Cork, Ireland's Lord Mayor, Dan Boyle, visited the site of the future Mother Jones sculpture on November 16, 2024. He is a native of Chicago, Illinois, and expressed his excitement that Mary Harris Jones will have this significant honor. He met with a few of our committee and one of our sculptors, as well as the City of Chicago's project director. We were honored that he took time out of his schedule to visit this site.
I shared the story of how our project was initiated at the Maldron Hotel in Cork after a few of us attended the Cork Festival. Our connection with Cork's Festival has always been an inspiration for project leaders.
In his comments to us at the site, the Lord Mayor commented that our project will be an inspiration to Cork as well, and credited the Cork Spirit of Mother Jones Festival with having had a profound effect on the revival of the memory of Jones in Ireland, and connecting past and present.
He also shared that the portrait below which is prominently displayed in Chicago's Consulate Offices, is also displayed in the Lord Mayor's offices in Cork. It was a gift from the Cork Festival committee. This is art commissioned by the Chicago consultate, created by Lindsay Hand, who has been a longtime associate of our project.
Above: Margaret Fulkerson, Brigid Duffy (members of the Chicago committee), Kathleen Farrell, (sculptor), Cork Lord Mayor Dan Boyle, Rosemary Feurer, (project director) Ireland's Consul General for Chicago and the Midwest Brian Cahalane, and Nathan Mason, Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. The groups is standing in front of the Water Tower and near the site of the future sculpture.
Kathleen Farrell, one member of the team of sculptors for the project, shared previews of the sculpture that is underway with the Lord Mayor and Patricia Looney, Cork's Librarian, who arranged the meeting. Kathleen and Patricia are standing almost exactly at the location of the new sculpture, which will be along the pathway. Both visitors noted the large number of people who walked past during the hour or so of our visit.
The Water Tower is an iconic place in Chicago's history. It survived the Great Fire of 1871, which had such a profound effect on Jones' life, starting her course toward activism.
Comments