Lord Mayor defends tradition of giving schools half-day for visit

CORK’S Lord Mayor defended the city’s tradition of giving pupils a half-day from school as he began five weeks of school visits yesterday.

Councillor Seán Martin said the 84-year-old tradition, which commemorates the sacrifice of former Lord Mayors Terence McSwiney and Tomás MacCurtain, should be upheld.

Cork is the only city in the country to honour the first citizen’s school visits with a half-day.