Fitting out a youth hostel
I give you extracts from a notebook which bears the name on the flyleaf of J. C. Coleman, 39, Upper John Street, Cork. On the top it says very professionally- for details of constructing bunks etc see back of the book- and written at the bottom in pencil are the aims and objects of the association :-

The primary object of the association is to help all especially young people of limited means to a greater knowledge, care and love of the countryside particularly by providing hostels or other simple accomodation on their travels.

The list of items required to setup a hostel and the trojan work undertaken by the early work parties beggars description. I started to list the costings of some of the materials but came across the construction notes.

fit skylight glass, repair ceiling , close up wall cavity, loose flag bedded, remove door, repair range, plaster wall, close fireplace , brush stone arch, repair chimney, guttters missing.

£ s d
684 3 x 2 prepared 4 14 1
333 11/4 x 5/6 '' 7 6
55 2 x 2 '' 5 0
80 3 x 7/8 '' 5 0
60 9 x 5/8 '' 9 2
48 9 x 1 '' 9 0
_____________
6 9 9

24 Canvas Bunks 6 12 9
Strap Iron, Bolts & Washers,
Hardware, Lock etc
Window Catches 2 9 8

Finances

I dont really know where the money came from as the organisation was founded on a mere £5. -Anyway the work in Cork went on at a fierce pace. A grant of £3 was received from Y. H. A. Dublin and straight away Cork spent £4 - 14-21/2.

£ s d
1Tin Blue 1Tin Yellow Enamel 1 4

3 Lge Panes Glass + Putty 2 1

Drawing pins 4

51/2yds Table(Heavy Duty) Oil Cloth 7 101/2
Bunk Cork 20/1/39 M.Murphy 6 8
2 lbs Walnut Stain 1 4
Phone calls 1 8
Paraffin Oil ( 3 Gals) 2 8
Meths. Spirits 6
Lorry 2 7 6
Dowels 1 0
Sheet Iron 12 9
Nuts & Bolts & Rivets 9
Stove Enamel 1 3
Oil Tap 2 6
2 Mirrors 1 0
Turps 5
Oil Linseed 4
Toilet Paper 6d
Telegram 1 9 ______________
4 14 21/2

Transport
Getting all these items to a hostel often posed a problem - as money was scarce and very little could be got from a non- existent Central fund. There was no use appealing to Council (the governing body) then as it hadn`t come in to being. Cork owes a lot to its lorry driver J.P. Casey from Mary St, Cork.

Max Beaton at 23 Dunluce Rd. and Jack Sutton at 34 Lambay Rd. Drumcondra were the contact men in Dublin.
References for supplies were;
Dockrells, 881 ,St. Georges St.
Brookes Thomas , Lwr Abbey St.
Arnotts of Henry St.
Hodgins of Aston Quay

The quest for another hostel nearer home went on apace. In January and February of '39 when we weren't away busily preparing Mountain Lodge for its official opening, we cycled to any area where we had heard that there was a house for rent and many a likely and unlikely building was examined.

Preparations for the Opening

A long '' workparty'' weekend was held in the "Lodge" and bunks and tables were taken up by lorry on the 16th March.

Mick Murphy and I spent St. Patricks Day wetting the Shamrock on the roof of the hostel with endless cups of tea sent up on a pulley to keep us warm. We repaired the chimney by hacking out and replacing loose pots and fixing the cracks in the coping.
We unpacked the latrines and made use of materials found locally. Sand came from the river and wood from the nearby trees.

On the following day we made cement and mortar forms (cost1/7) first drawing water from the river. We had a flying visit from Theckla Beere, P.Thompson and Sean O Briain and a meeting was fixed for Cobh on the 20th April.

On Easter Monday 4 bags of coal were purchased from Mrs Duggan, Burncourt who was one of the Government designated coal suppliers to the Cork members.

Signs
.Signs were made up for Mountain Lodge and these were all in Irish ie brug, Seomra Lae, Codhlann na mBan agus na bhFear, Seomra Bidh, Priomheadach, Brughaidh, Cistin, Nigheachdan.

Just after Easter 39 Mr & Mrs David Connors, Old Shanbally , Burncourt , Cahir, Co. Tipperary moved in as wardens of Mountain Lodge.

The Opening
The great day came on the 21st May 1939. 8 men and 2 women went up from Cork and the others were to follow later. There was a charge of 6d for tea to create some funds and the visitors were free. Theckla Beere wrote to Rochelle for the loan of an urn. She was told to be sure and invite Fitzgerald and Flynn of the I.T.A (Irish Tourist Association).

Frank Cleary who was in charge of firewood and cooking had procured 2 gallons of paraffin for 1s-8d hoping to use it for cooking.
Instead he found himself he found cooking on what was to be for years afterwards the famous outside fire. This was at the back of the hostel and consisted of an old range top resting on stones kept going by sticks and faggots. Any coal was kept for the wardens' use and logs were hewn for use in the beautiful round common room.