Making an Irish Free State City – Grants rises from the ashes, Dec 1925

In early December 1925, one hundred years ago, citizens rejoiced as Grants of Cork drapery store on St Patrick’s Street re-opened. It took five years to rebuild the structure.

The impressive building is now home to Burger King and a side entrance with small shops to the English Market.

In 1892, Stratten and Stratten’s ‘Dublin, Cork, and South of Ireland: A Literary, Commercial, and Social Review Past & Present’ provided a detailed write-up on the initial history of the business. This business was inaugurated in the 1840s under the auspices of Sir John Arnott, who was the pioneer in Ireland of what is designated the ‘monster warehouse’ system of trading. Stratten and Stratten described such a system as a “system which has undoubtedly afforded a powerful impetus to mercantile activity in every direction, and has proved of incalculable benefit to every section of the purchasing public”.

After some years trial of this successful experiment, Sir John Arnott was joined by Alexander Grant, the title being then altered to Arnott & Company, with Sir John as the managing director. In the course of time the senior partner retired from the firm, and the sole proprietorship became vested in Alexander Grant, who subsequently amalgamated with the firms of Messrs Lyons, warehousemen, and the Queen's Old Castle Company under T Lyons & Company, Limited.

Stratten and Stratten describe that the Grants St Patrick’s Street establishment was a striking and spacious building of four stories, with an attractive window frontage of 65 feet in extent displaying “with effective advantage a tastefully-arranged assortment of high-class goods in the various departments”. It also had packing and despatch departments were spacious. On the upper floors were the workrooms.

In the boot and shoe department there was a stock of high-class ladies, gentlemen, and juvenile wear in all the latest London and continental styles. Fitting-on rooms were provided for ladies, as well as attentive assistants. The millinery showrooms were beautifully furnished apartments, richly carpeted, and embellished with mirrors. There, fashions and accessories selected by the firm's own buyers from the Parisian and other markets could be viewed.

Stratten and Stratten describe that the latest fashions included millinery and bonnets, produced from the most stylish Paris models. The large drapery warehouse also contained a large assortment of “silks, velvets, dresses, pompadours, lace, feathers, flowers, ties, scarves, ribbons, trimmings, hosiery, gloves, &c”.

In 1896, the building that Stratten and Stratten describe was partially reconstructed and refitted out. It was this building that was destroyed as an outcome of the Burning of Cork on Saturday night, 11 December 1920. The Cork Examiner records that about 7.30pm on that Saturday night auxiliary police were ambushed near Dillion’s Cross on the way to Cork Barracks.

As a consequence, Black and Tans stalked the streets with rifles and revolvers. About 10pm, following explosions, Messrs Grants’ Emporium, in St Patrick’s Street, was found to be ablaze. The building with its stock was reduced to ruins.

The Compensation (Ireland) Commission for the Irish War of Independence arrived in Cork on 31 May 1922. The Commission was set up jointly by the Irish Provisional and British governments in 1922. The Commission’s terms of reference were limited to the deliberation of claims in respect of damage or injury incurred between 21 January 1919 and 11 July 1921.

A Mr Connor appeared for Grants. He noted that they had the plans from which the St Patrick’s Street buildings were built in 1896. They had hired the same firm of architects for reconstruction – James F McMullen. As far as the buildings were concerned, he noted “reconstruction plans did not give one inch more space than was there before. The cost for the reconstruction of the fabric was £24,615 9s 0d”. The figure was provided by John Sisk and Sons, Building Contractors.

John Kelleher, Managing Director of Grants, noted that the value of the stock, apart from furniture and ready-made clothing, was £32, 406 17s 5d. In the weeks that followed, Grants secured more or less the compensation they sought as well as insurance compensation form Lloyds in London.

For a period of five years, 1920-1925, trade for Grants was all done in their second store on the Grand Parade. In December 1923, tenders were invited for the rebuilding of the drapery premises on St Patrick’s Street with Sisks and Sons, Cork being given the building contact. By the winter of 1924, the building was well on the way to re-construction.

A year later, in December 1925 and to celebrate their re-opening, the management of Grants took out a series of large advertisements in the Cork Examiner. On 5 December 1925, Grants had a page one spread in the newspaper.

The text harnessed the metaphor of Grants rising from the ashes like a phoenix describing a building of modernity. “The Phoenix that rose triumphantly from the smouldering ashes, The House of Grants has emerged from the disastrous fire of 1920. An imposing store has been erected that is without its equal in Southern Ireland for beauty and modernity. Grants have always been recognised as one of Cork’s institutions dependable goods at reasonable prices and courteous service have made our business grow to its present colossal size. With the opening of our new store we hope, with your support, to commence a new era of business success and give even better value and service to our patrons.”

The list of the departments at Grants were outlined ranging from furniture and carpets to drapery, dress materials and silks, millinery and mantles, haberdashery, household lines, boots and shoes, fancy goods, toys, mens and boys outfitting, and tailoring.

An editorial in the Cork Examiner on 10 December 1925 highlights that the premises opened on that date. “Five years after the destruction of the old Grants, the new Grants has arisen triumphant. The old spirit spirit of service, the desire to help, the will to do, is simply encased in the fine and imposing exterior. Where once the best goods procurable were offered over rough wooden counters, the finest goods are displayed fire inspection in up-to-date showcases our own polished mahogany. The change is great, the progress is great, but typical of Grants, which has always been a house of leadership.”