City’s tribute to martyred lords mayor

A CITY’S martyred lords mayor were remembered last night in the first of a series of civic events marking the 90th anniversary of their deaths.

Before the regular meeting of Cork City Council, the current Lord Mayor Cllr Michael O’Connell read extracts from the archived minutes of Corporation meetings from 1920 – the year when Tomás MacCurtain and Terence MacSwiney were elected lord mayor of the city.

MacCurtain, who was elected lord mayor in January 1920, was shot dead by members of the Royal Irish Constabulary at his home in Blackpool on March 20, his 36th birthday. His successor, MacSwiney died in Brixton prison in England after 74 days on hunger strike.

“As a successor to MacCurtain and MacSwiney, I am both humbled and honoured to read the historic minutes of corporation meetings from the time, to symbolically launch the week of civic commemoration to mark the 90th anniversary of the deaths of both great patriots,” Cllr O’Connell said.

“By the end of 1920, both lord mayors had given their lives to the nation’s struggle for independence.

“The tumultuous events of the year were ultimately to turn international opinion in support for that struggle for independence.”

Fionnuala MacCurtain, a grand-daughter of the patriot, said she and her mother, Mai, who was married to the lord mayor’s only son, Tomás, hope the public will come to see the exhibition in Millennium Hall, at City Hall. “It is great to see both men remembered for the contribution they made,” she said.

“Because of the manner of his murder, my grandfather’s death often overshadows his life. This exhibition will bring more of his life and work to light.”

A public exhibition, the first in the Cork 1920: Enduring The Most programme of civic events, will be formally launched in City Hall this morning. It will run for four days.

Other events during the week include talks by historians, and a Mass celebrated by Bishop John Buckley at 10.30am on Sunday at the North Cathedral, from where MacSwiney and MacCurtain were buried.

- Details of the programme are available at www.corkcity.ie/enduringthemost