In September, we were walking around Cork city centre. We had just started our project and were looking for interesting things that everyone can see. We saw a man and two children standing around a bollard near the fountain on Grand Parade. It looked like he was telling them a story about it. He told us it was a cannon. We then went looking to find out more.
In the book, Cork City, Mr. Tom Spalding says that the Grand Parade (like Patrick Street and the South Mall) was once a river. He said where the cannon is placed was dry land by 1774 and so it was unlikely that pointing-down cannon was unlikely to be used as a mooring post for ships. He does say it is probably the oldest free-standing piece of street furniture in Cork city. He said that after the Napoleonic Wars, there were more cannons than were needed and many were used as bollards – like this one.
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Using Mr. Spalding’s book, and some suggestions from relatives, we went looking for some other old cannons that are open to the public. We found 7 more in 4 different locations (or 8 in 5 if you include what we think is a toy one).
Our first stop was Elizabeth Fort which has an old Edward VII postbox outside with SE stamped onto the door.
Izzy learned that this was where she had to go for her first passport when she was not yet one. There used to be a Garda Station in the fort upto a few years ago.
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We met Mr Peter Looney there.
He was very helpful on lots of things. He gave us a badge each
He showed us the old map of Cork which we used in the St. Patrick’s Street as a River chapter showing lots of Cork under water in 1601.
He also knew of a photograph of the cannon taken by Ciara Brett, the Archaeologist for Cork City Council, in 2007. A lot more of the cannon can be seen because it was when the drainage works were being done in the city. No markings were visible to identify the maker or the war in which it was used.
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Mr Looney also told us of the three cannons in Elizabeth Fort which all came from ships. They were not originally used when it was an army fort. He also told us of the location of the toy cannon.
We went and looked at cannons. We learned lots of things from the different notices.
The first one was just inside the entrance.
The second one is at the top of the first steps - before you can look over the city.
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The last one is on the other side where we learnt how a cannon was fired.
We also learned about ‘freezing the balls off a brass monkey’. When we asked grown-ups what this meant, they looked at us strange. But none of them knew.
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FREEZING THE BALLS OFF A BRASS MONKEY
All children know that it difficult to gather circular things. Everyone we know has tried to build a tower of Maltesers and they roll around the table. Marbles and tennis balls roll apart too.
The armies made a metal square to put a full layer of cannonballs. There were 5 rows and 5 columns. The cannonballs on the bottom layer would be held together by the metal frame.
It was then possible to put 4 rows and 4 columns on top. Then 3 by 3, 2 by 2, with one on top.
The frame was made of a different metal to the cannonballs to stop them sticking to the frame.
Because it was a different metal, in warm weather it got bigger faster than the cannonballs. Also when the weather got very cold, the frame would freeze faster than the cannon balls. Metal gets smaller when it freezes.
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The frame was called a brass monkey. When it was very very cold, the frame would freeze and get so small that one the bottom balls would pop out causing all of cannons.
We had fun making a cardboard frame to hold 30 Maltesers in four layers. We called it a cardboard monkey. When we pulled the cardboard tight, the Maltesers rolled around the table and we had to eat them.
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HOW TO FIRE A CANNON
The screwy-like hook at the top was for clearing out the cannon after it was last used.
The sponge was put into water to clean and cool down the cannon.
The curvy metal top is used to carefully drop in the gunpowder.
The timber flathead rammer is used to push all the gunpowder together with some paper or hay to keep it together.
The cannon-ball could then be put into the cannon.
This was done by lighting a fuse that passed through a tiny hole at the top of the cannon down to the gunpowder. Next this was to stand back and cover your ears.
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CANNON BATH
When Izzy heard of the water to clean and cool down the cannon, she remembered going with her dad to have the lawnmover serviced. Jerry said that he had a Cannon Bath that was in the old Murphy Barracks in Ballincollig.
Jerry thought that it used to contain water and was used over any stray gunpowder that may be dropped on the ground. If it remained dry, it might spark and create a mini-explosion. It may be that the water was used for the sponge to cool down that inside of the cannon.
Izzy asked if we could go back to see Jerry’s Cannon Bath, or flower box because it is used for that now.
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When we left Elizabeth Fort, we went to Anglesea Terrace where Mr. Saplding’s book said there was another cannon buried in the ground. It is at a corner and stops cars rubbing against the corner of the building.
The toy cannon that Mr Looney told us about is at LeChateau Bar on Patricks Street.
It is at the top of the steps that we wrote about in the Patrick Street as a river chapter.
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We next went down to Blackrock Castle where they have a ‘Queen Ann’ cannon and a small Ship’s Cannon
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Our last stop was down the Marina near Shandon Boat Club. There is a large cannon pointing across the river.
On the internet, we saw a crest in better condition on a cannon that was very like the one in The Marina. It is called a double-eagle crest which shows that it was a Russian cannon that was captured in the Crimean War.
When we were there, we were told of a poem by Gerry Murphy. He says there is a cannon pointing into his house from the other side of the river.
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We lined up the cannon and thought that Gerry lived in the yellow house.
Gerry Murphy is a famous Cork poet. He also works at Mayfield Leisure Centre where Izzy does her swimming training.
We asked and Gerry gave us permission to include his poem in our project.
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We saw a painting of Gerry in the Crawford Gallery when we went looking for Seamus Murphy sculptures. He also told us that we were right – he lives in the yellow house.
My dad’s friend, Mr.Brian Keniry, said that there are cannons in Collins Barracks and he will try to get us a visit. We were also told that there are some in Cobh and on Spike Island. All of these might be for our next project.
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We would love to read what you thought of this chapter and our project.