The burning of Cork: When the fires stopped, many were left homeless and thousands jobless
Reports detailed devastation faced by residents in days after December 11th-12th, 1920
Sat, Dec 12, 2020, 15:03
Updated: Sat, Dec 12, 2020, 15:11
When the fires stopped, the people of Cork were left sifting through debris, with many left homeless, thousands jobless and all counting the cost of blazes started by British forces.
That was the state of affairs described by the correspondent for The Irish Times in the days following the Burning of Cork on the night of December 11th-12th 1920.
That night, 100 years ago, British forces looted and burned buildings, leaving large portions of Cork city centre – including much of Patrick Street – destroyed. The mayhem followed an IRA ambush on a party of Auxilaries at Dillon’s Cross earlier in the day, which left one dead and others injured.