In memory of Richard T Cooke who passed away on 25th October 2024.
Rest in Peace.
From your friends at the Spirit of Mother Jones Festival.
The following are some of the YouTube videos made by Richard and Catherine Courtney of Musiclea of 2012 and 2013 Spirit of Mother Jones Festivals.
The Cork Mother Jones Committee extends our sincere sympathy to Catherine and the Cooke family and friends, on the sad passing of Richard T Cooke on Friday 25th October 2024.
Richard was a founding member of the Cork Mother Jones Committee in 2011 and an active participant each year in the Spirit of Mother Jones Festival. Quintessentially a Cork man with a grá for Kerry, he loved this city, its people, its history and its heritage and he cycled everywhere on his bike. His writings in articles, books, songs and music, radio and TV reflected the past, and present of this city and its many colourful inhabitants by the River Lee, in the heartland of the marsh where he was born and reared.
Growing up near the North Mall, Richard lived in the Rock Terrace and was educated nearby at CBS Blarney Street, later at the School of Commerce and later still at University College Cork. He also worked in the then Cork Corporation’s Archives Institute and became prolific in researching and publishing books on the history of his beloved city. Cooke and Scanlon’s Guide to the History of Cork (with Marion Scanlon) became a school textbook. In the foreword, historian CJF MacCarthy, whom Richard admired as a mentor and a friend, described it as “a compact volume of Cork lore, compiled in a wise, careful and dedicated manner by the authors”.
He played a huge role in researching and writing the very successful heritage television series My Home by the Lee screened by Irish Multichannel TV, Cork in the mid 80s. Irish Millennium Publications later published My Home by the Lee by Richard T Cooke in 1990 which is described as “the people’s history of Cork”. Dedicated to CJF MacCarthy, it contains many of Richard’s own photographs and drawings by Catherine M. Courtney, and remains a fitting memorial to Richard’s painstaking research and lively text. His classic book on “The Mardyke – Cork City’s Country Walk in History” echoes the loss of this once magnificent amenity.
Richard’s versatile contribution to the community life of Cork over almost five decades is inestimable. From his work in the Middle Parish, as editor of the Middle Parish Chronicle and the Parish Development Committee to his community heritage organiser of festivals such as the Coal Quay Family Festival and multiple heritage events in the City and County, Richard was the driving force behind so many gatherings.
He was also President and Chairperson of the Cork Adult Education Council. He wrote many songs and told stories as Muddy Lee and his band which are remembered at events throughout the city. He interviewed Echo boy Michael O’Reagan, musician Mick Murphy and sang songs with the Cork Shawlies and so many other Corkonians who create the unique atmosphere in the city.
Richard helped organise the very first Mother Jones Festival in Shandon in 2012 to which he brought a sense of enthusiasm and his energy and his concerts will live long in the memory. His dedicated work for the Spirit of Mother Jones Festival each year and his affection for this “great woman”, his positivity and encouragement to the committee was appreciated by everyone involved.
A highlight for Richard took place in 2016, when his dear friend, historian Dr. Séan Pettit agreed to speak at the festival. Introduced by a proud Richard, the “Master” gave a mighty performance before a capacity audience. Sadly Séan passed away a few months later and Richard gave a memorable funeral oration in St Patrick’s Catholic Church for Séan. Our visit to the Stardust Memorial Wall in 2023 left a lasting impression on Richard as he often spoke about it. His online YouTube video reflects the powerful emotion of that day.
Prior to the 2019 festival, Richard in an interview on the Examiner, when asked what he would do if he was king for a day;
“I’d give everybody in the land a day off to enjoy a holiday and a voucher for a 99 cone and sprinkles and Leo can pick up the tab”
Codladh sámh a chara agus suaimhneas síoraí do anam
William Hammond organised the recording of seven songs which commemorate Cork born Mary Harris. Frameworks Films undertook the filming and recording of the session on a beautiful morning in Shandon, Cork City. The recordings were held at the old Butter Market garden under the landmark Bells of Shandon during the summer of 2021.
The programme of songs will be shown on Cork Community Television on Sunday 28th November at 8:00 pm.
The music video features newly written songs by Karan Casey, John Murphy and Mags Creedon sung by the songwriters.
It also includes a song The Ballad of Mother Jones written by legendary Teresa Ní Chárthaigh of Blarney Street and sung by Māire Ní Chēileachair. Richard T. Cooke has written a song “And the Band played Hallelujah” which he recites. John Nyhan, his son Gearoid and Mick Treacy also contribute a song “Let The Mountains Roll”. Finally, William features with a waltz he composed for Mother Jones and a song recorded by Gene Autry called “The Death of Mother Jones”.
From Farran in Cork, Máire got her love of singing and the Irish language from her parents who are from Kilnamartyra. In 2018, Māire won Corn Ui Riada and was also named TG4 singer of the year, she has recorded two CDs.
From Ballyvolane in Cork City, he is a prolific songwriter and a member of the Cork Singers Club. He has commemorated the Burning of Cork in song along with some of Corks finest musicians in his recent debut album entitled, Cork 1920, A City In Flames.
Karan Casey from Ballyduff Lower, Co Waterford is an Irish folk singer and traditional singer, and a former member of the Irish band Solas. She is one of the most instantly recognisable, alluring and original voices in all of world music. Her recording, Distant Shore, is a collection of potent and beautiful Irish and contemporary ballads.
Richard is a true blooded Corkonian and this is evident in the many books, television history documentaries, radio programmes and songs. And this was recognised when he received the prestigious Lord Mayor’s Civic Award in 2009:-” For his lifetime in promoting Ireland and his beloved City of Cork to the world through his writings and through his songs.” Richard is a member of the Mother Jones Committee.
Known also as Hammy is from Fermoy he has been living in Cork for over 40 years. William has a great love of traditional music and set dancing. He is an accomplished accordion player in the CD style and a singer with the Cork Singers Club. William has been organising festivals in Cork for over 35 years including the Cork Folk Festival, Michael Dwyer Fest, Féile Fearmuí and the Mother Jones Festival.
John was born in Cork City and is now living in North Cork. Influenced by the Folk Revival musicians including; Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, Tom Paxton, Ewan MacColl, Fairport Convention, Sweeney’s Men, Planxty and Rory Gallagher. John is known throughout Ireland and the USA as a promoter of Folk and Bluegrass concerts and he is joined by his son Gearoid in this recording. His friend Mick Treacy a veteran of the Holy Ground Folk Club in Birmingham and of the folk scene in England and Ireland accompanies.
Mags Creedon.
Mags is a member of the Cork Songwriters Club and she regularly performs poemsong at Munster Arts events with O’ Bheal poetry. She is a Pan Celtic finalist in 2018, and 2019 and has performed on the charity Èalù album 2016 Commissions. Mags is also a member of the Cork Singers Club and has written a song for the Cork Libraries about the Cork writer, Frank O’ Connor.
The filming and recording by Frameworks Films took place on Sunday 29th August 2021 at the old Shandon Butter Market garden in the heart of the Shandon Historic Quarter. The Cork Mother Jones Committee wish to express our thanks to everyone involved in Cork’s tribute to Mother Jones.
Cork Community Television, Sunday 28th November at 7:00 pm.
We are proud to present Dr. Sean Pettit’s lecture entitled “The Cork City of Mary Harris” which he gave to the 2016 Spirit of Mother Jones festival. Sean was a much loved and respected teacher and UCC lecturer who became widely known as a writer, broadcaster and a man with an intimate knowledge of the people and streets of Cork.
His publication This City of Cork 1700-1900 (1977) is long regarded as a classic. He believed that the best way to appreciate and experience the City was to go out and about on the streets. In his introduction he argued that “the main emphasis is on the people who made it, and on how they lived”. He did not neglect giving a raw and realistic account of the sick, the poor and the social problems through history in the City especially in the context of the Famine era into which Mary Harris was born in 1837.
Dr. Pettit with the aid of his large collection of photographs and prints captivated the vast attendance on that lovely Friday afternoon in July 2016 on the north side of Cork city. Sadly Sean passed away suddenly just a few months later on November 23rd 2016.
The introduction to “The Cork City of Mary Harris” will be given by his good friend Richard T Cooke. Richard is a founding member of the Cork Mother Jones Committee, himself a writer, singer and broadcaster and the author of many publications including My Home By The Lee (1999).
Dr. Sean Pettit……..An Extraordinary Teacher will be shown on Cork Community Television, livestream on www.corkcommunitytv.ie or Virgin Media 803 on Sunday evening 28th November at 7:00 pm as part of the Spirit of Mother Jones Festival 2021.