Sands of Time: St. Patrick’s Street, Cork (circa 1928)

In 2011, Mary McAleese, then President of the Republic of Ireland, spoke of the people of Cork and their resilience in overcoming the challenges caused by the ruinous floods of the winter of 2009.

"At the time it happened, we thought the world had ended and would never be right again” [1]

Her words have an eerie resonance, and might well be applied to an earlier calamity. Florrie O'Donoghue describes the scene in Cork after December 11, 1920:

“Many familiar landmarks were gone forever – where whole buildings had collapsed here and there a solitary wall leaned at some crazy angle from its foundation. The streets ran with sooty water, the footpaths were strewn with broken glass and debris, ruins smoked and smouldered and over everything was the all-pervasive smell of burning.” [2]

Such was the chaos in St. Patrick’s Street after the “The Burning of Cork”, an act of revenge and wanton destruction carried out by British Auxiliaries in response to an ambush at Dillon’s Cross. This anarchic reprisal cost the city over £3 million pounds [3], a staggering financial hurdle for a city that had a population of about 76,000, and for a nation struggling for independence.

However, Cork City was undeterred, and its people began clearing the debris almost immediately. With the erection of temporary wooden structures, businesses continued to trade, and the once bustling thoroughfare began its Phoenix-like resurrection from the ashes.[5] In its editorial for 29 December 1920, the Cork Examiner stated that “to rebuild will take a long time”, but the newspaper underestimated the grit and determination of the population. Within six years, St. Patrick’s Street was rebuilt, and its businesses were flourishing. The postcards below bear witness to this.

North side of St. Patrick’s Street

click on images to enlarge

On the right is the south side of St. Patrick’s Street,
where most of the destruction took place.

An examination of the postcard showing the north side of St. Patrick's Street (under magnification) shows that the line-up of shops matches exactly those mentioned in Guy's Cork Almanac, County and City Directory for the year 1925. Starting on the far left is Woodford, Bourne & Co. at number 64 & 65; followed by Fieldings Chemist (66), the Provincial Bank of Ireland (67), McCarthy and Kearney under shop awnings (68), Fitzsimons (69), Guy's Photographic Studio (70), Thompson Café (71 & 72), and Lipton's Market (73). The tram in the foreground is advertising Sutton's Coals. Dating the view of the south side is based on the occurrence of Roche’s Stores and Cash & Co., which reopened in 1927, giving a terminus post quem for the postcard.[4]

Notes

[1] Irish Examiner Tuesday, October 11, 2011

[2] White and O’Shea The Burning of Cork p. 139

[3] 1920 value, which equals over £113 million pounds in current terms (calculator). The British Prime Minister, Lloyd George, refused financial assistance.
[4] Kieran Wyse of the Reference & Local Studies Department of Cork County Library and Arts Service remarks: Cash & Co, as was the case with many other concerns on Patrick Street damaged / destroyed in The Burning of Cork”, was able to put up the “Business as Usual” sign after a relatively short time but it was some time before normality returned. Even though the shop continued to be listed in annual trade directories for the years after 1920 , trading would have been awkward due to shortage of space and disruption caused by ongoing refurbishment. Even by 1924 progress with all buildings on the street was still slow but started to gather pace after then. By April 1927 Cash & Co. had a fabulously remodeled premises with even more space than was had before 1921 after the acquisition of adjoining properties.
[5] See Guy's 1921City and County Almanac and Directory "Devastated Area"

Of Interest

1. Cork Heritage St. Patrick’s Street

2. Thomas McCarthy Rising from the Ashes

3. Antoin O'Callaghan Cork's St. Patrick's Street: a history

4. Buildings of St. Patrick's Street

5. Tom Spalding A Guide to Cork's 20th Century Architecture

6. Cork: Official Guide

7. Ask About Ireland St. Patrick's Street

8. RTE Documentary

The Burning of Cork part 1