as they rounded the corner onto the Grand Parade they proceeded to knock her down.

Harriet Meara was taken to the Mercy Hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival. The unfortunate lady had a severe wound to the back of her head. She was identified in the hospital by Dean Babbington of St Fin Barre's Cathedral as one of his congregation. 

Harriet Meara lived with her sister at Wellington Avenue off College Road and was a familiar fixture at St Fin Barre's where she would help out and sing with the choir. 

                    Singers Corner & Finns Corner on the Grand Parade in the early 20th century

In a military court of inquiry following Harriet's death the driver of the Crossly Tender which knocked down the elderly lady proclaimed it was impossible to avoid her. The court declared Harriet's death an accident.

Singers Corner & Finns Corner, early 20th century

The four military lorries had been speeding into Cork city from Macroom carrying members of the notorious C Company of the Auxilary Division based in Macroom Castle.

Military vehicles knocking down pedestrians had become a common aspect on the streets of Cork during the War of Independence. Harriet King Meara was not the first and neither was she to be the last unfortunate person killed by a speeding crossly tender on the streets of Cork.

1940s Finns Corner

Today's Singers Corner - Finn's Corner.

Empress Place - Summerhill

Following a bomb attack on the King Street (MacCurtain Street) RIC Barracks in 1920, the authorities abandoned the destroyed building in favour of a bigger fortress not far away up Summerhill. 
Empress Place sat in a prime position on Summerhill North overlooking the city and in the words of Captain Sean Healy of the First Cork Brigade it was "A den of iniquity in our midst."

The aftermath of the IRA attack on the King Street (MacCurtain Street) RIC Barracks.


The big brooding building known as Empress Place was built in 1874 and was named after the Empress of Austria who was a close friend to the family of Viscount Langford who owned land in Cork. 

Empress Place was home to the dreaded K Company of the Auxiliary Division. Approximately 50 Auxies from this brutal company were commonly referred to in Cork as "The Murder Gang" and very few who fell off into their hands survived. 

When the authorities moved into Empress Place the local Republicans plastered "welcoming" posters around Summerhill which read:
"Whereas the spies and traitors known as the RIC are holding this country for the enemy and whereas said spies and bloodhounds are conspiring with the enemy to bomb and bayonet and otherwise outrage a peaceful law abiding and liberty loving people. 
Whereas we do hereby proclaim and suppress said spies and traitors and do hereby solemnly warn prospective recruits that they join the RIC at their own peril."

Members of K Company "Murder Gang" at the Railway Station on the Lower Road.


Sean Healy, Captain in the Cork No.1 Brigade IRA recalled Empress Place - " If the walls of this new hell could only speak they would reveal a number of inhumane tortures perpetrated under the fair name of law and order......."

Healy was one of the few who was held in Empress Place and survived to tell the tale:

Bureau of Military History Witness Statement of Captain Sean Healy Cork IRA

During the burning of Cork in December 1920 Auxies and Tans were seen taking loot from Hilsers, Murphys, Mangans and several pubs to Empress Place. Today the building is home to EIL International Learning. 

                             A tram on Summerhill , not far from Empress Place.