1 Friars Walk

In November 1961 Mick Murphy, veteran O/C of the Cork No.1 Brigade and a fine Cork hurler, unveiled a plaque at No.1 Friars Walk in honour of the local IRA company - E Company, 2nd Battalion Cork No.1 Brigade.

Mick Murphy 1920s

Unveiling the plaque in 1961.

Those honoured on the plaque are three members of the IRA who died in a bomb explosion on Patrick Street and another who was killed by crown forces on his way home from work.

What was once known as The Corner Shop, today the plaque still sits proudly on it's gable wall.

In November 1920 Patrick Trahey, Patrick O'Donoghue and James Mehigan died when a bomb exploded where they were standing at the junction of Patrick Street and Princes Street. 

Pat Trahey

Accounts of the incident differ. Some state that a bomb was thrown at the men who were standing chatting with others. The bomb, some state, was thrown by a passing Tan. 

James Mehigan.

Other reports state that the men had come from a brigade meeting and one of them was carrying a grenade which fell from his pocket and exploded upon hitting the ground. 

Patrick O'Donoghue

The three men were from the  Friars Walk area.  Mehigan was 28 years old and came from Friars Walk, Trahey was a 30 year old shop assistant from Evergreen Buildings and O'Donoghue was a married man from St Brighids Street. 

Another name honoured on the plaque is Stephen Dorman. 

In 1921 Dorman was returning from his night shift at the Cork Examiner office where he worked and was killed by crown forces when they flung a grenade in his direction as he turned from Douglas Street to walk up Nicholas Street to his home at Evergreen Buildings.

The Corner Shop.

The end of terrace corner shop at the junction of Friars Walk and Tower Street was built in 1892 and served as a focal point for the local community, making it the ideal location for a plaque to the locals who died in the fight for freedom.

Obituary of Mick Murphy, who unveiled the plaque at Friars Walk.