Cork honours contribution of 2 heroic mayors

WREATHS were laid on the graves of a city’s two martyred lord mayors yesterday to mark their immense contribution to the Irish state.

Cork lord mayor councillor Brian Bermingham laid a commemorative wreath on the graves of former lord mayors Terence McSwiney and Tomás MacCurtain during a special ceremony at St Finbarr’s Cemetery.

He had earlier attended a special Mass at nearby St Joseph’s Church in Wilton with several city councillors wearing their ceremonial robes.

They then proceeded to the Republican plot in St Finbarr’s Cemetery where a colour party of the 34th Reserve Infantry Battalion and a trumpeter from the Band of the 1st Southern Brigade, were waiting.

“I felt it was important, both as first citizen and as someone who is honoured to wear the chain worn with pride by both of my predecessors, that we mark in a significant and solemn way our appreciation of their contribution to Ireland, and specifically to the people of Cork,” said Mr Bermingham.

“The deaths of MacCurtain and MacSwiney at such a critical time in our history were tragic.

“Had they lived there is no doubt they would have both played key roles in local and national politics, and the evolution of our state is the poorer for the fact that they were denied the opportunity to make this contribution.”

Tomás MacCurtain became the first Republican to be elected lord mayor of Cork on January 31, 1920.

His term was brutally cut short when members of the RIC burst into his house in Blackpool on March 20 and shot him dead.

The murder outraged public opinion and brought near universal condemnation.

Terence McSwiney was elected to replace him as lord mayor on March 20.

On August 12 he was arrested in Dublin for possession of “seditious articles and documents”, and possession of a cipher key. He was tried by court martial four days later and sentenced to two years’ imprisonment in Brixton Prison in England.

He immediately went on hunger strike and died 74 days later.

The hunger strike gained world attention and his death focused world attention on Ireland’s struggle for independence.

The British government was threatened with a boycott of British goods by Americans, while four countries in South America appealed to the Pope to intervene.

Protests were held in Germany and France as well. His body was returned to Ireland for burial and his funeral on November 1 attracted huge crowds.