Primary school students shine with podcast on very rare Cork republican silverware

It is estimated that only 80 pieces were marked with the so-called republican stamp which was only used from July to September 1922

Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Deirdre Forde, at the official launch of a podcast on Republican Cork Silver that was produced by last year's fifth class pupils of Scoil Oilibhéir, Ballyvolane. The podcast is listed in the top 100 educational podcast chart. Picture: David Creedon

Meet the young students whose podcast has brought the remarkable story of Cork republican silverware to life.

Written and narrated by last year’s fifth class pupils of Scoil Oilibhéir on the northside of Cork city, Cork Republican Silverware tells the full story of how just a handful of these remarkable craft pieces were ever made during the Irish Civil War period. 

They are a collector’s dream, with individual pieces rarely appearing at auction, and selling for five-figure sums when they do. Some have found their way into the British royal family’s collection.

The students' 15-minute podcast takes listeners back to the burning of Cork in December 1920, which gutted the premises of renowned Irish silversmiths, William Egan and Sons, at 32 St Patrick’s St.

Its managing director, Barry Egan, a third-generation jeweller and a republican deputy mayor of the city, was determined to keep his business going and his 60 skilled staff in jobs.

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But because Cork was held by anti-Treaty forces for the summer of 1922, who sealed it off from trade with the rest of the country, Egan couldn’t get his silverware to the Assay office in Dublin for hallmarking.

So he devised his own hallmark of three separate markers - one depicting a two-masted, left-facing ship, one depicting a single-towered castle which was stamped onto the silverware either side of the ship, and another depicting the maker’s mark, ‘WE’.

This so-called republican stamp was only used from July to September 1922 and once silver could be sent again to Dublin, the Egan markers were destroyed. It is estimated that only 80 pieces were marked with these markers, making Cork republican silverware very rare, and a collector’s item.

One of the students, Isobel Kelly, said: “We wanted to bring history to life. We wanted to do something new and this story captured our imaginations." Picture: David Creedon

The podcast was launched by Lord Mayor Deirdre Forde during a visit to the school on Monday. One of the students, Isobel Kelly, said: “We wanted to bring history to life. We wanted to do something new and this story captured our imaginations."

Her classmate Emma Matley thanked Elaine Smith for helping to produce the podcast and Jim Rock for the artwork while Jamie Warren thanked Cork City Council for helping to fund the podcast.

“We hope that we have left a permanent resource,” he said.

The podcast has been downloaded in Ireland, Britain, Spain, Belgium, Germany, the USA, Canada, and Australia, and is listed in the top 100 educational podcast chart. You can listen to it on Spotify, Acast and iTunes.