Making an Irish Free State City – Cork industries in 1926

Published in the summer of 1926, Cork, A Civic Survey was an ambitious document giving an insight into an array of topics. The survey outlines that Cork, the largest of all Irish counties with its rich river valleys, a variety of soils, mild climate, and a unique geographical position, was widely known as a great agricultural and livestock county.

Root crops of every variety, including early potatoes, oats, wheat, barley, and flax were cultivated over the entire area. It had a large export of livestock and had been long famous for its horse-breeding industry.

Instead of exporting the live animals, active steps were being taken to have them slaughtered before exportation, which would mean an immediate development in the subsidiary trades.

The problem of a site for a central cattle market and abattoir was one that needed to be dealt with. The provision trade had long been a staple of Cork. Bacon, preserves, butter, margarine, cheese, eggs and poultry, milk and cream were all largely exported. Fruit and vegetables were grown, chiefly for home consumption.

For over two centuries prior to 1926, the survey describes that Cork city and county had been the seat of an extensive brewing and malting industry – the malting barley being grown in the county. The distilling industry was very extensive – Cork whiskey being well-known all over Ireland, Great Britain and its colonies.

It was made by the old-fashioned pot-still from local malt and grain.

This was also an old-established Cork industry, exported all over the world.

The extensive grain trade of Cork was an importing and distributing one – the principal imports being wheat and maize, the latter chiefly for cattle food. Oats were largely exported.

Milling was an important industry but according to the survey had somewhat suffered from the “dumping of flour owing to cheap freights”.

The survey continued to note that the shipbuilding and repairing industry, located further down the river, at Passage and Rushbrooke, were already large. Both were capable of greater expansion, with the possibility of utilising for this purpose the ceded government dockyard at Haulbowline.

Cork was famous for the manufacture of woollen goods, there being about 20 woollen mills in the area. The Blarney tweeds and knitting yarns, as well as the specialised products of many of the other mills, were known throughout the world. There was also a large manufacture of ready-made clothing. There was a large flax-mill in the Upper Blackpool Valley.

Cork was an important centre for the import of timber for building construction, furniture making, woodworking, shipbuilding and repairing, waggon building, as well as for distribution throughout the south of Ireland.

The bedding industry was an important one. There was a large export of curled hair, feathers, and down quilts. Cork-made down quilts were well-known in Canada, in the United States, in South America, and many other foreign countries. Wire mattresses, curled hair and straw mattresses were manufactured chiefly for the home market.

Fertilisers were produced on a large scale as well as fine chemicals, colours, paints, varnishes, polishes and printing inks.

With Cork having the largest seaboard of any county in Ireland, and possessing numerous safe and commodious harbours, it enjoyed a large share of the Irish fishing trade. The survey denotes that there was room for almost unlimited expansion of steam trawling - the coast of this county being one of the hunting grounds of foreign boats.

Cork possessed one important boot and shoe factory, the produce of which was sold all over the country, as well as a number of smaller ones.

Cork possessed one modern soap factory, Edward Ryan & Co. Ltd, the product of which found a market throughout the whole of Ireland and successfully competed with the manufactures of other countries. The excellence of the brands known as Keltic and Primrose bar soaps was well-known. This was one of the city’s oldest existing industries and provided much-needed employment.

Reference is made in the Cork Examiner in the 1870s of an original premises on 3 Great Georges Street, and then a move to 31 George’s Street. By the late nineteenth century, the company operated from their soap factory at Gray’s Lane on Pope’s Quay and at their candle factory on John Street. In addition to the usual brands of household soaps, Edward Ryan & Company sold Soap Flakes, which were very adaptable for washing silks and delicate fabrics.

The company’s enjoyed wide popularity with their Blarney Towel Soap, which gave its patrons an opportunity of obtaining useful towels as free gifts.

The 1926 Survey also describes that are a large number of other industries were carried on in the city, among which some industries were important to mention such as “brushmaking, silversmiths, embroideries, jam and confectionery, marble and stone, printing, starch, biscuits, organ-building, building materials, saddlery and harness, rope and many more”.

The survey outlines that city of Cork with its extensive quays and harbourage and with the railway system running to all parts of the country could be likened to a national granary or warehouse for the southern part of Ireland.

The survey called for the organisation of the port and dock authorities and the railways to be co-ordinated and the “warehousing centralised to give the efficiency of service required for the agricultural and industrial population”.

Cork was centrally situated for dealing with such services. The survey adds that the low-lying lands fronting the river were suitable for oil and petrol stores, which elsewhere had been established upon similar ground.

To be continued…

The next walking tours with Kieran for National Heritage Week will be in mid-August.