Medal Society of Ireland

by Fred Heatley

When we were very young, there was always a large bronze medal on the wall of our little Artisans dwelling house. It always fascinated me. “He died for honour and glory,” it said. As l grew older, l learned that it was given to my father's mother as her husband had died in the Great War. It was always a part of my growing up and a feature of our home. In time, l started to ask about this granddad I never knew. Nor did I ever learn what part he played in this “Great War.” There was very little information forthcoming, not that any one was ashamed of him, but because my father's mother died in 1918 when he was very young. Fred, my father, and his two brothers, Charlie and Christy, were left orphaned and relatives from both sides of the Moran/ Heatley families raised them. My brothers and I often asked about him, as young boys do. “Dad, tell us about your Da in the war, did he kill anyone? Where did he fight, how did he die, Dad?” “Dad, did he get any medals?” “Yes” we were told, but they were up in Uncle Jimmy's house. “Dad, when are you going to go up and ask for granddad's medals?'' He never really got around to it and Uncle Jimmy died and the location of the medals died with him. We never really got much information about the war, sadly, because there was not a lot known in the family. All we learned was that he was in the Dardenelles and France and he was killed somewhere in the latter country. We never thought to ask about his grave, we just assumed he had one!

by James Scannell

On Sunday 13 November, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin was the location for a Remembrance day service at which the attendance included President Mary McAleese and her husband, who was greeted on arrival at the cathedral by Major-General David O’Morchoe, president of the Royal British Legion in the Republic of Ireland, the Very Rev. Robert MacCarthy, the Dean of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and Frank Robinson, chairman of the Royal British Legion in the Republic.

by Liam Dodd

Major C.N. Brownhill M.C. of the Irish Guards died in Johannesburg General Hospital yesterday. He was found unconscious in his car on the road half way between Pretoria and Johannesburg and was taken into Johannesburg.

by Liam Dodd

An interesting ceremony took place last Thursday in the barrack square of the R.I.C. Depot when Sir Hamar Greenwood presented Constabulary medals to Mrs. Kane, widow of the late Sergeant Kane, who was killed in defending the Kilmallock barracks, and also to Constable Path, who was wounded while driving Mr. Roberts, Assistant Inspector General, and in spite of wounds brought his car to safety.

by Liam Dodd

The American Legation wishes to announce that in accordance with the established practice of the United States Government of returning the bodies of deceased soldiers home for burial when so requested by the next-of-kin, there will arrive at Collinstown Airport on July 5th, three military aircraft containing the remains of the following men from Ireland who died in the American Armed Services during the last war.

by Patrick J. Casey