The exhibition includes original and facsimile manuscripts from the personal archive of one of Cork’s most interesting historical figures. Denny Lane who was an eminent Corkman, scholar, businessman, politician and is perhaps best known in Cork for his ballad ‘Carrigdhoun’, which appeared in The Nation newspaper in 1845.

The archive includes some of Lane’s school reports, legal papers, and letters to Lane from such well known political figures as Thomas Davis, William Smith O’Brien, Charles Gavan Duffy, Richard O’Gorman, John Martin, and Daniel Owen Madden, dating from the time of Denny Lane’s involvement in the nationalist Young Ireland and Irish Confederation movements of the 1840’s. Although their efforts at securing increased Irish independence during their own period were unsuccessful, Young Ireland and the Irish Confederation helped to sow the seeds for a resurgence in national pride and interest in Irish culture and history which would inspire later generations.

The exhibition illustrates Lane as a Cork ‘renaissance man’, of great and numerous talents and broad education, who received a scholarship to Trinity College Dublin and at one time or another was a Barrister,  a Member of the Cork Harbour Board, a politician , a businessman involved in brewing and distilling, and an inventor. He was the Secretary and Resident Engineer of the Cork Gas Company and active in the Schools of Art, Music, and Design, and in the Cork Literary and Scientific Society and the Royal Cork Institution. Lane was one of the first vice-presidents of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society and was very active in promoting and studying Irish music and culture. Lane was extremely well-regarded by his fellow citizens, and was famous for a funeral oration which he gave at the graveside of Joseph Ronayne M.P. for Cork in 1867. This oration was published in several languages, and may have been studied by Padraig Pearse for his oration over the grave of O’Donovan Rossa. Lane is buried in Matehy, County Cork.

Aside from presenting the best of Lane’s personal archive, the exhibition employs photographs and illustrations sourced from the National Gallery of Ireland and Cork City Library and heirlooms, photographs, sketches and other materials kindly loaned by Lane’s family.

The Cork City and County Archives is co-funded by Cork City Council, Cork County Council, and University College Cork.

1335MMcS

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