Making an Irish Free State City – Promoting civicness at Cork Public Museum, 1945
Continuing on from last week, the 1945 souvenir brochure for the Cork Public Museum makes for interesting reading as it not only contains a guide to artefacts in the re-opened museum, but also their local historical context and the foci of the overseeing museum committee.
The five main exhibit rooms were upstairs. In room two, there was a display of civic insignia of Cork. The beautiful gold collar chain worn by the Lord Mayor was on display for a time in 1945. It is the same gold chain worn by lord mayors today.
The collar contains 51 links of three different kinds, 26 in the shape of a floriate, 13 cinguefoils enamelled in translucent red, and 12 in the form of a knotted braid.
The chain terminates in a gold portcullis from which depends a medallion bearing on the obverse the City Arms (in relief) and on the reverse the following inscription: ‘Cork, 19th June 1787. The Right Worshipful Samuel Rowland Esq. Mayor, was publicly invested by the Common Speaker, on behalf of the Commons, in open court of D'Over Hundred with the gold Chain and immediately after the Mayor conferred the like Honor on the High Sheriffs, and lastly, the ceremony of Investing the Mayor with pendant and collar of S.S. was performed by a Deputation from Council.’
The four silver municipal maces were also on display, which still form part of civic events and procession related events today. They are closely similar except for slight variations in the overall lengths, which vary between 33 inches and 36 inches. They are inscribed: 'John Baldwin, Esqr. Mayor, Horatio Townsend, Christopher Carleton, Esgrs., Shers. 1738.’
According to the detail in the souvenir booklet, the silver maces were partially damaged in the fire the Cork courthouse in 1891, but were later repaired. Hence, one of the boxes in which the maces were usually kept bore the following inscription: 'Maces of the Cork Corporation renovated by J. F. O’Crowley, Manufacturing Jeweller, Cork, from injuries sustained by fire through the burning of Cork Court House on Good Friday March 27th 1891 on which occasion the Tipperary Traversers were on trial and Messrs. William O'Brien and John Dillon MP. were present in Custody as witnesses.’
On the wall at the end of room two were two interesting flags. That on the left bore the Arms of Cork embroidered in gold on a blue ground, whilst the other was the Irish harp on a green ground. They were the colours presented by William Redmond to the Cork City Battalion Irish National Volunteers, 1914-15.
In room three there was an attempt to convey some stories of the events of the Revolutionary period, 1916-1921. As the principal occurrences of that time were still fresh in the minds of many in 1945, careful attention was given to what should be on display.
There was a focus on former Lord Mayor of Cork Terence MacSwiney. The souvenir booklet comments on Terence’s martyrdom: “Among many great men, Toirdhealbhach Mae Suibhne is perhaps the greatest of all, for his willing acceptance of physical pain and mental anguish during the 74 long days of his slow self-immolation for the Cause will remain forever an inspiration to freedom-loving men.”
Two items were noteworthy in case no. 20, which related to Terence, firstly, the original typescript of the resolution passed by the Corporation (bearing the seal, and personal signatures of the lord mayor, town clerk and city solicitor) in which formal recognition was given to Dáil Éireann and the portrait carving in marble made by Albert Power, RHA.
The souvenir booklet noted of the marble carving: “(It) depicts for us the immortal smile of victory which stole over those noble features as they became fixed in death.”
Room four contained items of native Cork industry – glass, silver and lace, as well as a few examples of the work of the well-known Cork artist James Barry.
Case 21 exhibited a series of glass decanters illustrating the gradual development from the earliest to the latest types. Case 22 contained specimens of the glass made in the city.
Case 24 contained pieces of locally-made silver plate ranging in date from 1710 to the early nineteenth century when the craft of the silversmith began to decline in Cork.
Six panels of lace on view were on display and were deemed to be “excellent specimens of the best work done in Cork in both the crochet and needlepoint techniques”. The souvenir booklet makes reference that the second half of the sixteenth century coinciding with Italy developing both needlepoint and bobbin (pillow and bone) lacemaking, the former from embroidery on linen and the latter from weaving and plaiting. Part of the latter mechanisms were developed by the Royal Dublin Society in the eighteenth century and the art of lace-making spread from there across the country.
The booklet continues to note that there was a revival in lace-making after the Great Famine years in order to provide work for women and girls. Needlepoint was developed at Youghal, Kenmare, Killarney, New Ross, and at other towns. In 1845, crochet in Cork was being taught at the Ursuline Convent, Blackrock and it was this type of industry that grew in Cork.
The souvenir booklet relates that there was much encouragement from Cork merchants, who established markets abroad for it and Cork lace successfully exhibited at the London Exhibition of 1851. The designs were based on Venetian point lace, and crochet resembling gros and rose point obtained great popularity on the continent under the title of Point d'Irlande.
Room five dealt with an industry, which made Cork known in many distant parts of the world the old Butter Market. Other subjects which, which were put on display here were the craft of coopering, the printing of books and newspapers and a small section on the working of the early private banks in Cork city.