Political life post Dáil
Walter continued his Cork City Council work, and from 1946 to 1955 was an Alderman.
Walter appears to have had a particular interest in health. The Irish Examiner of Friday Sept 5 1947 reported on chairing a meeting of the Cork Fever Hospital. In 1950, Walter was appointed as a member of the National Health Council (est. 1948). The Department of Health had been established in 1947.
Irish Press Saturday June 10, 1950
Walter stood again for the Cork Corporation in 1950 and was elected. We can see in this advertisement that Walter, along with several others, were noted as Outgoing. I think this means that they had pledged this would be their final term, if elected.
Irish Press, Wednesday September 6, 1950
The failure to re-enter the Dail may have swayed Walter’s decision to remain on the Corporation and aim for the Cork mayoralty, in opposition to his 1950 “outgoing” status. However, Cllr McGrath won the Fianna Fáil nomination to stand as Mayor, having been proposed by Cllr, and Parliamentary Secretary, Jack Lynch.
Leaving Fianna Fáil
Having spent years in active service of the Fianna Fáil party, Walter is purported to have tendered his resignation to Cork Fianna Fáil. A newspaper article from the Irish Examiner on Monday July 2, 1951 reports that Walter was expelled from the party.
Walter stood as an Independent, and was voted in as Lord Mayor of Cork, ten votes to nine.
Lord Mayor of Cork
The term of Mayor was, and still is, a year. He received, tax-free, £1,500.00 for the role, an equivalent today of over £46,000.
Irish Press Wed June 27, 1951
Irish Examiner Wed June 27, 1951 – Front page
Walter’s election was evidently a surprise, but the Southern Star Saturday 7 July 1951 spoke of Walter in very positive terms:
Newspaper articles from 1951/2 outline the range of Walter’s public duties: visits to and from officials (such as the Bishops of Cork, Cloyne and Ross; US Vice Consul; local government councillors from Birmingham, and Wales); visiting schools (Irish Examiner October 3rd) for which the children were granted a “customary” half-day; opening the first National Advertising Conference at the Imperial Hotel (Friday May 16 1952); attending the opening of a Coca-Cola manufacturing and bottling centre (Irish Examiner Sat May 19 1952), praised for its economic benefits for the city.
Walter Furlong, Lord Mayor of Cork, 1951/2
Housing was a matter that Walter seemed to remain passionate about. Access to housing had been a long-standing issue in Cork, as seen in Walter’s prosecution in 1935 for threats to the City Manager. In 1951 there were reportedly around 6000 applications for houses, but the Corporation was building them at the rate of 200 a year. On September 11th Walter chaired a meeting of the Corporation, and an inquiry into housing was sought. The Irish Examiner of 23April 1951 reported on Cork councillors, including Walter, who made the trip across to Carrick-on-Suir to see a new style of housing.
Newspaper articles indicate other issues that interested Walter, such as a letter in support of the first Cork road safety campaign, published in the Irish Examiner Monday, October 15, 1951. Walter commended the “Safety First” Association of Ireland Cork branch for making people more traffic conscious, and their programme of films for schools. He lamented alarming accident rate “which is so much a feature of modern life.” He continued: “If each road user would realise more fully his responsibility, and would show to others the courtesy he in turn is entitled to receive, many accidents, both minor and major could be avoided.” I wonder what Walter would make of road traffic almost 70 years on.
Walter and ‘the Lady Mayoress’, attended the annual reunion of the Legionaries of Mary (Irish Examiner, Dec 14, 1951) along with nearly 500 members.
Walter demonstrated his interest in history, evidenced in this 1952 article which refers to Walter chairing a meeting of the Brian Dillon Commemoration Committee[2] and newspaper articles on his involvement with the Cork Public Museum Consultative Committee (1953).
Walter seems to have been a pragmatist. On April 21, 1952, Walter, still Lord Mayor of Cork, agreed Cork business people lived up to the great traditions of the past but warned at the annual dinner of the Cork Civic Party that Cork business people had a difficult road ahead of them. He wondered how the burden of the Corporation’s loans for housing and other developments would be met, and whether the Harbour Board’s development programme would be matched by revenue producing business.
Walter would have met many visiting dignitaries during his time as Mayor and as a Councillor and Alderman.
The following photo was taken in April 1952. The amateur ‘Golden Gloves Champions of America’ had come from Chicago to box against Ireland at the National Stadium, Dublin on Friday 25 April. They had arrived in to Ireland at Cobh and were welcomed to Cork with a civic reception. [3]
Following his term as Lord Mayor Walter continued on the Corporation, as an Alderman through to 1955 and then as a Councillor from 1956 to 1960.
[1] Source: Cork City Archives search by Archivist in Corporation Yearbooks on my behalf.
[2] Brian Dillon was a Cork Fenian leader. In 1865 he was arrested before the uprising took place and sentenced to ten years penal servitude in England. Ill -health led to an early release and he died a year later, aged 42. His name is inscribed on the National Monument Timothy O’Callaghan fundraised for. The cross roads where he was raised was renamed Dillon’s Cross. There is a Cork GAA club named Brian Dillons.
Thanks to Tony McGinley for sending the photo of Walter.
[3]
Ireland won the competition.
In Search of Thomas Davis 