On August 9th, thanks to Tim McCoy (the gentleman I regard as Annie Moore’s protector on the other side of the pond), I was invited to Cork for what amounted to an Annie pilgrimage. Most astonishingly, the Lord Mayor of Cork Michael O’Connell and Lady Mayoress Catherine O’Connell held a reception for me at his office (you can read about it on the Cork City Council site).  The office itself is almost a museum of Cork history and the Lord Mayor presented me a lovely photo book of Cork.  Also in attendance were a number of historians (or their representatives), each of whom gave me signed copies of their books. These included:

  • Fionnuala MacCurtain, author of Remember it’s for Ireland: A Family Memoir of Tomas MacCurtain (she’s also the granddaughter of this Irish patriot)
  • Michael Lenihan, author of Hidden Cork: Chamers, Chancers and Cute Hoors
  • Kieran McCarthy, author of Discover Cork
  • Richard T. Cookes, author of An Irish Family Christmas and The Mardyke: Cork City’s Country Walk in History
  • Gerry White and Brendan O’Shea, editors of A Great Sacrifice: Cork Servicemen Who Died in the Great War

I also had the opportunity to mingle with other notables such as Debbie Walsh, General Manager of the Cobh Heritage Centre, and Jim Daly, Principal of Scoil Oilibhéir, the school whose students (with the help of Tim McCoy) have produced so many wonderful films about Irish history, including From Cork to New York about Annie Moore’s life.  As if that weren’t enough, I was given DVDs of all the Scoil Oilibhéir films (Plaque for Annie, Deportation, First Confession, Tomas MacCurtain: Death of a Lord Mayor, and a Living History Programme with several Cork-related videos). And then Eabha Landers presented me a DVD of her first video, Tunnels in Cork, which I’m looking forward to watching shortly.

Tim was my host for the day and escorted me to St. Patrick’s, the church where Annie Moore was baptized. Much to my delight, I was able to see the baptismal font that would have been used for her christening, and Parish Secretary, Aonghus O’Broin, was kind enough to let me have a look at the actual records. What a genealogical treasure trove! The church has placed some lovely photos of the visit online.

But there was more to come! I received a private tour of the museum portion of the Michael Collins Barracks from Curator Jim Horgan (you must go if you’re ever in Cork!), which is still operational. To top it all off, not only was I taken to the building where Annie’s parents were married, I was also invited to tea by the O’Driscoll family who lives at Annie’s last home (in the shadow of Shandon’s steeple) before her departure to America! It was remarkable to stand in the small room that would have been all that existed of the house at the time she lived there, and I’m grateful that this important piece of her heritage is in such good hands.

It was a day that will live on in my memory for many years to come, and I’m extremely grateful to all who greeted me so warmly — none less so than Tim, of course, but thank you to all the welcoming people of Cork! I look forward to my next visit to your fair city. Until then, the following photos will at least preserve recollections of this one.

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