A most interesting items of Cork Mayoral history features in Woodwards special Silver and Art auction on October 24 th.
It is a silver Claret Jug with the Coat of Arms of the City of Cork and the dates 1893 – 1894 inscribed.
It comes from a local family who are descendants of former Mayor Augustine Roche, 1893-1893 who has the distinction of being the only person to hold the office of Mayor and Lord Mayor.
(Michael) Augustine Roche (1849 – 7 December 1915) was an Irish Parliamentary Party politician from Cork. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1905 to 1910, and from 1911 until his death.
Roche was a wine merchant with premises at 40, King Street (now Mac Curtain Street) Cork. He lived at 73, Douglas Street and was elected to Cork Corporation in 1883 and held the position of Mayor of Cork in 1893 and 1894 and Lord Mayor of Cork in 1904. He was the only person to hold the positions of both Mayor and Lord Mayor of Cork
He held the seat until his death in December 1915, aged about 66
He returned unopposed as Member of Parliament for the City of Cork as a Nationalist in 1905;
re-elected in 1906, and again re-elected at the General Election in January, 1910.; unsuccessfully contested the Constituency
at the General Election of December, 1910; entered the Corporation of the City of Cork, in 1883; was Mayor of the City
for the two years, 1893 and 1894 ; on retiring was presented with a magnificent service of silver and an illuminated album
containing signatures of nearly 400 of the chief citizens of Cork and County, with an Address commemorating his services as
mayor, which include the initiation of the Poor Children's Summer Excursion to the Seaside and Christmas Dinner, still
maintained, of which he is proudest ; in 1893 . was instrumental in the Corporation passing a vote of congratulation to the then Bishop of Cork (Dr. Gregg) on his elevation to the Primacy of Armagh, which elicited a warm personal letter of thanks from the Archbishop-elect ; High Sheriff, 1902-3; organised in that year, in conjunction with Lord Chief Justice O'Brien, an International boat race on the River Lee in which the Berlin Rowing Club competed , which resulted in his being deputed by the citizens of Cork to go to Berlin to present the Cup given by the City of Cork to the Berlin Rowing Club, as a souvenir of their visit to Cork, in connection with which he was elected an Honorary Life Member of the Berlin Rowing Club, and was treated as the guest of the Emperor; Lord Mayor in 1904 ; entertained in that year Cardinal Vanutelli, Legate of the Pope, and was in recognition decorated with the Cross, " Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice," by Pius X . ; has been a life long collector of antiques and curios, and has amassed a priceless and varied collection, which forms a special department (on loan) at the Cork School of Art; is the only citizen of Cork who has been Mayor and Lord Mayor of the city.