Making an Irish Free State City – Constructing Capwell Road housing
Across the autumnal months of 1926, there are a number of references in Cork newspapers to the construction of the Capwell Housing Scheme in Turners Cross. It was funded through the deviation of funding away from reconstructing Cork City Hall by Commissioner Philip Monahan.
The scheme was a large and ambitious housing project. Since 1916, 146 houses were built in Cork, and 2,300 houses were deemed required to deal with slums and to accommodate population growth.
From a social housing perspective in March 1925, Commissioner Philip Monahan pitched that he would invest £70,000 for the provision of 200 houses in Turners Cross. He also put down his marker that he was to build efficiency in the local public sector. Indeed, Cork with the threat of using direct labour, he pursued an agenda to reduce the wage of Corporation workers to 4s. 6d. per week.
Cork City Council archives reveal that by the summer of 1925, property was acquired by Cork Corporation in what was to become known as the Capwell Project by deed of transfer from Richard Morgan.
By Christmas of 1925, 20 men were employed on relief work for 2-3 weeks clearing the site, preparatory to the actual building. By 16 February 1926, 17 men were recruited from the labour exchange and engaged to lay down sewers and putting down a new road – a loop road off a central main road with both roads to be laid in concrete. By March 1925, the labourer figure had risen to 75.
On 16 April 1926, a public notice in the Cork Examiner detailed a notice to contractors that Commissioner Philip Monahan was inviting tenders for the construction of 158 houses, in one or several lots, at the Capwell Housing Site in accordance with the plans and specifications prepared by Messrs. Chillingworth. Worth and Levie, Architects, 11 South Mall, The drawings and specifications could be inspected at the South Mall offices. The closing date for tenders was 14 May 1926.
Fourteen houses were chosen to be built by the Cork Builders Workers Guild at a cost of £6,548 14s 17d. Messrs. Meagher and Hayes were chosen to build 144 houses at a cost of £62, 036 27s 4d. The Meagher and Hayes company, based in Drinan Street headed up one of the country’s largest building firms employing 1,600 in Cork and Dublin, and active into the 1950s.
By 24 June 1926 the central road of the Capwell project was more or less complete. A published city engineer’s report on 13 May 1926 outlines that orders for best screened gravel had placed with Hannah Murphy, Ballyvolane. Mrs Murphy offered to supply the gravel for work in Spring Lane at 5s per load owing to the work being in close proximity to her gravel pits, and for other works throughout the city, including Capwell housing at 6s per load delivered. She undertook to supply at this price owing to the quantity required.
By September 1926 the Cork Examiner minutes a Cork Corporation housing report on Capwell and in particular the laying of foundations.
“The foundations for the following houses have been laid; Nos. 5, 6, 40, 46, 47, 49, 50, 51 and 52. Tho following houses have been raised to the damp proof course: Nos. 10, 11, 22, 26, 46, and 47. The filling to foundations and raising to damp proof course was the main work carried out during the week The bitumen dump proof course has been laid and three blocks of houses commenced. Good progress has been made during the week, and with good weather and the same rate of progress the foundations should be laid in three weeks.”
Philip Monahan commented in the Cork Examiner on 16 November 1927 on the layout of Capwell Road – that building long straight rows or terraces would mean a little saving in the original expense of erection. The lay-out costs could also be somewhat further reduced by limiting the size of the gardens, a restriction which in building layouts at that time was not desirable. Every house built by the Corporation under their previous schemes had at least half a rood of garden attached. The Capwell project provided limited garden space.
By 25 February 1928 the housing scheme had been fully built with a reduction of 10 houses. The completed housing project comprised 148 houses of short terraces of four houses set at 16 houses per acre.
The homes were mainly four-roomed. A sum of £14,000 was deposited in a bank from the hire purchase agreement on 65 of the Capwell houses. Such occupiers are listed in a document in the Cork City and County Archives.
By April 1928, the 148 houses were ready for occupation by tenants. Whereas 65 of the 148 houses could be attained on hire purchase, the remainder comprised social housing tenants paying rents to the Corporation.
During the construction of Capwell Housing, on 19 March 1926, further property for housing was acquired from Abina Hyde in Turners Cross in a deed of transfer to Cork Corporation. In late September 1926, during a luncheon of Cork Rotary Club, Philip Monahan proposed to raise a loan of £100,000 for a further 200 houses in Turners Cross.
A Cork Examiner editorial on 16 November 1927 also noted of the further Turners Cross housing scheme: “A further scheme of 115 houses at Evergreen and Curragh Road is definitely contemplated and is expected to be soon undertaken. The average rents of these houses, Mr Monahan intimated, would be from 11s to 12s per week, and this rent would apply to the cheapest class of dwelling house, with four or five rooms, and built in twos and threes.”
Upcoming Walking Tour
Saturday 10 October: Histories and Songs, The Shandon Tour. Meet at 11am at St Anne’s Church, Shandon, in association with the Cork Folk Festival, Free, two hours. A walking tour as well as songs with Cllr Kieran McCarthy, John Murphy, songwriter and members of the Cork Singer’s Club.