A view of the ‘Innisfallen’ docked at the Port of Cork in about 1955. Constructed in 1948 for the British & Irish Steam Packet Company (later known as B&I Line), this was the third ship named ‘Innisfallen’ to serve on the Irish Sea route between Cork and the ports of Fishguard and Swansea in South Wales. The ship was built at William Denny and Brothers Shipbuilders in Dumbarton, Scotland. The ship continued to serve the Port of Cork until 1968 when it was sold to Hellenic Maritime Lines in Greece and renamed ‘Poseidonia’. Following its long years of service, it ended its days at a shipbreakers’ yard in Brindisi, Italy, in 1985.
The front cover of the ‘Irish Travel’ magazine from April 1945. The cover has an image of the quays fronting onto the South Channel of the River Lee in Cork. The magazine was published by the Irish Tourist Association (ITA).
An original copy of ‘Irish War News’, Vol. 1, No. 1 (25 April 1916). This item was published by the republicans occupying the General Post Office in Dublin during the insurrection. Includes ‘Stop Press! The Irish Republic’ on the final page announcing the Rising. This was the only printed document issued by the Rising leaders other than the Proclamation.
An image of two inhabitants of the Aran Islands in about 1940. The title of the print is ‘seanchas’, an old Irish word referring to the act of storytelling and conveying an ancient tale handed down by oral tradition. A ‘seanchaí’ was a storyteller or a custodian of this tradition.
An illustration referring to the pseudonym ‘Ultach’ used by J.J. Campbell for ‘Orange Terror’ article published in ‘The Capuchin Annual’ (1943). The illustration is an adaptation of the story by Aesop of the fox (the Orange Order) attempting to trick the rooster (‘Ultach’) into coming down from his perch. The drawing is probably by the artist Richard King (1907-1974).
This section includes deeds, leases and other documents relating to title to 133-134 Church Street and a yard at the rear of the said properties extending out onto 27 Bow Street. These plots are now partly occupied by the present-day Father Mathew Hall. Many of the documents relate to Fr. Nicholas Murphy’s efforts to secure these properties which enabled the extension of the Church Street Hall. A long-term lease of the properties was obtained in 1886 and the outright purchase of the plot was secured in 1963.
This section includes deeds, leases and other legal documents relating to the title to three houses fronting onto Church Street (nos. 138-140) which subsequently became part of the present-day Capuchin Friary. It was evident that Fr. Nicholas Murphy OSFC (1849-1923) and the other Capuchins friars were eager to purchase these derelict properties with the intention of ‘pulling down the houses’ in order to expand the Friary. In 1886, Fr. Nicholas succeeded in acquiring these plots which later became part of the Friary garden. By 1914, a solicitor reported that all traces of the original buildings and houses had completely disappeared.
This section includes deeds, leases and other related legal documents relating to title for 141 Church Street and properties at the rear thereof known as 1-3 Thunder’s Court. By the late 1880s, St. Mary of the Angels and the adjoining Capuchin Friary had been built, but the lack of any extra ground, apart from the sites on which these buildings stood, remained a great inconvenience. As part of an extension plan, a lease of the aforementioned properties was secured in 1888. This section also includes a lease of a property known as no. 151 Church Street dated 7 Sept. 1920.
