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When the fires stopped, the people of Cork were left sifting through the rubble, many left homeless, thousands out of work, and all counting the cost of the fires started by British forces.
That was the state of affairs described by The Irish Times correspondent in the days following the burning of Cork on the night of December 11-12, 1920.
That night, 100 years ago, British forces looted and burned buildings, leaving large portions of Cork city center, including much of Patrick Street, destroyed. The chaos followed an IRA ambush of a group of auxiliaries at Dillon’s Cross earlier that day, which left one dead and others injured.
However, immediately after the fires, British forces personnel were not officially blamed. In some sectors, the opposite happened.
Hamar Greenwood, Ireland’s chief secretary, blamed the Crown forces off the feet when he spoke in parliament: “There is some evidence that they were started by firebombs,” he said, according to an Irish Times report on the 14th. . “There are incendiary bombs in the possession of Sinn Féiners and we seize them every week.” The fires, he said, were not related to the Dillon’s Cross ambush.
Greenwood said the firefighters ‘work was aided by police and soldiers, who managed the crowds, denying allegations that the firefighters’ efforts were sabotaged by British forces: “There is no evidence that hoses were cut or that the Crown forces are responsible for these outrages at all. “His opinion on the events -” he personally did not believe that the Crown forces did “- would be strongly opposed. One member asked the obvious: why would the “Sinn Féiners” burn your property?
The cover of The Weekly Irish Times, December 18, 1920
But while Greenwood tried to cast doubt on Cork’s damning reports amid calls for a full investigation, the people of the city faced destruction. “Things in Cork are quiet today and citizens are watching with some concern the loss and damage caused by the terrible events of Saturday night,” began a report from the city, dated December 15, entitled: The position in Cork – Unemployment caused by fires.
“Today citizens began to realize more fully the misfortune that had befallen them and everywhere there were strong expressions of opinion about the seriousness of the current situation,” reads the report, which estimates that some 2,000 people had become unemployed : “These people, fortunately, did not live in the stores where they worked. His condition is serious. Now they are without a livelihood. “
‘Walking around the city’
Some companies were able to temporarily settle and continue operating, but space was tight and, as a consequence, “hundreds of employees [were] Walking around the city “.
When the report was released, a large clean-up operation was resumed and was making progress: “Today (Tuesday, December 14) large crowds again inspected the scenes of the Saturday night ravages. Debris clearance work continued and remarkable progress was made with the result that it was possible to operate a full tram service throughout the city and suburbs.
“The sidewalks along the roads surrounding the dilapidated buildings were cleared of falling brick, masonry and such material, and pedestrian and traffic resumed on those roads. A large number of people dedicated themselves to saving books and documents from safes that had remained intact within the ruins. “
The burning of Cork on December 11, 1920. Photo courtesy of the National Library of Ireland
Fire brigades from other counties had arrived to fight the blaze, but at the time of the reporter’s dispatch, the flames died down and his contribution was no longer needed, and “during the afternoon firefighters from Dublin and Limerick were able to return to their respective cities ”. Cork residents gave the Dublin Brigade, under Captain Myers, what was described as a “cordial farewell”.
“The crowd at the Victoria Hotel was exceedingly large, made up mostly of young men and women who are now unemployed, and as the brigade made its way to the station, the hearty cheers testified to how people felt about what they had firefighters. accomplished.”
The firefighters had barely reached St Patrick’s Bridge on the way to the station when this part of the story crossed another: the funeral of Jeremiah Delaney, who had been killed by British forces early Sunday morning at his home in Dublin. Hill. , on the north side of the city. Jeremiah and his brother, Cornelius, both members of the IRA, were shot. Jeremiah died instantly and his brother died six days later.
“The remains, which were transferred for internment in the Republican plot at St. Finbar Cemetery, were followed by an excessively large number of supporters. The authorities did not impose any limitation as in previous cases on the number of mourners and no military attended the funeral. The coffin was wrapped in the colors of Sinn Féin and the crowd marched into two depths. “
Military presence
While the mourners who attended Jeremiah Delaney’s funeral were not accompanied by soldiers, Irish Times reports noted a heavy military presence in other parts of the city.
A warning, issued by Brigadier General HW Higginson on the same night, said that “in view of the events in the city, notice and warning is given that any person seen to be committing or assisting or inciting the commission of any of the following crimes: arson, destruction of property of any kind, and looting – will be targeted. Orders have been issued to this effect to the troops and forces of the Crown under my command.
The report noted an increased police presence on the streets and horror among residents at the events of the weekend. “Today there was much more military and police activity evidenced,” says the report.
“The stories about the events of Saturday and Sunday morning vary greatly, but, however much they differ, they all agree that the scenes were of a terrifying character. The looting that occurred was on a colossal scale, but that particular item has been subdued, and now things can be described as normal. “
To read more of the original reports after the cork burning, 1920, Click here.
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