The Sun.
London, England, 1852-06-12 00:00:00

EVENING,

J UNE'

THE CORK EXIIIBITION.
CORK, WEDNESDAY.—I 7 the month of I I7t
rearrecteble'aenl-72110f
Mr. Daniel Corbetr, a highly
Cork, accompaniA by Mr. John Shea, his
Bo
and ex--dayor of Cork, waited upon Sir Thernisa-Dnie-alaw
and suggested to him the propriety of taking
step
to have an Exhibition of the industrial products
oftes
province of Munster. Sir Thomas Deane at first
considered that the proposition Was not one which
would be received by the public with complete satisfac-
tion and general reliance upon the success of the under-
taking; he feared that the unrivalled splendour of the
Exhibition held in the Crystal Palaca would cast an
Irish Exhibition into the shade, but upon reflection,
he came to tho conclusion that even if it should be
impossible to collect the material products to such an
extent as to render the Exhibition creditable to
the country, the fine art department would be so ca..
Celiear, embracing, as it would, the works of some of
our most eminent artiste, that it would redeem the Ex-
hibiien, if otherwise defective. Under these circum-
stances, Sir Thorns Doane exproesecl his approval of
tee plan, end promi6ed to co-operate heart and hand
with those by whom it had been projected. A public
meeting was held in Cork, at whica Mr. Corbett ex-
planed his views. Lord a:,ruard, Sir Robert Ktue, and
Sir Themes Deane also addressed the meeting, and a
commi.tee was termed to carry out the object of the
meeting. _ _ _

After the committee had been formed, Sir Thomas
Deane and Sir Robert Kane waited upon the Earl of
Clarendon, who highly approve d of the projeto, and
subscribed 501. in order to aid in carrying out a pro-
ject so hie:le:tent. The Noble Earl suggested that
it persons from other hairs of Inland wished to
send in articles to be exhibited, it wouki be wieldable
to permit them to do so, end the object which the
Cotnmitteo had in view would be carried out mere
effectually by extending their operations so that it might
become a national undertaking. After this interview
with the Earl Clarendon, the deputation returned to Cork,
having previously had a consultation with some of the
eminent manufacturers of Dublin. Upon the return of the,
deputation to Cork, a meeting of the committee was belt,
and it was finally determined to make the Exhibition a
national one in the largest sense of the word. It was then
arranged that a deputation, consisting of Mr. Corbett
and Mr. Shea, should proceed to Dublin, with direc-
tions to co-operate with Mr. John C. Deane, the son
of Sir Thomas Deane. The deputation, having come
to Dublin, called on that gentlemen, and he at once
promised to do everything in his power to forward
their views. The deputation waited upon the Right
Honourable the Lord Mayor, and his Lordship sum-
moned a meeting at the Mansion-house, which was
attended by the leading manufacturers and citizens of
Dublin. Resolutions were adopted at that meeting ap-
proving of the measure, and the metropolitan stamp was
given to it. Mr. Joim C. Deane was appointed secre-
tary to the metropolitan committee, which numbered
among its members some of the most distinguished and
influential of the citizens of Dublin and its neighbour-
hood.
The Hon. Secretaries next proceeded to Belfast,
where they had interviews with the mayor and the lead-
icg manufacturers of the city and its vicinity, by whom
they were received in a flattering and highly favour-
able manner. They then visited Drogheda, Lime-
rick, Clonmel, and Waterford, and were received with
the utmost enthusiasm. The applications for space
in the building became to numerous, and the
encouragement from England was so warm, and ' ,
afforded such a prospect of cordial and generous
co-operation, that the committee in Cork determined to
constrnet a budding worthy of the great efforts that were
being made to develop the arts, manufactures, and ma-
terials of the country. We may here do justice to the
services rendered to the object in view by Mr. C. P.
Roney, through whom large sums of money were pro-
cured. He was appointed au honourable member of the
Executive Committee of Cork, in testimony of the zeal,
ability, and earnestness which he had displayed.
Through his exertions also the Electric Telegraph
Company sent over one of their officers for the purpose
of showing the process complete in the building dedi-
cated to the Exhibition. The telegraph could not cer-
tainly come under the head of Irish manufacture, but it
bore so much upon the true interests of the country that
the committee did not hesitate to allow it to be included
in the Exhibition, and we doubt that ere long this won-
der of the world will be in full operation between Dub-
lin and Cork.
As soon as it was discovered that the Exhibition was
to extend to all Ireland, the utmost exertion, as we have
already said, was made; a suite of rooms rarely to be met
with were erected in th incredibly short space of about
six weeks, the great object of national importance
urging, and a people smitten by Providence endeavouring
to make an effort to rise Against despondence, made every
one of a practical committee alive to this patriotic move-
ment. The architectural department was committed to
the hands of Sir Thomas Deane and Hr. J. Benson,
architects, who gave their services gratis, working night
and day to accomplish the great work. Sir Thomas
Deane went to London personally to wait on his country-
men, the Irish artists of celebrity there, who to a man
responded to his wishes. In his absence Mr. Beason
designed the Fine Arts Hall, which does him so much
honour; and on the return of Sir Thomas Deane to
Cork, both these patriotic architects worked in perfect
harmony together in completing the several buildings.
Having given these details relative to the origin
and progress of this approaching manifestation of the
industrial power of Ireland, we will now describe
the building in which the Exhibition will take
place. It is situated at the Corn-market, which
was erected about twenty years since, the Corn Ex-
change
being one of the principal halls. The various
additions for the purposes of the Exhibition—namely,
the banquet-room, ball and reception rooms, kitchen,
&c., have been erected on the spacious area of the
market, which contains about five acres, surrounded by
streets, and on one side adjoining the south branch o:
the river Lee, which runs in the channel through the
city of Cork.
'fne entrance or northern hall (the Corn-Exchange),
entered from the (pup, is 76 feet square and 50 feet
high, divided into nave and aisles, the nave rising into
a species of clerestory, with elevated side lights. This
fine apartment contains in various glass cases all
the fine texture articles—damask, linens, tabinets,
crochet, embroidery, &c. From this hall is a noble
arched entrance, 20 feet wide, descending by six steps
into one of the finest rooms in Europe—the Fine
Arts Hall, 182 feet by 53 feet in the centre, 45 feet
high; it has an arched roof in one span, with laminated
timber girders, and a continuous top light in the centre,
8 feet 6 inches at each side. The extreme end is circu-
lar, where is placed a noble organ, and an orchestra to
contain 200 performers: the latter temporary, to be
removed after the first day's performance of the ode.
The view from the northern hall of this beautiful room,
now filled with sculpture and painting, is magnificent, and
to those who watched the rapid progress of its erection
appears magical. The united length of these rooms, seen at
one time, is 258 feet, running north and south. Running
east and west, adjoining the north hall, and crossing the
Fine Arts Hall, is a transept 320 ft. long by 30 ft. wide,
adjoining which to the south at each end are halts, each
about 130 by 80 feet—ia all six great halls for Vie va-
rious purposes of the Exhibition, with committee and
refreshment rooms and various offices attached, spat i nis
courts, &c. The Exhibition building, filled with the va-
rious objects of art and industry, and crowded by all classes
and grades will present a brilliant coup d'ccil. The spen-
did arch of the dome, with its moulded cornice, adorned
with shields and banners, supported on retiring
columns backed with crimson drapery, oversha-
dows a lengthened perspective of beautiful sta-
tuary, gems of art, gushing fountains, and gorgeous
fabrics, whose converging lines, from floor, wall, and
ceiling, meet and concentrate on a magnificent organ.
The fountain, which will be supplied from the Pipe
Water Company's works, is of a pyramidal form, the
base consisting GE a circular reservoir, 13 feet in dia-
meter, and two foot deep, with rock-work supporting
three dolphins reversed, each spouting water. The en-
twined tails of the dolphins uphold a tazza,
formed of a large shell four and a half feet
diameter, with water flowing over; in it three mer-
maids support a smaller tazza three and a half feet
diameter, of a similar form, from which rises a
Triton blowing a conch shell, whence a copious jet flows,
rising to the height of 16 feet, and forming the apex of
the whole. The fountain is surmounted by emblemati-
cal figures and vases of flowers. At distances through
the room large ornamental vases filled with exotics and
native flowers are placed.
At the rear of the Exhibition buildings, and adjoining
the southern street, are the banquet hall, the reception-
room, &c. The banquet-hall, which is capable of enter-
taining 500 persons, is 90 feet by 70 feet, and 40 feet high,
beautifully decorated, and having nine splendid glass
lustres, to be lighted with gas. The decoration and
fitting up of the hall was under the direction of Mr.
Mr.
M Richard Dillon Boylan, of Dublin, who displayed
uCh taste and ingenuity in the manner in which he ear-
Ted out the views of the committee. The vestibule,
Which is of a circular form, looks like a splendid eastern
pavilion, adorned with rich hangings, mirrors, and
.far-
niture en suite. This, with the great receptton-
oom and ante-room, form a suite of apartments. The
room and ante.room, form a suite of apartments. The
vestibule leads into a well-proportionedd and s acious
drawing-
lively brilliant of conical form, which is
.decorated with
lively brilliant colours, after the Parisian mode,
ocentrives a double debt to pay," as it serves the double
purpose of an ante-room for the guests at the banquet,
and a supper and promenade-room during the ball. The
cornices aro ornamented with shields, and vases of
flowers are placed in the niches. It leads by an easy ap-
proach and decorated archway into the banquet-hall and
ball-room. The latter apartment is fitted up with deco-
rations in tho French style, of the richest description. The
wllB aro hung with drapery of white and yellow bands,
witha a showy cornice of the same material. The sup-
porting pillars boar narrow longitudinal stripes 01 purple
e and midway from the ground a graceful
aa
trophy-w 01 feslrres, shields, and banners, forms a striking
n
sment, The seat intended for the Lord-Lieutenant
ornament'
has been fitted up with rich hangings of Irish damask,
and surmounted by a canopy of equally gorgeous ma-
terial. 5
At each side of the room are recesses for wine
and the other requisites for tho table. The
coolers
department reminds ono of the olden time; the
roasting grate alone is twelve feet long, with hot hearth,
charcoal stoves, platform for kettles, &c.
Cork is like a bee-hive—full of life, expectation,
energy' bustle, business; a great impetus has been given
to trade; human industry is awake end active. It
was glorious to witness how the workmen laboured;
here were the anxious architects running to and fro to
so that their designs and plans were accurately ob-
served, there were seen the members of the committee
actively Occupied in giving their directions. There is
net a tradesman in the city of Cork unemployed.
CORK, THURSDAY EVENING.—Tho Irish National
Exhibition was duly ineugnreoed this day by his Ex-
Hence? the Earl of Egliuton, under circumstances well
calculated to make a lasting impression upon the en-
lightened elnueA in this country, The eldbot inhabitant