13 February 1922

Extracts from Minutes from General Minutes of the Technical Instruction Committee of County Cork

1. Miss Galvin was to travel to Dublin to see the Irish Commercial Counsel in France re: Irish Lace
2. Miss Gladys Scott of Ripon, Yorkshire, appointed as Teacher of Design.
3. The minute of the Gibson Bequest Committee recommending the design of Mr. D. Levie, Architect for the Gibson Glass Case, subject to a minor alteration, was accepted. The work was to be offered to tender.

On 3 February 1919, Joseph Stafford Gibson died in Madrid. In his will, the native of Kilmurry, County Cork bequeathed his collection of ceramics, coins, engravings, miniatures, silverware, watercolours and £14,790 (today close to €750,000) ‘for the furthering of art in the city of his boyhood.’ Between 1920 and 1980, 210 works were acquired through the Gibson Bequest.

The elegant cabinet illustrated here is dedicated to the memory of Joseph Stafford

Gibson and was commissioned, according to his wish, to house his personal collection of objet d’art.

On 13 February 1922, the Gibson Committee approved the design for a ‘glass case’ by architect Daniel Levie (1875-1963) of Chillngworth & Levie. Manufacture of this was subsequently offered for tender, with Robertson, Ledlie, Ferguson & Co. Ltd. –

proprietors of The Munster Arcade at Patrick Street, Cork – ultimately securing the commission. The resulting mahogany cabinet bears the trademark Déanta i nÉirinn (Made in Ireland) on both ends and engraved brass plaques on both sides. James Archer (1871-1946) was entrusted with engraving the inscription, one in English and one as Gaeilge, the text of which was drafted by Gibson Committee chairman, Arthur Frederick Sharman-Crawford (1862-1943).

14 February 1922

Valentine’s Day News Summary, Cork Examiner p5

16 February 1922

Abolition of Workhouses proposed at special meeting of Cork County Council

As reported in the Cork Examiner a special meeting of Cork County Council was called ‘To consider draft scheme for abolishing workhouses, establishing hospitals, home and other institutions, and reorganising and co-ordinating the Public Health services in the county and take such action in the matter as the Council may deem desirable’:

Including the following proposals:

II. County Nursery Admissions

1. Infants presently in the workhouse, whose mothers have deserted them, or whose mothers have died, gone away or are unknown shall be transferred to the County Nursery.
2. Young children including the above and up to three years of age, whose parents may be living in one of the Homes, or whose parents may have taken up employment abroad, shall be transferred there.
3. Unmarried mothers of “first fall” shall, after confinement, be transferred to the Nursery with their infants, where they shall assist manual work, and shall be subject to the care of the Religious Order in charge.
4. Unmarried pregnant girls about to be confined for the first time shall be admitted to the Maternity Ward attached to the Nursery. The mother shall not remain in the nursery for any period longer that 12 months, unless the Committee, acting on the advice of its officers shall consider her unfit to leave, when they shall detain her for a longer period than 12 months but in no case for a period exceeding 18 months.

If at the end of that period, the mother shall still be considered unfit to leave, then she shall be transferred to the Detention House, and her child shall be retained in a nursery until the age of 3 years, at which age the child shall be sent to an Orphanage or Junior industrial School or shall be boarded out.

18 February 1922

‘Notes from Tatler’

‘I feel glad to say that the deaths from influenza last month clearly show that the decline in the epidemic is maintained. Very few amongst us in these counties realised the danger of the malady because the Metropolitan Press did not seem to look on the matter as vital or momentous. As a matter of fact, here was a virulence in some districts almost equal to the plague of 1918. It might be well for the public to realise that the medical profession does not really seem to know what the disease is – Influenza is a very convenient name’.

(‘Notes by Tatler’ from Nationalist and Leinster Times, 18 February 1922)