Nostalgia: Echoing the events of previous Patrick’s Days

Donal O’Keeffe

Seventy-Five years ago, on Thursday, March 17, 1949, the Evening Echo led with two headlines, the first reading “Atlantic Pact Opposed” over a story outlining violent scenes in the Italian parliament during the birth of the future Nato.

“Red-eyed and weary Italian deputies to-day continued their marathon debate on adherence to the Atlantic Pact, after an all-night sitting punctuated by screaming, fighting and scrums on the floor of the chamber,” reads the report.

Across the front page, the second headline reads “The National Festival: St Patrick’s Day in Ireland”, over a story which begins: “In Dublin there was an impressive military parade.

“In Cork the members of the Corporation and the Harbour Board attended High Mass in the Cathedral, and afterwards attended a reception by the Bishop, Most Rev Dr Cohalan.”

Guard of honour

More than 300 Cork members of the Catholic Boy Scouts of Ireland formed a guard of honour for the Lord Mayor and Corporation members, while “As is customary, a special selection of Irish airs was played on the Cathedral carillion”.

Fifty years ago, on Monday, March 18, 1974, the top story in the Evening Echo reported there had been 22 arrests earlier that day, following a riot in Ballybofey, “in which gardaí were kicked, cars were set on fire and the local garda station was set on fire”.

Separately, three gunmen had overpowered two night porters in the Claremanor Hotel on Dublin’s Malahide Road early that morning, getting away with £600.

A British soldier killed in Derry the night before had been named as 23-year-old Corporal Michael Joseph Ryan from Leeds.

In Dublin, gardaí were hunting for Provisional IRA gunmen who had shot two men and two youths in the knees.

One of the youths was facing the likely loss of his leg.

Around 2am that morning, 17-year-old Margaret Constant of Beechgrove, Bishopstown, had been killed in a hit and run incident on the Blackrock Road as she came from a dance at Cork Constitution Rugby Club.

Dinner

At the bottom of the page is a group photograph taken at a St Patrick’s night dinner hosted by the Lord Mayor of Cork, Senator Pat Kerrigan, and Mrs Kerrigan at the Imperial Hotel.

The Bishop of Cork and Ross, Dr Lucey, is joined by the great and the good of the day, including Minister for Transport and Power, Peter Barry, chairman of Cork County Council C Moynihan, and city manager P Clayton.

Twenty-five years ago, the Evening Echo’s front page on Wednesday, March 17, 1999 was all about Cheltenham, and the top story says Cashman’s bookmakers stand to lose £150,000 on double bets alone should Cork-owned Florida Pearl win the next day’s Gold Cup.

Istabraq had won the previous day’s Champion Hurdle, and bookie Paul Cashman was worried about the double.

As it happened, the Cork bookmakers could relax, because the Willie Mullins-trained Florida Pearl would come third, behind See More Business and Go Ballistic.

A picture by Echo photographer Des Barry shows two very young Ursuline Convent pupils, Kelly Gosnell and Jessica Drought, who had made their own St Patrick’s Day cards and badges, standing in a host of daffodils by Blackrock Castle, looking for all the world, our report says, as though they have stepped from a fairy tale.