Patriot Lords Mayor Tomás Mac Curtain and Terence MacSwiney to be added to Roll of Honorary Citizens of Cork City
Pictured above: Tomás Mac Curtain and Terence MacSwiney
On Friday 11th June, 2021 at 3.00 p.m. the Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr. Joe Kavanagh, will host a Special Ceremony online to add the names of Tomás Mac Curtain and Terence MacSwiney to the Roll of Honorary Citizens of Cork City.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, a traditional special ceremony in City Hall could not take place, so the ceremony will be broadcast at 3.00 p.m. on Cork City Council’s YouTube channel.
On the 12th October, 2020 on the proposal of the Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr. Joe Kavanagh, with unanimous support of An Chomhairle, it was approved to add the names of Tomás MacCurtain and Terence MacSwiney to the Roll of Honorary Citizens of Cork City.
The Lord Mayor said:
“I wish to acknowledge and commend my fellow Elected Members for their unanimous support at our meeting of An Chomhairle of 12th October, 2020 to add both patriot Lords Mayor to the Roll of Honorary Citizens of Cork City. I am privileged as Lord Mayor of Cork, being a successor in office to both Tomás and Terence, who both gave their lives for Cork and Ireland, to a cause they believed in.
In my role as Lord Mayor of Cork, one of the elements that impressed me most over the past 12 months, was the interest and pride that the people of Cork have in the legacy of former Lord Mayor MacCurtain and Lord Mayor MacSwiney. It is appropriate that we enshrine the principles and values of the men and women who played their part in the events of that era and reflect the pride in Cork and its people and the roles they played in the events of the commemoration period.”
About Lord Mayor Tomás Mac Curtáin
That the name of Lord Mayor Tomás Mac Curtáin be added to the Roll of Honorary Citizens of Cork City in recognition of his unique contribution to the military and political aspects of Ireland’s War of Independence and to the social fabric of this city. Tomás Mac Curtáin’s contribution to the cause of Irish freedom began long before his election as Lord Mayor in 1920. A founding member and commanding officer of Cork No.1 Brigade of Óglaigh na hÉireann, a cultural nationalist and politician, Tomás Mac Curtáin gave a lifetime of service to the people of Cork.
His commitment to the cause of an independent Ireland and the esteem in which he was held by the members of Cork Corporation and the people of the city led him to be elected the first Republican Lord Mayor of Cork on 30 January 1920. When Tomás Mac Curtáin was shot dead in his home on 20 March 1920, his status as the democratically elected First Citizen of this city ensured that his death was reported around the world, drawing attention to the conflict that was then taking place in Ireland.
For these and many other reasons, in the centenary of the turbulent year of 1920 and as part of Cork City Council’s Commemoration Programme, the Lord Mayor and Councillors of the City of Cork consider him worthy to be enrolled in the Roll of Honorary Citizens and so direct.
About Lord Mayor Terence MacSwiney
That the name of Lord Mayor Terence MacSwiney be added to the Roll of Honorary Citizens of Cork City in recognition of his unique contribution to the military and political aspects of Ireland’s War of Independence. Terence MacSwineys contribution to the cause of Irish freedom began long before his election as Lord Mayor in 1920.
A founding member and commanding officer of Cork No.1 Brigade of Óglaigh na hÉireann, a cultural nationalist, playwright and politician, Terence MacSwiney gave a lifetime of service to the people of Cork. His commitment to the cause of an independent Ireland and the esteem in which he was held by the members of Cork Corporation and the people of the city led him to be elected Lord Mayor of Cork on 30 March 1920.
When Terence MacSwiney died on 25 October 1920, after seventy-four days on hunger strike, his status as the democratically elected First Citizen of this city, ensured that his death was reported around the world, drawing attention to the conflict that was then taking place in Ireland. For these and many other reasons, in the centenary of the turbulent year of 1920 and as part of Cork City Council’s Commemoration Programme, the Lord Mayor and Councillors of the City of Cork consider him worthy to be enrolled in the Roll of Honorary Citizens and so direct.
