84 years ago today, 8 September 1936 the President of the Irish Free State Government, éamon de Valera, declared the Cork City Hall officially open.

The Irish Industrial Exhibition was a world fair held in Cork Ireland in 1852, the first to be held in Ireland (then part of the UK). It was housed in the Albert Quay area in a cruciform building designed by John Benson with three wings given over to industrial exhibits such as whiskey, projectile shells, hydraulic presses, Valentia Slate and gingham and a fourth to fine arts.

After the exhibition, the building became the Cork City Hall and offices for Cork Corporation.

In December 1920, during the War of Independence, units of the British Army occupation forces burned down a considerable part of the City of Cork, including the City Hall.

Eventually it was decided to erect a new civic office and a competition was organised to select a design. Following a design competition, designs by Alfred Jones and Stephen Kelly (Jones and Kelly architects, based in Dublin) were selected, and the construction contract for the replacement civic buildings awarded to John Sisk and Son. 

The foundation stone of the new City Hall building was laid by éamon de Valera on 9 July 1932. The British Government accepted responsibility for the destruction of the old City Hall and as a result the cost of this new building was provided by the British Government as a gesture of reconciliation. The building was constructed of limestone from the Blackrock quarries. The stone was cut and dressed in the contractor's workshops under the supervision of William Ellis. Practically all the fittings were made locally. On 24 April 1935, Cork Corporation held a meeting in the new hall for the first time. The building was completed in 1936 and Mr de Valera was once again invited to perform the opening ceremony. The Lord Mayor, Sean French, and the city councillors proceeded to Tivoli to greet Mr de Valera and escort him to the City Hall.

The military guard of honour that provided an escort consisted of a mounted troop of army cavalry, attired in blue and gold uniforms, black bearskin headgear and orange plumes.

The Lord Mayor hosted a lunch in the Victoria Hotel at which there were 130 guests, including the former Head of Government, Mr W.T. Cosgrave, General Mulcahy and Mr Frank Aiken. After lunch the party adjourned to the City Hall where the President was greeted by a fanfare of trumpets. Three thousand guests were present.