Scott or Casement?

[fullastern]

One thing I've noticed in Cobh is the way that some old street names seem to live on. The two squares for instance were renamed around the same time as Queenstown became Cobh in 1920 but some people still refer to Casement Square as Scott's Square - it's even mentioned in this weeks Inside Cobh as Scott's (article on tidy towns). Pearse Square was of course previously known as King's Square and let to King Street, long since renamed O'Rahilly Street. Yet I met someone the other day who told me he lives in King Street!

Then there's the Promenade and Kennedy Park - which is it? I recently saw an old photo of it entitled "The Esplanade". Then you have Kennedy Quay, aka the West Camber, aka the Pier Head.

Confusing to a blow-in like me!

[Ned Kelly]

Never heard of casements square referred to as scotts square and the other ones you have mentioned Fulla, Pearse square has always been Pearse square in my lifetime, I seem to remember O'rahilly street once called called king street, the promenade has always been the promenade and the pier head has always been the pier head. But then again i left the aul homeplace 33 years ago and things have probably changed!

[fullastern]

Thanks for that Ned. Incidentally I forgot to mention the fact that Casement Square has two different name plaques. On one side near the old boarded up shop (I think it was Geasley's at one time) there's a plaque that says Roger Casement Square in English and Irish - across the road (over the Mauretania (Rotunda) Bar) is a plaque that says "Scott's Square". Apparently the Scotts were big landowners in the area and of course owned Scott's Shipping, still going today and one-time agents for White Star Line.

[Kieran]

The Pier-Head was always called the Admiralty Pier up until Partition. The start of the pier by the Cove-Cabs hut, is where the car pulled up to shoot those soldiers in 1924 John. By the way, your cous Jim Donovan called on me yesterday with that photo. As I suspected, the 5th man was Peter O'Shea, of wait for it -Kings Street Cobh. The photo wasnt the best quality but the magnifying glass shows it. Also Mick Burkes papers shows two O'Shea brothers for Kings Street in the Cobh company for 1921, one with the initial P. The Scotts Square litter report was obviously based on the judges noting the nearest street sign before them. You are right, theres two signs on that square. Two local men objected to the towns change of name in 1920. One was a Scott (had a family interest in preserving the Kings interest) while the other was Barrister Healy of the Nationalist Party who didnt like the way Sinn Fein railroaded through the new name without Consulting the towns people. Healy was a strange one, he had defended many Republicans, had been a friend of O'Donovan Rossa, gave a rifle to Seamus Fitzgerald for the Volunteers to train with, but was a Redmondite supporter. His Daughter Nuala Kilcullen would have tought you in school Ned, in the old Tech. She died in Kerry but was buried at Ballymore in 99 I think. I was among those to shoulder her tri-colour draped coffin. The flag was that used to bury Mick Burke 30 years earlier!

[fullastern]

That's a fascinating insight Kieran - you're a mine of information. Any news on when the Robert Forde memorial is going up? Interesting article about him in this year's Holly Bough by Tom McSweeney. He's buried in the Old Church Cemetery (which also has two names, aka Clonmel) along with lots of other local luminaries.

In fact for its size that cemetery has an amazing number of famous graves. I've been to the famous Pere Lachaise cemetery in Paris where people like Oscar Wilde, Victor Hugo, Jim Morrison and many other famous people are buried but that is an enormous cemetery - but Cobh has them packed in tightly. I brought two American friends up there recently and they were really fascinated with the place.

[Kieran]

The Council has agreed to donate a site for the Memorial, and probably will help financially too. Its up to the committee now. I think the ONE have a role there. I know Johhny Hennessy has been in talks with the Town Clerk but i have no idea who is actually designing the monument. On the Ol-church cemetry' You are right, its a haven of history. The good news is that, the council -Cobh tourism and Ecad are currently renovating the Gate Lodge. Its hope that it will eventually act as an interpreting centre for visitors!