Making an Irish Free State City – Reconstructing historic Elizabeth Fort

Much has been written on Elizabeth Fort on Cork’s Barrack Street from its construction in 1601 to protect the walled town to in recent years becoming a tourism centre. The mini information centre within the fort speaks about a richly layered story.

A century ago, the Cork Examiner for 14 August 1926 published a set of photographs by a non Examiner photographer of the taking down of core buildings built on the fort’s parade ground. The write-up speaks about the builder William Crowley being employed to demolish the central historical buildings within the fort. A powerful steam engine, steel cables and what were deemed “the laws of strains and stresses” had in two days raised to the ground buildings and walls.

It is known that in 1719, Elizabeth Fort became a British military barracks and catered for seven hundred men. An additional square barracks known as Cat Barracks (established in 1698) existed nearby.

In 1806, due to the construction of the ‘New Barracks’ to the north-east of the city (now Collin’s Barracks), the barracks within Elizabeth fort was altered to that of a female convict prison. In the late nineteenth century, the fort was used as a station for the Cork City Artillery Militia.

By 1920-21, it was occupied by the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) and members of the Black and Tans. After the Treaty, the fort was handed over to the emerging provisional Irish government.

On 13 April 1922, the Evening Echo newspaper outlines that the RIC barracks was vacated by the RIC. “The evacuation of Cork by the RIC will be completed today, when Empress Place and Union Quay Barracks will be vacated as, well as Moore’s Hotel. The police are leaving by special steamer for Dublin. It is understood that Elizabeth Fort will also be evacuated.”

On 15 August 1922, the Evening Echo recorded that in their retreat from Cork city, the following buildings were burnt down by the Irregulars or anti Treaty members of the IRA – Victoria Military Barracks, Ballincollig Military Barracks, the Bridewell, Union Quay Police Barracks, Tuckey Street Police Barracks, Empress Place Police Barracks, Shandon Street Police Barracks, and Elizabeth Fort Barracks. The only barracks which escaped was that at College Road.

Over a year later, in early October 1923, the Ministry of Defence proposed that social housing be built in the fort. Surviving files in the Bureau of Military History detail that the fort was no longer being required for military purposes. However, the housing project did not materialise.

In August 1926 though the historic military barracks were torn down, which was an end of an era for such a structure with vast colonialism symbolism. In a short space of time, it was announced that the Irish Free State government considered it desirable to retain the site of the old barracks at Elizabeth Fort for the erection of a barrack for the civic guards or gardaí.

On 29 August 1929, the new barracks for the Civic Guard, Cork City South District, was opened at Barrack Street. The new building was built at a cost of approximately £11,600.

The Cork Examiner the following day had a write-up that members of the Cork Garda Síochána “entered into possession of their new quarters at Barrack Street”. Thirty gardaí under Inspector O’Brien, were present for the taking-over ceremony. These were paraded by Chief Superintendent O’Carroll and then entered into occupation of the premises. Superintendent McNeill (Cork City South) was also present, and accompanied by Mr Osborne, the architect, and Mr O’Connor, overseer, the Chief Superintendent and Superintendent afterwards made an inspection of the building.

The Cork Examiner further details that the Board of Works some eighteen months previously had entered upon “fitting out the place as a garda barracks” and a contract was entrusted to John Buckley, Grattan Street.

The design of the new buildings, which have survived into the present day, were to the design of JJ Osborne, Board of Works Architect. JJ served as the local architect and Clerk of Works for the Irish Board of Public Works. He was primarily active in the southern region of Ireland, specifically managing civic and state infrastructure in Cork.

He is notable in local histories for testifying in significant civil property damage claims following the Irish War of Independence and the Irish Civil War. JJ Osborne was also responsible for overseeing the construction, maintenance, and structural surveys of critical government properties – such as police barracks, courthouses, custom houses, and military infrastructure – throughout county Cork.

The Cork Examiner on 30 August 1926 details that the stones of the demolished buildings had been utilised by being ground down and used as the concrete aggregate of the newly constructed buildings. The work was carried out entirely in mass concrete and the journalist penning the article writes that in its finished state the buildings presented “a very solidly constructed and splendidly planned building and one that is imposing in a mild degree”. Quarters were provided for two married and two unmarried sergeants at either end of the new buildings. These were in the form of four separate houses, quite finished in both interior and exterior, and these lent “uniformity of design to the entire structure”. In the centre were the main quarters for the gardaí, the upper floor being devoted to dormitories and offices with garda rooms downstairs.

The Cork Examiner article also details the exterior of the buildings and series of steps and walls, which are still present. “A raised embankment ran round the front of the angular building, all entrances being accessed by a series of steps at either side of which heavy concrete capped piers and walls are placed. A rustic concrete kerb, supplied by Mr George Cotter, gives an artistic appearance to the whole exterior. A large square fronting the building makes a commodious parade ground. There are two garages and a cycle shed as out offices.”

Elizabeth Fort is now managed by Cork City Council. It is always well worth a walk across its wall walk to take in views of the city, view its mini exhibition centre and to attend festival and general events there.