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Cork’s Most Tragic Love Story
The tragic tale of Rebel hero, Michael Fitzgerald and his one true love – Miss Condon.
Video Transcript
– Cork’s most tragic love story.
The story of young rebel fighter, Michael Fitzgerald. Now, guys, they say the Irish, we love two things more than anything else; a good love story and a good funeral. Well, the story of Michael Fitzgerald, guys, has both.
So now, my name’s Dara, this is the Rebel City tour. If you’re looking for things to do in Cork, check out my rebel guide to Cork City. And I give tours of the city, essentially. So, no, here we go, guys.
Where are we? Let’s set the scene. We’re outside St. Peter and Paul’s church in Cork City, Cork City Center, just off Patrick Street. This church plays a part in this love tale, Cork’s most tragic love story. It’s 1920, the Irish struggle for freedom against the British army and the British Empire continues.
Our young hero, Michael Fitzgerald, participates in an ambush on a British army patrol near his hometown of Fermoy, county Cork.
Now, Michael is captured in battle, he’s put in Cork City jail. While in Cork City jail, he decides he’s gonna go on hunger-strike. Michael is on hunger strike for 64 days at this stage. He’s weak, he’s in his cell, he’s dying. He’s surrounded by friends, family, some of the clergy.
Okay, at this point, Michael and his comrades who are on the hunger-strike also. Are receiving worldwide press attention. They’re bringing huge attention to the Irish cause and people all over the globe are supporting these guys. Now, the warden, I’ll talk about the warden for a second.
The warden of Cork City jail would’ve been part jailer, part political appointee. He would’ve been under strict instructions, treat these guys with carefully, don’t turn this into a press or a PR disaster. So the warden comes into Michael’s cell after 64 days, he takes a look at the dying Michael. And he says to Michael this, “Okay, Michael, you’re dying. You have about three days left to live. What’s your dying wish? What can we do to make your passing more comfortable?”
Now, at this stage, Michael pauses and thinks. He talks to his one true love, Miss Condon, and he proposes marriage. Now, Ms. Condon immediately says, yes, of course. Essentially, Michael says to the warden, “I want to get married to my one true love, Miss Condon. If I die, I can die a happy man. If I die – a married man!”
Now, guys, this is a grand gesture from Michael. So the warden, who, like I said, was a political appointee. Thinks about this for a minute and wonders how he can spin this request to his own advantage. So what he comes up with is this. He says, “Michael, that’s no problem whatsoever. You can get married, we can get a priest in here into your cell in the morning. You can marry your one true love, Miss Condon, before you die. I have no problem with that, but…”
…and the but is this guys, he said, “Michael, if you marry your one true love, Miss Condon. No other political prisoners none of your comrades in this jail, from that day forward, can receive visitors of any kind.” So, no family, no friends, no fiance, no kids, no wives,. The hunger strikers will have to die alone in their cells.
So, Michael considers this for a while. Now, as I said, he’s weak, he’s dying from the hunger. He has to consider, on the one hand, to fulfill his dying wish, marry his one true love, Miss Condon. And betray his comrades. Or on the other hand, die a single man, break his love’s heart. And die for his cause for Ireland. So what does Michael do?
Well, three days later, Michael dies in his cell a single man. His funeral is held here in St. Peter and Paul’s church. It’s a grand affair. The entire city comes out to see Michael off.
As we say in Irish, guys, we’d say, the city was “duv le deena” or black with crowds of people. Now, Michael’s funeral is held, his funeral mass is held here in St. Peter and Paul’s church. His coffin is drawn on a horse-drawn carriage through the city streets. He’s buried up in Fermoy, and there’s a three-gun salute over his coffin as the British army look on.
There’s so many people at his funeral, guys, that to intercede. There would’ve been a riot. So guys, that’s the story of Michael Fitzgerald. Cork’s, most tragic love story, young Cork City hero.
