74 North Main Street

 

Tylers Boot Shop on North Main Street played an important role in the Republican movement in Cork City. The unassuming shoe shop was a drop off point for dispatches while guns and ammo were also hidden there.

No.74 North Main Street, in recent years home to the Roman House, now vacant.

Tylers had shops all over Ireland. In Cork city alone there were stores located on Wintrop Street, Patrick Street and North Main Street. The Patrick Street store was torched duirng the Burning of Cork in December 1920. 

One of many Tyler stores in Ireland. This one in Waterford. 

The Tyler shoe shop at 74 North Main Street was situated in a place once home to James Mountain, known as Cork's first Fenian.  Today a plaque marks the spot.

During the War of Independence the manager of Tylers on North Main Street was Liam Murphy. He was adjutant, 1st Battalion, Cork No.1 Brigade IRA. 

Kathleen Murray worked in the North Main Street store as a shop assistant. She was a member of the Craobh Poblachta na hEireann branch of Cumann na mBan. 

Tylers North Main Street, seen here in picture from 1960s/70s.

Kathleen Murray came from a staunch Republican family on Blarney Street, northside of Cork city. Her brother Pa was a member of the Cork IRA Active Service Unit and her sisters Eily and Maighread were also Cumann na mBan members. 

Kathleen's pension application detailing some of her activities during the fight for freedom. 

North Main Street and its surrounding area was a hot bed of Republican activity. Across the street from the Tyler Boot Shop was a Sinn Fein office at no. 53. It was destroyed in an arson attack by a loyalist mob in late 1920. Further up the street, towards South Main Street near the back of St Augustine Church was the newsagent shop of the Wallace sisters. Like Tylers Shop, it also served as a place for dropping and picking up dispatches etc. 

In the heart of this area was St Francis Church, also known as Broad Lane Church. Tylers shop was located at the back entrance to the church and the sympathetic Franciscans would often help in the hiding of wanted men.

St Francis Church before it was redesigned and rebuilt in 1953.

Michael Collins attended mass there on March 12th 1922 when he was in the city trying to sell the treaty to the Cork public. 

Collins outside St Francis church with Diarmuid Fawsitt, Comdt Cooney, P. O'Keefe TD, Fr Leo, Fr Edmund, Comdt McKeown.