9 Nicholas Street

Robert Day resided at No. 9 Nicholas Street and was a militant labour activist in Cork city during the revolutuonary era.

No. 9 Nicholas Street: The yellow house on the left, former residence of Robert Day.

Robert Day, or Bob Day as he was also known,  was secretary of the Cork branch of the ITGWU. In 1920 he won a seat on Cork City Corporation as a Sinn Fein ITGWU candidate. These were the historic local elections which saw the independence movement take countrol of City Hall and Tomas MacCurtain elected Lord Mayor.

The first meeting of the new Cork City Corporation 1920.

Lord Mayor MacCurtain set up the Cost of Living Commission which sought to determine a proper living wage for workers. The Cork Harbour Board was one of those targeted in this commission and were told to implement a wage of 70shillings for dockers. The Harbour Board dismissed the commission and it would be another year before dockers , led by Day, would strike for what the Cost of Living Commission asked the harbour board to implement. 

Robert Day.

Day with the Cork contingent who went to London to accompany the body of Lord Mayor McSwiney back home. 

The War of Independence took priority in Cork and it wasn't until the truce was announced in the Summer of 1921 could Day and his fellow labour activists organise the disgruntled dockers. 

Nicholas Street, early 20th Century. 

In September 1921 Day and the dockers seized the Cork Custom House , the headquarters of the Cork Harbour Board. Day raised a red flag over it's roof and declared it the Cork Harbour Soviet.

The Cork Custom House where the red flag flew in 1921.

The strike made headline news in California.

Day was declared the Chief Commissioner of the Port and for two weeks the Cork Harbour Soviet stayed in place until the overdue pay rise was finally implemented. 

Some of the striking dockers of the Cork Harbour Soviet.

It was a time of short lived soviets across the country, the most famous being the Limerick Soviet of 1919. In Cork workers set up a Youghal Soviet, a Fermoy Soviet and a Cork Railway Soviet. 

1923 caricature of Robert Day.

Robert Day would stand for Labour in the 1922 general election and win a seat representing Cork Borough. His stint in Dail Eireann was a short one, he lost his seat the following year. 

 Robert Day remained active in the fight for the working class until his death at the age of 64 on May 1st 1949 - May Day, appropriately!

Mulgrave Road - November 20 1922

It was a dark November evening when Madge Daly was making her way down Mulgrave Road. She was on her way to St Marys Church on Popes Quay. 

This was a normal routine for the 24 year old. When she finished work at the Edinboro Hotel she would visit the church where she was a member of the confraternity.

St Mary's Church, Popes Quay.

Madge came from Cathedral Walk where she lived with, and looked after, her three younger siblings.  Madge was the head of the household as both parents were deceased.

37 Cathedral Walk, the green house on the right was home to the Dalys.

As Madge walked by a Free State checkpoint near the junction of Mulgrave Road and Devonshire Street a sentry challenged a man who was running down Devonshire Street. The running man produced a revolver and shot at the checkpoint. A gunfight erupted and bullets whizzed everywhere.

Looking at Mulgrave Road from across the quay.

 The gunfight was over in a matter of minutes and it left Madge Daly lying lifeless on the road. A bullet had pierced her skull killing her outright. Along with the unfortunate Miss Daly, Private Daniel Desmond also lay dead on Mulgrave Road.

The bottom of Mulgrave Road, St Marys Church can be seen on the left.

20 year old Daniel Desmond worked as a shop porter with W. Lee on St Patrick Street before joining the Free State Army. He lived just around the corner from the scene of his death at No.2 Knapps Square. Private Desmond  lived in poor circumstances with his mother and father and younger brother in a tenement dwelling. 

Knapp's Square in modern times.

Private Desmond's mother lodged a compensation claim following her son's death and was awarded a gratuity of £60. 

Madge Daly's younger siblings were also awarded compensation. They all went to America following their older sister's death, leaving behind dark memories of a city scarred by civil conflict. 

Funeral of a Free State soldier making it's way down Mulgrave road August 1922. Months later Madge Daly and Daniel Desmond would die at the same spot.

Moore's Hotel - September 22 1922

Moore's Hotel stood as a well known centre of accomodation on Morrison's Island for centuries until it fell into decline in the late 1990s.

 The historic hotel played a role in Cork's revolutionary era, becoming a base for Black and Tans before Free State forces moved in. 

On a September afternoon in 1922 an elderly lady died in the hotel as a result of the Civil War playing out on the streets of the rebel city. 

73 year old Frances Haynes was staying in Moore's Hotel. She was in her room when she heard a commotion on the street outside. 

An open top Ford touring car sped along Union Quay on the opposite quayside from Moores Hotel. Free State guards at the door of  the hotel saw the car with a lewis machine gun mounted on it. The soldiers let out a roar for people to take cover but, unfortunately for Mrs Haynes, she looked out the window just as the machine gun splattered the façade of the hotel with bullets.

Hotel interior during re-development 2021.

 Seven bullets smashed through the window Mrs Haynes was looking out of. She staggered out of her room with bullet wounds and collapsed on the landing of the stairs. She later died in hospital.

Hotel during re-development in 2021.

 The shooting was carried out by Anti-Treaty IRA forces who were aiming at the Free Staters stationed in the hotel but, the only casualty that day was a civilian. 

Morrison's Island with the Holy Trinity Church on the left.

 In May 1921 Moore's Hotel became a base for the Black and Tans before Free State forces took over in early 1922. The hotel became the HQ of the Free State Civic Guard, the forerunner to An Garda Siochana. The Civic Guard were first stationed in the School of Music before moving across the river to Moore's Hotel.

A member of the Free State Civic Guard (or Civic Police) standing near the National Monument, Grand Parade.

The Civic Guard were established in February 1922 and 104 Guards were recruited in Cork City with Jeremiah Murphy of Blarney Street in charge.  Apart from being the HQ of the Civic Guard, Moores Hotel continued to host civilians. It also doubled up as a prison for those arrested on charges of looting! 

Postbox on wall next to hotel dating from the 1910s, the reign of King George (GR)

 Today Moores Hotel is no more. The historic hotel was recently sold and radically redeveloped as a Premier Inn - looters will not be accommodated! 

The Marina - Ashe Grounds

Today as you ramble around The Marina you might not realise that just over 100 years ago it played host to Cork's biggest IRA arms dump! 

The First Cork Brigade named their arms dump Ashe Grounds and it was situated in the then vast lands of the Cork Agricultural Society, better known as The Showgrounds 

The Witness Statement of Captain William Barry, D Company 2nd Batt Cork No.1 Brigade

Most of what the IRA got in raids from 1919 to 1921 in the city ended up in the Ashe Grounds. Arms, ammunition and even clothing and food were stored there. Many of the items stored at Ashe Grounds were distributed to flying columns in the county, including Tom Barry's flying column in West Cork. 

Aside from arms and ammo, clothing and boots proved as much a need as guns and bullets for the men setting up ambushes in the rough terrain of County Cork.

Aerial view of the Cork showgrounds in the 1970s

The caretakers of Ashe Grounds were the Neville brothers from nearby Ballinlough. They, and their sisters, were involved in the Cork Republican movement since 1916. The Nevilles were market gardeners who supplied the Cork No.1 Brigade with sheds on their land for use as  bomb making facilities. 

Captain Laurence Morrough Neville and his brother Patrick held the keys to Ashe Grounds and knew everything that went in and out of storage there.

Witness Statement Cpt William Barry

Another important place in the area for the Cork Brigade was Connolly's Yard on Ballinlough Road. It was the bomb making factory for D company. 

Statement from IRA Vol. Jer Coughlan.

Most of the bombs made at Connolly's Yard were destined for use by Tom Barry's men in West Cork. 

Statement from IRA Vol. Mick Walsh

In May 1921 Ashe Grounds ceased operation when the enemy raided it. At the time a number of Volunteers were busy packing equipment for the West Cork flying column when one of them spotted a crossley tender approaching. They promptly left the packing and made a dash down along the Marina towards Blackrock village before the tans could catch them. The tans, aided by the RIC,  seized equipment including a machine gun. 

Witness Statement of Cpt Laurence Neville, D Coy, 2nd Batt, Cork No1 Brigade.

The Marina, early 20th century.

Young volunteers drilling on The Marina

MacCurtain Street/St.Patrick's Hill - September 24 1920

 In the autumn of 1920 senior members of the Cork IRA met at the premises of the Wallace sisters on St Augustine Street. The meeting was called to hatch a plan to get Lord Mayor Terence MacSwiney out of Brixton Prison. He was on hunger strike and growing weaker by the day so a plan was agreed - kidnap the highest ranking British military officer in Cork to exchange for MacSwiney. 

General Strickland

Major General Sir Edward Peter Strickland was the target of the IRA kidnap party. He resided at Sidney House, just off Patrick's hill, which was home to the governor of the military in Cork. The imposing building was better known as Government House. It was from here that his movements were closely watched by members of the IRA and it was decided to kidnap him on one of his many journeys  from Government House down to the quayside where he would take a steamer to England. 

Government House which was burnt down by Anti-Treaty IRA in 1922. It could be seen from Patrick Street before its destruction. Today it is the site of Christian Brothers School.

The Active Service Unit of the Cork No. 1 Brigade was tasked with the mission with Sean O'Hegarty heading the operation. Dan "Sandow" Donovan , who got his nickname for his likeness to a German showman called Eugene Sandow, was a member of the kidnap party. Dr Patrick O'Sullivan who was then a medical student was also part of the plan. Michael Murphy a carpenter who was also a famed hurler with the Rockies and Cork was O'Hegartys right hand man. Michael Kenny worked as a polisher in Victoria Barracks (now Collins Barracks) and he was tasked with identifying Strickland so he was positioned near Wellington Place and Patrick's Hill to raise the alarm when Strickland approached. The Grey brothers, Miah and James, who ran a motor garage near the gates of Victoria Barracks were tasked with jumping on the running boards of Strickland's car and pull him out. Two cars were positioned on Bridge Street to take the kidnapped British General to a safe house in Ballincollig. The plan was to grab him as the car turned the corner from Patrick's hill onto MacCurtain street but, the plan did not play out like that!

Peadar Kearney & Sean O'Hegarty at Ballingeary Aeriocht.

Strickland made a regular trip to England which would see him journey from Government House in a touring car from Sidney hill, along Wellington Place down Patrick's Hill onto MacCurtain Street and onwards to Penrose Quay to board a steamer. 

Dan "Sandow" Donovan in his later years. 

Grave of Sandow at St Finbarrs Cemetery. 

The kidnap party positioned themselves on September 9th and remained there until Strickland was sighted in his car on the 24th. The long wait saw tardiness creep into the plan, some of the volunteers would buy the Evening Echo and others would chat to passers by to while away the hours.

Witness statement of Dr Patrick O'Sullivan, 8th Battalion Cork No. 1 Brigade.

At 5:45pm Kenny, who was positioned at the corner of Patrick's hill and Wellington Place, saw Strickland's car approaching. The British general was dressed in civilian clothes and along with his driver there were three other military men in the vehicle. 

The corner of Patrick's hill and Wellington Place where Vol. Michael Kenny was positioned. 

Kenny alerted the others at the bottom of the hill but they failed to notice. In utter desperation Kenny drew his revolver and shot at the car. The gunfire finally alerted the rest of the Volunteers and Kenny then chased the car down the hill while continuing to shoot. When it reached the corner of Patrick's hill and MacCurtain Street all hell broke loose.

Bridge Street then and now - looking towards Patrick's hill with the junction at MacCurtain street on the right.

As Strickland's car turned the corner onto MacCurtain street a bullet hit the British General's shoulder. Those in the car returned fire and bullets smashed the windows of the public house on the corner (now Gallaghers) while bullets bounced off the walls of Ryan's furniture shop and the Cuban House Cigar Divan (now Subway). 

The scene of the chaos - MacCurtain Street once known as KingStreet.

The driver of  Stricklands car was also hit by a bullet and smashed into a tramline pole but sonehow he manged to keep the car going before speeding down towards Penrose Quay and away from the IRA kidnap party.

Witness statement of Commandant Michael Murphy, 2nd Battalion Cork No.1 Brigade.

Strickland and his driver escaped with their lives and the Cork IRA rued the botched kidnap attempt. Lord Mayor MacSwiney died a month later in Brixton Prison after 74 days hunger strike. 

General Strickland continued to command the British army in Cork, overseeing the destruction of the city in December 1920 when crown forces set fire to it. He also caused consternation among Cork protestants when he launched a recruitment of informers from the protestant population in the city. Some accepted Strickland's offer to become informer but others rebuked his pressure to inform on neighbours and work colleagues. 

After the War of Independence Strickland served in Egypt before retiring in 1931. He died in his stately home in Norfolk in 1951, thirty one years after his close call on Patrick's Hill.