Making an Irish Free State City – Challenges for Cork Public Museum, 1945 onwards
When Cork Public Museum opened in April 1945, the building also continued to serve as the headquarters of Cork's Air Raid Precaution Unit during the Emergency until later that year.
The Air Raid Precautions Act was passed in 1939, and the museum building became the headquarters of Cork’s Air Raid Precaution Unit. Blackout procedures were imposed, and air raid shelters were built in urban areas, especially after the 1941 Luftwaffe bombing of North Strand, Dublin.
From the opening of the doors, Curator MJ O’Kelly and his staff faced hardships, as the Emergency limited the museum’s operations. Through grit and the assistance of University College Cork, the museum was able to create exhibits showcasing archaeological heritage and Irish revolutionary history.
The year 1945 coincided with a significant year for MJ O’Kelly as he opened the museum and excavated two ringforts at Garryduff. The two ruined ring-forts still lie on a prominent knoll in the range of hills, which divides the eastern part of Cork Harbour from a rich agricultural hinterland extending northward to include the valleys of the rivers Bride and Blackwater. Nearby modern towns are Fermoy, twelve miles to the north-west, and Midleton, nine miles to the south. The sites were excavated in the summers of 1945 and 1947 and short preliminary reports on Garryduff I were published in Antiquity (1946) and in the Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society (1946).
Garryduff I produced not only structural information, but also a large number of finds. In an information report in the Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society in 1946, Prof. O’Kelly outlines a beautiful and curious find. It was a small gold ornament, which was in the form of a bird – a wren, to judge the bird’s outline. The body had a beautiful pattern of scrollwork executed in beaded gold wire filigree. The object was constructed from a thin foil of gold beaten up into a convex form so as to give an impression of the roundness of the bird’s body. The dimensions of the object are extremely small – just 1.5cm. In other words, the whole bird is about the size of one little fingernail.
MJ O’Kelly simultaneously held the position of Professor of Archaeology at UCC from 1946 to 1982. He became a well- known figure on campus, rarely seen without his flowing black gown. MJ O’Kelly was a major figure in Irish archaeology excavating and publishing works on s variety of sites, most significantly Newgrange. MJ married national school teacher Claire O’Donovan. Claire became a published archaeologist, remaining a partner throughout MJ O’Kelly's career.
As a curator MJ O’Kelly developed an impressive collection both for Cork Public Museum, and for future generations. With an innovative vision, O’Kelly implemented interactive displays and faithful reproductions, while Assistant Edward Fahy's distinctive contributions included electric working scale models. Claire produced life size dioramas and replica clothing. These exhibits retained their value to the museum for decades.
The building up of the museum’s collections and displays was a continuing effort and while engaged in that work, Edward studied for and was awarded with distinction the Diploma of the Museums Association. This required the writing of a dissertation coupled with specialised courses and exams in England.
Subsequently Edward pursued a BA degree, which he obtained with first class honours in archaeology and geography. He took part in many of Michael J O’Kelly’s excavations at this time and built up his experience in fieldwork and excavation techniques.
In 1956, Edward was the lead archaeologist on a number of local archaeological sites that were directly affected by the flooding of two areas as part of the Lee Hydro Electric Scheme on the Lee Valley. The Cork Historical and Archaeological Society pressed strongly for an examination of any archaeological monuments to be submerged. Edward investigated a number of monuments including Castle Inch, Carrigadrohid Castle, Inishleena Abbey, two standing stones at Carrigadrohid, a fulacht fia and a horizontal mill at Mashanaglass, a bullán stone at Macloneigh in the Gearagh and a standing stone at Dunisky.
Edward also literally put Drombeg Stone Circle on the map in West Cork. He excavated the circle in 1957 and the nearby fulacht fiadh and hut site was excavated in 1958. His findings drew much media attention and were published in the eminent Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society.
On 27 January 1946 and coinciding with a wider visit to Cork for a number of meetings, taoiseach Eamon de Valera paid his first visit to the museum. The Taoiseach promised MJ O’Kelly that on his return to Dublin, he would look for some other 1916 relics that he could transfer to the museum.
The taoiseach discussed the history of various exhibits with O’Kelly He displayed a particular interest in the large map of Ireland on the wall of the stairway and the groupings of small coloured electric bulbs of battles, castles, monasteries and other historic sites. He was particularly taken by the curator's explanation of its educational value to children and encouraging their knowledge of their Ireland’s history.
Cork Public Museum was originally a joint operation between UCC and Cork Corporation. This continued until 1963, when its management came fully under the control of the local government.
To be continued…