The Burning of Cork City Centre
Introduction from Chronology
In retaliation for an IRA attack on a lorry load of Auxiliaries at
Dillion's Cross in Cork City (which resulted in the death of Auxiliary Cadet
Spencer Chapman and the wounding of eleven more), Black and Tans and
Auxiliaries burn substantial parts of Cork city centre – over 60 shops are
burned and looted including two department stores. The City Hall and Carnegie Public Library are
also destroyed.
The Auxiliaries also kill two IRA men who were brothers (Cornelius &
Jeremiah Delaney) in their beds and shoot five other people, including two
firefighters. The Delaney brothers were
members of the 1st Battalion, Cork No. 1 Brigade
More Detail
Damages run to over £3,000,000 and 1500 to 2000 people were put out of
work.
In the British House of Commons on December 13th, Greenwood
denied any involvement by Crown Forces in the burning of the centre of Cork
City. (Even at the time, this was considered unbelievable. His credibility was
even further dented when he claims that City Hall was destroyed by flames on
Patrick St – despite there being quarter of a mile and a river in between them. According to Pakenham “he was expecting the
fire to travel a quarter of a mile without touching a house in any of the
intervening streets, and jump the River Lee”.)
Auxiliaries shot at and wounded firemen who were trying to put out the
fires which the Auxiliaries had started.
One of the key findings to emerge afterwards was that the Auxiliaries
had made preparations for some time beforehand by storing quantities of
materials which could be used in a large arson attack.
A report by the BA’s General Strickland lays the blame firmly at the
feet of the Auxiliaries but this report is suppressed. (This report is discussed at the British
cabinet conference on December 29th - see Kautt
(2014), pg 234.) A subsequent report
by Tudor shifted the blame away from the RIC.
After the burning of Cork City, some Auxiliaries take to wearing pieces
of half-burnt cork in their hats.
The Irish Labour Party/Trades Union Council carry out their own
investigation and interview more than 70 eye-witnesses – they publish their
report in 1921 as Who Burnt Cork City?
A Tale of Arson, Loot and Murder: The Evidence of
Over Seventy Witnesses.
Michael Lenihan has produced a richly
illustrated history of the burning of Cork – see Lenihan
(2018). Gerry White and Brendan O’Shea
have written a detailed account of the burning of Cork and the period leading
up to it – see White and O’Shea (2006). Finally, there is a detailed map of the
huge level of destruction in Cork City on pages 382-383 of the Atlas of the Irish Revolution (2017).
Cadet Chapman was from Westcliffe-on-Sea in England.