OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW

Jerome Collins' Grave - early 1900's

Jerome Collins Grave - 2006 (photo courtesty Ronnie Herlihy)

Jerome Collins' Grave - NOW (photo courtesty CCC)

It's been a monumental week (literally), in that Uncle Jerome's grave finally got the polish and re-erection that has been long overdue. His Celtic Cross is straightened up now, with no worries of it falling over and posing a hazard to visitors or other monuments in the cemetery. I initially made this request in the Fall of 2005, and now, in the Fall of 2007, with Uncle Jerome's birthday right around the corner next Wednesday on October 17th, his grave and that of his parents and brothers looks right again.


I don't know what I would have done without Catryn Power, Cork County Archaeologist. She was the woman that made this all happen. And thank you to Cork County Council for appropriating the funds to the engineer who did a beautiful job. And thanks to Ronnie as well for his own letter writing campaign. I've been told (jokingly and perhaps semi-serious) that I was a bit "snotty" ( or was it "snippy"?) in my letter that I wrote to the Council making one last plea to get them to do something about the condition of the grave, and this person was right to think so.... but you have to understand something. I live in Minnesota. "So what", you say. Well, Minnesota is one of the most patient and kind states I know. I think it's in the top 10 most desirable states to live, and one of the friendliest. We help people around here, we are generous and always give hotdishes or casseroles and baked goods to our friends and neighbors; it takes a lot to ruffle our feathers. So, when I waited, patiently, month after month after month for almost 2 years wondering when something would be done about Uncle Jerome's grave and Celtic Cross, and nothing happened despite everyone's requests... well, I lost patience.... and when a Minnesotan looses patience, well, you know it's been a long wait. So, I hope Cork can forgive the "snottiness", but you can't say I didn't patiently wait.

It is Cousin Louise who should get all the credit. It was her vision which made this happen. I remember speaking with her in 2005, and she spoke right up and said, "you know what, that Cross is crooked, they (the gov't in Cork) should straighten it up". And so, it began, my long arduous journey to honour her request and make it happen. She was right, it WAS crooked, even the caretakers who had so respectfully looked after it for so many years agreed. But without the request of a family member, it would not happen. That's where I came in. And thus opened up a whole new can of worms in that I would not only find Catryn and Ronnie, but many others in Cork along the way who believed in all that I have been trying to do to restore honour to Uncle Jerome.

A little birdie told me there may be a big "to-do" at Jerome's grave end of this month in honour of his 126th anniversary of his death in the Arctic. The re-erection of his monument couldn't have been timed any better. It's possible this will make the newspaper in Cork, with a few people present to hang a wreath that I will send money on over for. Unfortunately, as it was the same scenario last year, I am again unable to attend due to a new house and not enough funds to bring all the family with me. My mom mentioned she purchased a lottery ticket tonight, but since the phone has not wrung I can only suspect she either A. didn't win or B. won and decided to fly off to the Caribbean with her boyfriend without telling me. Let's hope I get a postcard from Jamaica.....

With all that said, Ronnie has done some excellent detective work and found more evidence about the family before Jerome's father was married. Some interesting details have sprung up, which I am excited to learn about. Ronnie's diligence has paid off. I was able to skype with him and Catryn this morning, they got together to fill out papers in hopes of gaining grant money to further restore the gravesite to it's former glory by adding the railings which were once present but are no longer.

It's been a great week. I can hear a great many sighs of relief from here to Cork and back. Ronnie went to the pub tonite. I myself opened up a bottle of wine. I hope Uncle Jerome is happy, this is the most perfect birthday present I could have wished for him.

GONE

(pictured: sign from the entrance to Arbutus Lodge)

(pictured: a stately looking Arbutus Lodge in Cork, photo by Paddy Leahy)

Last night I received bad news. The home where Jerome was born is no more. Demolished. Gone.

Arbutus Lodge on the Old Blackrock Road has seen many changes, from when Jerome's parents (my GGG Grandparents) lived there to raise 9 children in 1841 all the way through to the recent fire damage that ravaged the house and deemed it unworthy of salvage in the new owner's eyes. My efforts to try and protect it as a historic site too late, I had not even made it over to Cork to see it in person, something I had hoped to do. I am grateful that Ronnie was allowed entry and viewed the house first hand, he was my eyes and ears, and relayed to me through his photos just how terrible of a condition the house was in, and yet, looking past the soot and damage, I could close my eyes and imagine for a moment the glory of Arbutus Lodge in it's day. I saw the original fireplace, and thought how Jerome and the family must have sat by the warm fire on cold nights. I saw the original staircase, and wondered how many times the children would run up and down those stairs, and I imagined how they would peer out the windows on rainy days. My family's home... gone.

(pictured: the site where Arbutus Lodge once

stood in it's glory days on the Old Blackrock Road, Cork)

Ronnie saved a few bricks for me, and is getting the sign on the entrance which says "Arbutus Lodge", who knows how many years it has hung there, displaying it's provenance to the rest of the city, possibly 166 years if not more. We might have missed the boat to try to get the home marked as a historic sight, but I have to admit that it was probably not worth salvaging. I've seen the cracks in the walls, the interior damage from the fire, and as much as I hate to admit, it probably was worth more dead than alive according to an article that ran in the paper over there last year. It's a testament how important it is to preserve our history, to not wait until the last moment, when it may be too late. Arbutus Lodge was in the hands of a new family up until last year, they were the keepers of the house, and it's history. I only wish they realized the importance of the site, that it was more than a home, it was living history. I feel that when we are surrounded by living history, that it is our responsibility to preserve it for future generations to come. However, this family was more than likely not aware of the historic value of Arbutus Lodge, hence the fate which fell upon it this week. Thank gosh we saved Jerome's Celtic Cross just in the nick of time.

(pictured: an old piano charred from a previous

fire and demolished along with the home)

Photos: Courtesy Ronnie Herlihy.

An Air Of Excitement

For the past two weeks I have had this air of excitement around me that I can't quite understand where it's coming from. I wrote Ronnie that it's like staring at a Christmas present, you don't know what's inside the box, you just know it's gonna be good. And that's how it's been for me these two weeks since I made contact with a geological site out on the east coast that has everything to do with Uncle Jerome. Things took a turn for the better, emails have been flying in stating photos are being sent to us, letters are being scanned for me, and even city council meeting minutes are being pulled from the year of 1973 just to find a connection to Jerome. I made a really lovely contact with the wife of a now deceased author, unfortunately she couldn't help by giving more info, but speaking with her confirmed that I can move on to other new leads. I thanked her as the book her husband wrote has given me great insite into a part of Uncle Jerome's life that our family didn't know about until recently, and that I think was something she was grateful to hear, knowing their book helped someone on a significant level.

Ronnie stated he sent a request to a local paper in Cork asking to find relatives in hopes they might have more info about the Collins family in Cork, Ireland. I'm crossing my fingers and toes the paper will print the request, and praying someone will step forth to lay claim to my family. It would be great to meet long-lost relatives, and to learn more about them.

The research is easy when there is a goal, this is one thing I am learning along the way. It's something I'm passionate about. The support I am getting all over the world from different contacts have made all the difference too, they are all like personal cheerleaders urging me and pushing me on to write this book with Ronnie. It's humbling to know there are people out there who have a great interest in Uncle Jerome's life, and it's with honor and a sense of pride that I go forth.
With that said, part II of our story on Uncle Jerome just came out in Western Australia, and this is the cover of the latest Irish Scene Magazine that Fred Rea, the editor, sent on to me. I took a look inside and they organized our story so nicely with a beautiful layout, with a few surprising photos that Fred included as well. That guy has a good eye, and I'm still grateful for him letting us tell Jerome's story.

Between this new article coming out, and my new discoveries about Jerome on the east coast, you'd think that would be the icing on the cake. But it's not. Last Friday I wrote to some very important people in Cork, including the Lord Mayor of Cork City, the Heritage Officer, the County Archaeologist (Catryn Power), and the Divisional Manager of South Cork, Declan Daly and Mary O'Halloran. Here is a copy of my letter:

Dear Mr. Daly, (CC: The Lord Mayor, Cllr. Donal Counihan; Catryn Power, Cork County Archaeologist; Cork City Heritage Offier Niamh Twomey)

I understand you've held correspondence with my colleague Ronnie H. regarding the work that needs to be done to my family's Celtic Cross monument at Curraghkippane cemetery, as you know not only the Collins' family is buried there but the Irish Nationalist Jerome J. Collins who holds many achievements under his belt. Jerome's Celtic Cross at Curraghkippane is now in a dire straight, it poses a threat to all who visit the cemetery should it fall on anyone due to the severity of the tilt. It also poses a threat to other monuments at the cemetery should it fall and shatter on them should a gale arise. Not only is my GG GrandUncle Jerome buried at that site, but also my GGG GrandFather, GGG GrandMother, Jerome's brother, and possibly his uncle or grandfather. As I stated, Jerome was an Irish Nationalist, true to his country and homeland of Ireland. It is a downright pity that his grave is not decorated every year by the City Council and the County Council for his and his father's services to the City and County of Cork, not to mention Jerome's outstanding achievements as an individual towards Meteorology, Engineering, the founder of the Clan na Gael, and is a recipient of the Congressional Gold Medal in America. I have pleaded with the County Council to re-erect his monument for almost 2 years now, through the aid of Catryn Power and Ronnie H.'s requests, but appropriate funds are not made for a mason. Let me assure you, the Celtic Cross has blown down once before, it can happen again. I insist that Jerome's Celtic Cross not be left in this dishonourable state of which it is now in. Letting it remain in this poor state gives the impression that the City of Cork and the County of Cork will forever let Jerome J. Collins be forgotten. Letting the Celtic Cross remain in this poor state also reflects poorly on the City of Cork and the County of Cork in that they do not care about their heroes, that they'd rather forget their Irish heroes than pay the proper honour and respect due. Is is my wish that the Celtic Cross be re-erected, and properly decorated every year to honour Jerome Collins. I will also be addressing Cork City Heritage Offier Niamh Twomey about the preservation of the family home as a historical marker as it's the birthplace of Jerome Collins.
I am more than willing to contribute proof of Jerome's outstanding achievements. I have attached articles I co-authored with Ronnie H. of Cork City and of the South Parish Historical Society last year. There is also an article about myself and my fight to clear Jerome's name through the US Navy in America which appeared in the Cork Evening Echo last November. Both Ronnie and I have on separate occasions been interviewed by Tom MacSweeney on RTE Radio 1 Seascapes programme about Jerome. We also ran Jerome's story in The Holly Bough of 2006, with our most recent article coming out down in Western Australia this past month. We are co-authoring Jerome's biography, most of our research has been accomplished and writing has begun. I hope my blog may provide some insight into the work I am doing on behalf of my ancestor:

It is my hope that the Cork County Council and the Cork City Council will step up to the plate and aid my family to properly restore honour to Jerome Collins and that of the Collins family from Cork. The death of Jerome at the young age of 40 in Siberia was a tragedy; the fact that he has been forgotten by his country of Ireland is an even greater tragedy. I trust you will all do what is right and expedite this matter appropriately. I initially made my first request through Catryn Power, Cork County Archaeologist, to re-erect the monument in the fall of 2005. She did all she could on my behalf, which I am ever so grateful for. It is very hard to accept that a prestigious government such as Cork County is taking this long to act upon my request as a living family member, it is even harder to accept that my ancestor's grave is forgotten by a country he held close to his heart and always put first in every aspect of his life up until his death on the frozen tundra in Siberia in 1881. John Devoy would have been appalled, he was a great friend to Jerome and his brother Dr. Daniel F. Collins (who is my GG Grandfather). In fact, Devoy wrote that a statue commemorating Jerome should be placed at the North Gate Bridge in Jerome's honour, which you all know was previously engineered by Jerome and made from cast iron. Devoy also saved my GG Grandfather's life, testimony to the strong ties my family had to the freedom of Ireland.

I would like to view the engineer's report of the Celtic Cross, someone made a visit there this spring and cleared away all the debris and greenery to inspect the base of the monument. I await to hear from you, and thank you for your time Mr. Daly. Kind Regards,~Amy J.

Before I go on any further, I should add that Ronnie wrote his own letter a few months ago pretty much stating the same concerns as I expressed. His letter was the catalyst that sought the initial funding in the spring, and it seems my letter would be the straw that broke the camel's back. Last night Ronnie skyped me and asked if I received the email from Catryn. I said, "no, I've been running errands for the day and just put my son in the bath". So he proceeded to read her email to us:

Sent: Wednesday, August 22, 2007 10:14 PM
Subject: you won at lasthi amy and roger well done, you have got 10,000 euros for the repair of the memorial; one of the engineers is getting tenders for its repair. ronnie should have a letter by now. catryn
I hooted and hollered and waved my hands in the air when he read this. I celebrated last night over a bottle of wine, and this morning I called Catryn, Mary, and Declan in Cork to thank them personally for approving the funding. Mary's claim is that the site is just flat out unsafe, and provides a danger to anyone who visit's the Celtic Cross, therefore justifying the need for repair.

The first person I called last night was Cousin Louise, she was so overjoyed and feels Jerome and the family had a hand in all this coming about. I couldn't agree more.

That Christmas present I mentioned at the beginning arrived last night, the feeling of something good about to happen, and this was it, the moment was here. I am so happy that Jerome's Celtic Cross will finally be put in a presentable, safe, and honourable state. He and his parents and brothers deserved nothing less.

Two down, two to go. Meaning we found the diary, we got Jerome's cross fixed. All's left to do is find his Congressional Gold Medal or seek a replacement, and keep on the Navy to remove the charges on Jerome's record which will finally set him free from arrest and suspension.

Oh... and continue writing a book about all this............ ;)