Tuesday 9 October 1923

INTERESTING MARRIAGE AT SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
Demonstrating the reach of Corkonians in the wider international context the Cork Examiner noted the following:

‘The “Catholic Press,” Sydney, contains an interesting account of the marriage of Mr. Tom O’Connor, late of Rose Cottage, Douglas Road, Cork, to Miss Julia Murray, of East Sydney. Mr O’Connor is a brother of Mr. J.J. O’Connor, a well-known member of the Technical Instruction Committee, Cork. Mr. Tom O’Connor* was a well-known member of the A.O.H. [Ancient Order of the Hibernians]., and of several City clubs.’

(Extract from Cork Examiner, 9 October 1923, p3)

‘Technical teacher and administrator, John Joseph (J.J.) O’Connor (1876-1952) was born in Fair Lane, Cork city to John (a carpenter) and Annie. The family resided at 15 Douglas Street and in 1901 John (now a carpenter and joiner) and his siblings lived together on St Patrick’s Hill, but by 1911 they were living with his widowed mother at Knockrea, Blackrock. By this time, he was described as a Technical Instructor (1911 Census).

In 1919, J.J. O’Connor was an original member – and a very active Chairman – in the early years of the Gibson Bequest Sub-Committee (GBSC). He worked at Crawford Municipal Technical Institute and was one of the teaching staff that lectured in the 1923 Public Lecture series organised by Crawford Municipal School of Art (CMSA). He moved to Mallow in 1925 to run the technical school, but occasionally attended GBSC meetings in the 1930s and 1940s in his role of advisory ‘Local Expert’ to the Gibson Bequest.

O’Connor moved to Dublin where he worked for the Royal College of Science [now University College Dublin] until c.1941. He died in Warrenpoint, Co. Down where he had retired. His sister Norah pre-deceased him and his brother Tom [mentioned in the except above] emigrated to Australia. J.J. O’Connor does not appear to have married.’

(Extract from Building as Witness Project: An exploration of the life of the Crawford art Gallery building, Emmet Place, Cork, in the period 1920-1924 by Tom Spalding/Crawford Art Gallery 2022-23, p60-61)

*It is noted in the Catholic Press (Sydney) newspaper just two years after his marriage:

‘O’CONNOR – June 9, 1925 at his residence, 7 West Street, Darlinghurst, THOMAS AUGUSTINE, dearly beloved husband of Julia and dear dada of baby John Murray (O’Connor), aged 47. Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on his soul – R.I.P.’

(Source Catholic Press (Sydney) 25 June 1925, p33)

Tuesday 9 October 1923

[extract: Cork Examiner,22 October 1923, p6]

The third annual exhibition of the Munster Fine Arts Club was opened by A.F. Sharman Crawford (1862-1943) and Mr Andrew O’Shaughnessy T.D. (1866-1956) in the Crawford School of Art and featured, amongst others, works by Hugh Charde, Michael Holland, Nellie Welply, Janie E. Beamish, Samuel Williams and Kathleen Murphy O’Connor (1896-1959).

As the pseudonym ‘Periscope’ wrote in their Cork Examiner review:

‘Miss K. Murphy O’Connor is a young artist whose work strikes me as exceedingly clever. A “Portrait” by this lady is striking good, strongly and well painted. Most admirable, too, are all her still life studies. The best of these is the picture of vegetables thoroughly well arranged and painted with great skill, both as to detail and general effect. In time and with further study this lady ought to do very important work’.

‘Periscope’ was prescient in their observation for the following year, in 1924, Kathleen Murphy O’Connor was awarded the Gibson Bequest Travel Scholarship to study in Paris for six months.

Crucially, ‘Periscope’ also observed:

‘It is noteworthy that through all the weary period of conflict, and of internecine strife, those who are charged with the difficult task of carrying on the Crawford Municipal School [of Art], …All through the dark period of the Black and Tan terror, and that worse time later when chaos threatened to swamp everything, those who are the heads and teachers of the artistic community, so encourage the others that in spite of baton charges and bullets, the evening classes were up to their full strength – a remarkable example of courage and composure.’

[extract: Cork Examiner, 26 October 1923, p4]

EXHIBITION OF PICTURES AT SCHOOL OF ART

Letter Page – A Response
‘Dear Sir, I made a visit to the above this week and read ‘Periscope’s’ article today on the subject with much pleasure. It was certainly a surprise to see such a charming collection of oil paintings and watercolours, mostly by local artists, and all by Irish.

Very few, I believe, have any idea that painting in Cork has so many talented exponents, and everyone with any taste for art and culture should not fail to visit the School of Art while the exhibition continues. It is indeed refreshing in these troublesome times to see that there are men and women in our midst who devote themselves to the delightful art of painting. We have reason to be proud of the great names associated with Cork in the realm of art – [James] Barry, who became President of the Royal Academy, London,* Maclise, of world fame: Jones Thaddeus, who rose to the highest pinnacle in U.S.A.: that incomparable water colour artist Albert Hartland; the late Mr. Brennan**, etc. Some of these eminent men started in Cork from unpretentious beginnings. The pictures are nearly all for sale, and many can be had at exceedingly moderate prices, PF’

[source: Cork Examiner, 29 October 1923, p3]

*A slightly overzealous remark on the writer’s part for James Barry (1721-1806) although appointed as a member of the Royal Academy of Arts in 1782, he never held the position of President. Barry was, however, the first member to be expelled from the organisation in 1799 for – amongst other things – his contempt of many of his colleagues including the founding president Joshua Reynolds (1723-1792).

**James Brenan (1837-1907) painter and educationalist, Head Teacher (1860-1889)
Cork School of Art.