Passage West Town Commisioners (Now Passage West Town Council)

Identity Statement

Content & Structure

• Scope & Content: Passage West Town Commissioners ↴

  The records consist of official documents in the form of minutes, registers, accounts, correspondence files, and some maps, dating from 1920 onwards.

  The most important documents which have survived to the present day are the minutes of monthly meetings of the elected town representatives, meeting over the years either as a full Urban District Council (UDC) or as a scaled-down Town Commission. The minutes record the discussions and resolutions of the representatives as they undertook the responsibility of running the town’s services.

  The very first set of surviving minutes start in July of 1920, and they cover the turbulent period of the War of Independence and the Civil War, and the transfer of power to the Free State (PWTC/1)

  One of the notable changes in Passage West after 1924, when Saorstát Éireann had returned to the normal business of running a country following the trauma of civil war, was the ‘urbanisation’ of the district. The area was to be designated as an Urban District presided over by an Urban District Council, which had more extensive powers to control certain matters in the area than that of a Town Commission.

  The collection of local tax in the form of property rates was the responsibility of the UDC, and this seems to have absorbed much time and effort. The Finance Sub-committee minutes of 4 April 1924 record that ‘some residents occupying large houses had not yet paid their rates…’ Mr. Cotter, a rates collector, was present at the meeting and explained to the UDC that amongst other reasons, ‘…the want of employment in Passage had operated very much against him…’

  A problem with rates collection and finance continued through the 1920’s and 1930’s and it may to have been a stimulus for the de-urbanisation order by the Minister for Local Government in 1942. This re-established the Town Commission and transferred many functions to Cork County Council, relieving the town’s representatives and officials of many financial headaches but also resulting in the loss of some of their decision making powers.

  For the Emergency period 1940-1945 there are a few notable entries in the minutes. At a meeting in September 1940, it was suggested to convert the disused Passage and Blackrock Railway tunnel at Glenbrook for use as an air raid shelter. (This was referred to the County Council.) In May 1942 the Local Security Force received fire brigade equipment, perhaps reflecting concerns that Cork Harbour might be subject to an aerial bombardment or become a target in an invasion by sea. The town occupies a strategic point in Cork Harbour, with downstream port facilities and road access to Cork City. The key position of the town had been illustrated dramatically during the Civil War when the National Army came ashore at Passage West, en route to attack Irregular forces at their strongholds in the city.

  The records also document some of the social and economic problems common in the early 20th century. On many occasions we find entries recording the concern of officials and elected representatives and others regarding the living conditions of some of the poorer inhabitants of the area, variously overcrowding, unemployment, disease, inadequate sanitation or water supplies.

  The Town Commission and Cork County Council made major remedial efforts over the years and many of these problems were reduced, despite an ever-present lack of financial resources. The investment in local services and infrastructure was secured with loans and other monies for projects such as the development of water supplies, labourers’ cottages, sewers, urban housing schemes, and the technical school.

  Housing provision seems to have been a major priority, and many houses were built or improved and eventually sold to their occupiers under tenant purchase schemes.

  In more recent decades the matters which occupied the attention of the town’s representatives included involvement with Cork County Council and with Cork Corporation (now Cork City Council) on matters affecting the locality, the role of the area in county or city development plans, the siting of the fertiliser plant across the river Lee, the employment situation in the area, the development of educational facilities, industrial development, the need for investment in amenities and leisure facilities, tidy towns competitions, management of property, efforts to improve the upkeep of roads and footpaths, buildings and the general environment.

  Apart from the minutes of meetings, other records that survive include correspondence with various local and national organisations, financial accounts and other material relating to the administration of housing schemes, planning, property, maintenance of roads and other infrastructure.

• Appraisal Destruction ↴

  Permanent Retention

• Arrangement ↴

  The collection is arranged as follows:
  A: Minute Books
  B: Registers
  C: Accounts and Housing Rentals
  D: Files and Folders
  E: Maps, Plans and Drawings

Conditions of Access & Use

Allied Materials

Descriptive Control Area