Identity Statement
| Title | Cork City Council Minute Books |
| Archive Reference | IE CCCA/CP/CO/M |
| Web Link to this Entry | https://iar.ie/archive/cork-city-council-minute-books |
| Creation Dates | Oct 1710-Sep 1732, Jul 1901-Oct 1906, Dec 1912-May 1984 |
| Extent Medium | 26 volumes |
Context
Creator(s): Cork City Council (formerly the Council of Cork Corporation)
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Administrative History ↴
The forerunner of the present day Cork City Council was Cork Corporation which was of ancient origin. It was reformed in c.1840, 1853 and in 1899. In 1924 the city council of Cork Corporation was dissolved and its powers and duties transferred to Mr. Philip Monahan, who was appointed City Commissioner, taking office on 31st October, 1924, continuing to administer civic affairs until 1929 when the Corporation was reestablished and Monahan became the first City Manager. Under the Local Government Act 2001, Cork Corporation was renamed Cork City Council. Under the various Management Acts, the functions of local authorities are divided into two classes - Reserved Functions, performable directly by the elected members, and Executive Functions, performed by the city or county manager by order. The reserved functions of a local authority (those performed by the elected members by resolution) comprise decisions on all major matters, for example: adopting the annual estimate of expenses and striking the rate; borrowing money; making or varying a development plan; making, amending or revoking bye-laws; nominating persons to act on committees or other public bodies; demanding expenses from any other local authority; the adoption of house-building programmes; adopting a scheme of letting priorities. -
Archival History ↴
The earlier part of the present series (up to June 1967) was deposited in the Archives Institute in c1985 by the Town Clerk’s department, Cork Corporation. Volumes from June 1967- May 1984 were deposited in 2004 by Corporate Affairs, Cork City Council. Previously stored in strongrooms at City Hall. Most of the missing minute books were probably destroyed in the burning of Cork Courthouse in 1891 or the burning of City Hall in Dec. 1920. -
Immediate Source Acquisition ↴
Official Transfer
Content & Structure
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Scope & Content: Cork City Council (formerly the Council of Cork Corporation) ↴
Minute book volumes containing the final official record of the proceedings and resolutions of meetings of the full Cork City Council / Council of Cork Corporation and also including full or partial resolutions or minutes of some of its principal constituent or standing committees and some smaller sub committees.
Records the major decisions and resolutions made by the Council and covering many of the financial, political, administrative, and civic matters involved in the governance of the city of Cork by Cork Corporation. The first volume from 1710-32 is an important source for the history of the pre-1840 or unreformed Corporation. The volumes from the early 20th century are of particular interest to the study of Irish nationalism, republicanism and the war of independence. Of major interest for local history including the economic, social and physical development of Cork City, as well as information on various prominent local people and events. The volumes document the various changes in local government administration and legislation, particularly for the 1924-1945 period, and are thus of interest to the history of local government in Ireland.
Meetings include minutes of full Council meetings and quarterly/monthly meetings and decisions referred by sub committes such as, those on working class housing, public works, tolls and markets, waterworks, public health, Fitzgeralds Park, law and finance, and later on the general purposes committee, committee of whole Council, estimates meetings, special meetings, sanitary services/environmental committee, finance committee, planning committee, roads/traffic/transportation committee, joint Corporation/County Council committee, and various small sub-committees such as the arts, itinerant, and markets sub committees.
No original full Council minute books have survived for pre-1710 or between Sept. 1732 and July 1901. Volume no.11 (original No.30) covering the period Nov 1906 – Nov 1912 is also missing.
The volumes from 1901 to 1967 are each over 600pp in size.
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Appraisal Destruction ↴
Permanent Retention -
Accruals ↴
Expected -
Arrangement ↴
Arranged chronologically.
Conditions of Access & Use
| Access Conditions | Open by appointment to those holding a current readers' ticket. |
| Creation Dates | Oct 1710-Sep 1732, Jul 1901-Oct 1906, Dec 1912-May 1984 |
| Extent Medium | 26 volumes |
| Material Language Script | English, some Irish |
| Characteristics Tech Req | Minutes up to 1967 are consulted in microfilm format. |
| Finding Aids | 1. Descriptive list 2. Index (up to June 1967 only, and excluding the periods during 1913-1918 and 1924-1937). 10 of the volumes up to June 1967 include an integrated index which is arranged alphabetically. This index is being computerised and will be available as a separate finding aid in 2011. Archive Web Link → |
Allied Materials
| Copies Information | Microfilm copies of minutes up to 1967 are available. |
| Related Material | Managers Orders, Cork City Council Council Papers General Correspondence of Council Town Clerks department general files |
| Publication Note | www.corkcity.ie |
Descriptive Control Area
| Archivist Note | Brian McGee |
| Rules/Conventions | ISAD(G): General International Standard Archival Description. 2nd ed. Ottawa: International Council on Archives, 2000. |
| Date of Descriptions | 40391 |