For Whom the Bells Tolled is the story of how the fire service in Cork evolved through centuries of bungling, incompetence, and human tragedy. Today, the sight of fire engines progressing through the streets of Cork, on their way to another incident, is commonplace. The people of Cork know that, in time of emergency, the fire service will answer their call for help with their state of the art equipment and highly-trained members. But it was not always so. in 1877, Cork Fire Brigade was established with just an officer and four men to serve a population in excess of 80,000. Previously, the Church of Ireland had provided fire engines (the ubiquitous 'parish pumps') to serve local communities. These were followed by the splendidly-uniformed personnel of the insurance companies 'Fire Engine Establishments', the first real attempt at an organised approach to fire suppression in the city. Filled with anecdotes, both tragic and amusing, For Whom the Bells Tolled is an animated and detailed account of the fire services in Cork, interwoven with a colourful history of the city itself.