Passage West Town Commissioners
TitlePassage West Town Commissioners
ReferenceIE 627/PWTC
Date
1920-1986 (1910-1994)
Production date 1910 - 1994
Scope and ContentThe records consist of minutes, registers, accounts, correspondence, files, and some maps.
The most important documents which have survived to the present day are the minutes of monthly meetings of the elected town representatives, meeting over the years either as a full Urban District Council or as a scaled-down Town Commission. The minutes record the discussions and resolutions of the representatives as they undertook the responsibility of running the town’s services.
The very first set of surviving minutes start in July of 1920, and they cover the turbulent period of the War of Independence and the Civil War, and the transfer of power to the Free State (PWTC/1) For example, on 7 September 1920 the U.D.C. responded to the hunger strike campaign of the Lord Mayor of Cork, Terence McSwiney, in Brixton Gaol, London, with the resolution, “... that we tender to the Lord Mayoress an expression of our deep and respectful admiration of the noble and heroic battle which the Lord Mayor [is]… fighting on behalf of Ireland.” An historically significant entry from this period is that of 25 November 1921, when we find a ‘cordial welcome’ extended to the Chairman Mr. H.J. O’Mahony and to Mr. Spillane ‘the former on his escape, and the latter on his release from internment’ The Commissioners then unanimously resolved to pledge full allegiance to Dáil Éireann, “the Supreme Lawful Authority in Ireland, and direct that in future all minutes etc. of the Commissioners be sent to the Local Government Department of Dáil Éireann”. From this time the Town Commission operated under the embryonic independent Irish State.
From the minutes we can see that the Civil War period was lamented in the Passage area as it was everywhere else in the country. On 2 January 1923, a resolution from Cork Rural District Council was adopted by the Commissioners ‘that we take steps by every means in our power to stop this unnatural warfare, which is degrading the name of Ireland…” On 30 October 1923 a special meeting was called in “exceptional circumstances” where resolutions forwarded by Macroom RDC and by Limerick City Corporation were read to those present. We are told by the minutes that a ‘friendly discussion’ took place regarding the ‘prisoners on hunger strike’ (possibly referring to captured leaders of the irregular forces in Dublin). A unanimous resolution was passed to ‘request the government to release immediately and unconditionally all political prisoners as we honestly believe such actions on the part of government will promote peace and prosperity in our country’. The minutes record that that copies of this resolution were sent to the Governor General, to the President of the Executive Council (later, An Taoiseach) Mr. Cosgrave, to the Minister for Defence and to the T.D.s of the constituency.
One of the notable changes in Passage West after 1924, when Saorstát Éireann had returned to the normal business of running a country following the trauma of civil war, was the ‘urbanisation’ of the district. The area was to be designated as an Urban District presided over by an Urban District Council, which had more extensive powers to control certain matters in the area than that of a Town Commission.
The collection of local tax in the form of property rates was the responsibility of the U.D.C., and this seems to have absorbed much time and effort. The Finance Sub-committee minutes of 4 April 1924 record that ‘some residents occupying large houses had not yet paid their rates…’ Mr. Cotter, a rates collector, was present at the meeting and explained to the U.D.C. that amongst other reasons, ‘…the want of employment in Passage had operated very much against him…’
A problem with rates collection and finance continued through the 1920’s and 1930’s and it may to have been a stimulus for the de-urbanisation order by the Minister for Local Government in 1942. This re-established the Town Commission and transferred many functions to Cork County Council, relieving the town’s representatives and officials of many financial headaches but also resulting in the loss of some of their decision making powers.
For the Emergency period 1940-1945 there are a few notable entries in the minutes. At a meeting in September 1940, it was suggested to convert the disused Passage and Blackrock Railway tunnel at Glenbrook for use as an air raid shelter. (This was referred to the County Council.) In May 1942 the Local Security Force received fire brigade equipment, perhaps reflecting concerns that Cork Harbour might be subject to an aerial bombardment or become a target in an invasion by sea. The town occupies a strategic point in Cork Harbour, with downstream port facilities and road access to Cork City. The key position of the town had been illustrated dramatically during the Civil War when the National Army came ashore at Passage West, en route to attack Irregular forces at their strongholds in the city.
The records also document some of the social and economic problems common in the early 20th century. On many occasions we find entries recording the concern of officials and elected representatives and others regarding the living conditions of some of the poorer inhabitants of the area, variously overcrowding, unemployment, disease, inadequate sanitation or poor water supplies.
The Town Commission and Cork County Council made major remedial efforts over the years and many of these problems were reduced, despite an ever-present lack of financial resources. The investment in local services and infrastructure was secured with loans and other monies for projects such as the development of water supplies, labourers’ cottages, sewers, urban housing schemes, and the technical school.
Housing provision seems to have been a major priority, and many houses were built or improved and eventually sold to their occupiers under tenant purchase schemes.
Despite this work, there were always individual instances when there was little that a town government could do. In April 1942 the minutes record the sad case of a child living in a local authority house who had died of advanced Tuberculosis. A sanitary officer received complaints from neighbours of the child that the house in question had not been disinfected. The house was empty, but the new applicants for tenancy were afraid to proceed. The Town Clerk immediately ordered disinfecting of the house with formaldehyde. Events such as this were not uncommon in this country until TB became curable.
In more recent decades the matters which occupied the attention of the town’s representatives included involvement with Cork County Council and with Cork Corporation (now Cork City Council) on matters affecting the locality, the role of the area in county or city development plans, the siting of the fertiliser plant across the river Lee, the employment situation in the area, the development of educational facilities, industrial development, the need for investment in amenities and leisure facilities, tidy towns competitions, management of property, efforts to improve the upkeep of roads and footpaths, buildings and the general environment.
Apart from the minutes of meetings, other records that survive include correspondence with various local and national organisations, financial accounts and other material relating to the administration of housing schemes, planning, property, maintenance of roads and other infrastructure.
The most important documents which have survived to the present day are the minutes of monthly meetings of the elected town representatives, meeting over the years either as a full Urban District Council or as a scaled-down Town Commission. The minutes record the discussions and resolutions of the representatives as they undertook the responsibility of running the town’s services.
The very first set of surviving minutes start in July of 1920, and they cover the turbulent period of the War of Independence and the Civil War, and the transfer of power to the Free State (PWTC/1) For example, on 7 September 1920 the U.D.C. responded to the hunger strike campaign of the Lord Mayor of Cork, Terence McSwiney, in Brixton Gaol, London, with the resolution, “... that we tender to the Lord Mayoress an expression of our deep and respectful admiration of the noble and heroic battle which the Lord Mayor [is]… fighting on behalf of Ireland.” An historically significant entry from this period is that of 25 November 1921, when we find a ‘cordial welcome’ extended to the Chairman Mr. H.J. O’Mahony and to Mr. Spillane ‘the former on his escape, and the latter on his release from internment’ The Commissioners then unanimously resolved to pledge full allegiance to Dáil Éireann, “the Supreme Lawful Authority in Ireland, and direct that in future all minutes etc. of the Commissioners be sent to the Local Government Department of Dáil Éireann”. From this time the Town Commission operated under the embryonic independent Irish State.
From the minutes we can see that the Civil War period was lamented in the Passage area as it was everywhere else in the country. On 2 January 1923, a resolution from Cork Rural District Council was adopted by the Commissioners ‘that we take steps by every means in our power to stop this unnatural warfare, which is degrading the name of Ireland…” On 30 October 1923 a special meeting was called in “exceptional circumstances” where resolutions forwarded by Macroom RDC and by Limerick City Corporation were read to those present. We are told by the minutes that a ‘friendly discussion’ took place regarding the ‘prisoners on hunger strike’ (possibly referring to captured leaders of the irregular forces in Dublin). A unanimous resolution was passed to ‘request the government to release immediately and unconditionally all political prisoners as we honestly believe such actions on the part of government will promote peace and prosperity in our country’. The minutes record that that copies of this resolution were sent to the Governor General, to the President of the Executive Council (later, An Taoiseach) Mr. Cosgrave, to the Minister for Defence and to the T.D.s of the constituency.
One of the notable changes in Passage West after 1924, when Saorstát Éireann had returned to the normal business of running a country following the trauma of civil war, was the ‘urbanisation’ of the district. The area was to be designated as an Urban District presided over by an Urban District Council, which had more extensive powers to control certain matters in the area than that of a Town Commission.
The collection of local tax in the form of property rates was the responsibility of the U.D.C., and this seems to have absorbed much time and effort. The Finance Sub-committee minutes of 4 April 1924 record that ‘some residents occupying large houses had not yet paid their rates…’ Mr. Cotter, a rates collector, was present at the meeting and explained to the U.D.C. that amongst other reasons, ‘…the want of employment in Passage had operated very much against him…’
A problem with rates collection and finance continued through the 1920’s and 1930’s and it may to have been a stimulus for the de-urbanisation order by the Minister for Local Government in 1942. This re-established the Town Commission and transferred many functions to Cork County Council, relieving the town’s representatives and officials of many financial headaches but also resulting in the loss of some of their decision making powers.
For the Emergency period 1940-1945 there are a few notable entries in the minutes. At a meeting in September 1940, it was suggested to convert the disused Passage and Blackrock Railway tunnel at Glenbrook for use as an air raid shelter. (This was referred to the County Council.) In May 1942 the Local Security Force received fire brigade equipment, perhaps reflecting concerns that Cork Harbour might be subject to an aerial bombardment or become a target in an invasion by sea. The town occupies a strategic point in Cork Harbour, with downstream port facilities and road access to Cork City. The key position of the town had been illustrated dramatically during the Civil War when the National Army came ashore at Passage West, en route to attack Irregular forces at their strongholds in the city.
The records also document some of the social and economic problems common in the early 20th century. On many occasions we find entries recording the concern of officials and elected representatives and others regarding the living conditions of some of the poorer inhabitants of the area, variously overcrowding, unemployment, disease, inadequate sanitation or poor water supplies.
The Town Commission and Cork County Council made major remedial efforts over the years and many of these problems were reduced, despite an ever-present lack of financial resources. The investment in local services and infrastructure was secured with loans and other monies for projects such as the development of water supplies, labourers’ cottages, sewers, urban housing schemes, and the technical school.
Housing provision seems to have been a major priority, and many houses were built or improved and eventually sold to their occupiers under tenant purchase schemes.
Despite this work, there were always individual instances when there was little that a town government could do. In April 1942 the minutes record the sad case of a child living in a local authority house who had died of advanced Tuberculosis. A sanitary officer received complaints from neighbours of the child that the house in question had not been disinfected. The house was empty, but the new applicants for tenancy were afraid to proceed. The Town Clerk immediately ordered disinfecting of the house with formaldehyde. Events such as this were not uncommon in this country until TB became curable.
In more recent decades the matters which occupied the attention of the town’s representatives included involvement with Cork County Council and with Cork Corporation (now Cork City Council) on matters affecting the locality, the role of the area in county or city development plans, the siting of the fertiliser plant across the river Lee, the employment situation in the area, the development of educational facilities, industrial development, the need for investment in amenities and leisure facilities, tidy towns competitions, management of property, efforts to improve the upkeep of roads and footpaths, buildings and the general environment.
Apart from the minutes of meetings, other records that survive include correspondence with various local and national organisations, financial accounts and other material relating to the administration of housing schemes, planning, property, maintenance of roads and other infrastructure.
Extent53 items (consisting of 9 boxes, 1 map folder, 1 roll of maps, plans and drawings)
AccessHard copies: Accessible to Readers by appointment. Access restrictions apply to some collections. Digital object/copy: see Download Media and/or Digital Reference
RightsLicensing information available on request by email to archivist@corkcity.ie Copyright Cork City and County Archives, Cork City Council, unless otherwise indicated. All Rights Reserved.
Levelfonds
Closed until2024
RepositoryCork City and County Archives
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