War of Independence relic returned to Cork Public Museum.

14/03/24

Commandant Murphy, a Ballincollig native, was shot and killed by soldiers from the Manchester Regiment during a surprise raid on a secret IRA meeting at O’Donovan’s Pub (now O’Shea’s) in Waterfall, on the outskirts of the city, on June 27, 1921. 

As Murphy lay dead at the side of the road, his pockets were searched, and the contents kept as ‘souvenirs of war’.

One of the items removed was a small personal shaving kit used by Murphy while on the run. It ended up in display in the Manchester Regiment Museum in the town hall of Ashton-under-Lyne, in Tameside, Greater Manchester.

The museum recently closed, and the Manchester Regiment Collection passed to the care of the Portland Basin Museum in Tameside.

Last year, Cork Public Museum Curator Dan Breen contacted his counterpart in the Portland Basin Museum, Rachel Crnes to enquire about the possibility of arranging the loan of the shaving kit for display in Cork. 

Today, Lord Mayor of Cork Kieran McCarthy and museum curator, Dan Breen are delighted to welcome descendants of Walter ‘Leo’ Murphy to the museum for a private viewing of the shaving kit before it goes on public display.

It will be displayed in the museum’s War of Independence exhibition, By Every Means at Our Command, alongside one of Murphy’s hats, which was previously donated to Cork Public Museum.

Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr. Kieran McCarthy travelled to Tameside in January to officially receive the shaving kit and bring it home to Cork. He was warmly received on his visit to Dukinfield Town Hall by Dublin-born Deputy Mayor of Tameside, Cllr. Betty Affleck, and executive leader, Cllr. Gerald Cooney (also of Irish descent).

The Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr. Kieran McCarthy said: “From his early days in Na Fianna, Leo Murphy’s story was one of courage and resilience. His promotion to quarter master of the 3rd Battalion by the age of nineteen in 1920, is an indication of his leadership qualities and the high esteem in which he was held by all within the Cork IRA. Our commemoration of his life and times in our time shines a spotlight on his leadership and sacrifice. It also, through the Tameside Museum side, showcases why we need to keep searching for objects and documents associated with our War of Independence to make sure the full story is told. My sincere thanks to Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council for their courtesy and co-operation and to Cork Public Museum for their consistent guardianship of Cork’s past”. 

Cork Public Museum Curator, Dan Breen said: “Cork City Council and Cork Public Museum would like to acknowledge the help and support given to the handover by their colleagues in Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council and the Portland Basin Museum. The return of the shaving kit to Cork brings closure to one chapter of Irish War of Independence but it highlights the complex history shared by the cities of Cork and Manchester and acknowledges the potential for future collaborations to better understand it.” 

Cmdt. Murphy had been targeted by Crown Forces for his role as Commander of the 3rd Battalion, 1st Cork Brigade and his involvement in numerous notable IRA activities in the area, including the killing of British intelligence officer Captain Joseph Thompson in November 1920. Leo Murphy was born in The White Horse public house in Ballincollig in 1901.

The shaving kit can be viewed by the public at Cork Public Museum from Friday, March 15.