Core Serena Ireland (1874-1943)

Portrait from the Urbana Daily Times Citizen, February 17, 1908.

   The following profile takes a brief look at the life of a man named Core--one Core Serena Ireland to be precise, and despite a truly strange first and middle name, Ireland gained a reputation as one of Urbana, Ohio's favorite sons, being at various times a banker, city council member, Champaign County sheriff and Sergeant-at-Arms of the Ohio Senate. Ireland rightly earns a place here on the site due to his being a three-time delegate from Ohio to the Republican National Conventions of 1916, 1932, and 1936.

  Born and raised in Champaign County, Ohio,  Core Serena Ireland's birth occurred in the town of Terre Haute on September 24, 1874, the son of James and Margaret Davis Ireland. As one of thirteen children, Ireland attended schools local to the town of Mad River and upon reaching the age of seventeen took on a teaching position in his native county, subsequently teaching at various county schools over a period of nine years. He married in November 1895 to Dessie E. Weaver (1876-1959), with whom he would have one son, Ralph Howard (1908-1977).

   Core Ireland made his first move into county politics in 1901 when he was named as the deputy treasurer for Champaign County, holding office until 1905. In November of the preceding year, he was elected as Sheriff of Champaign County with 4, 235 votes. He was re-elected sheriff in 1906 and during the 1908 election year served as the chairman of the Champaign County Republican Executive Committee. Ireland continued his ascent in public office in 1909 when he was chosen as the Sergeant-at-Arms of the Ohio Senate for the 1909-1911 term. 

   In 1916 Core Ireland was selected as part of the Ohio delegation to that year's Republican National Convention being held in Chicago that nominated Charles Evans Hughes for the Presidency. Ireland would later serve as an Ohio delegate on two further occasions, attending the Republican National Conventions of 1932 (held in Chicago) and 1936 (held in Cleveland).

   Attentive to political and civic affairs in his native city of Urbana, Core Ireland served as a city councilman from Urbana's third ward during the mid-1910s and also was a member of the board of directors of the People's Savings and Loan Company. Ireland would later hold the post of cashier of the Champaign National Bank beginning in 1927, and in 1940 succeeded to the presidency of that bank. He served in this capacity until his death at age 68 on August 12, 1943, "after an illness of several years." Memorialized as one of Champaign County's leading Republicans over a four-decade career in public life, Ireland was further remarked as having been

"Intensly loyal to his supporters and those he sought to aid, his political opinions were sought by political leaders throughout the state and although he never held any high political post, he was known to all Ohio politicians and his word carried considerable of weight with the Republican State Central Committee."

  Core S. Ireland was survived by both his wife and son, and all three were later interred at the Oak Dale Cemetery in Urbana.

From the Urban Daily Citizen, August 19, 1943.