North Mon names avenue in memory of ‘real Taoiseach’

THE Ford cortina owned by former Taoiseach Jack Lynch made a tour of the northside at the weekend as two plaques marking 100 years since his birth were unveiled.

The former Taoiseach and Cork GAA star's secondary school and local GAA club both revealed new tributes to the Shandon-born politician.

Lord Mayor of Cork Tony Fitzgerald attended the ceremony on the campus of the North Monastery school.

The plaque unveiling celebrated the naming of an internal road within the North Monastery campus - Jack Lynch Avenue - in honour of its most famous past pupil. A mass was also celebrated by Bishop John Buckley at the Cathedral of St Mary and Saint Anne.

The plaque unveiling is one of a number of events organised by the Noth Monastery Past Pupils' Union to mark the centenary of Lynch's birth.

The Lord Mayor acknowledged the work of the Past Pupils' Union: "The events organised for the centenary year are to be commended. As Lord Mayor and as a past pupil of the North Mon, I was delighted to be invited to partake and proud to officiate at Sunday's ceremonies."

Lynch already has a number of tributes to him in place around the city.

The Jack Lynch tunnel on the N40 was named in his honour in 1999 while a statue of Lynch located in Blackpool Shopping Centre.

Cork County Council is set to discuss the possibility of asking the Cork County GAA Board to name a stand at the newly redeveloped Páirc Uí Chaoimh after Lynch.