WWI soldiers remembered

THE North Clare men who fought in World War I are remembered in a new book by Ennistymon historian and retired soldier Gerard O’Halloran, which is being launched on Friday in The Falls Hotel.

 

Men from North Clare and the Great War 1914 to 1918 will be launched at 4pm by local Senator Martin Conway.

Gerard is a retired Irish soldier, who served in Galway but has recently turned his skills to writing and has produced this publication, which catalogues the many North Clare men who fought in WWI.
“What I wanted to do is not to glorify war but to show the futility of war. It is not something you glorify. It’s a terrible thing that brings total misery and leads to the destruction of property and lives.

“I never fought in a war but I served in Lebanon as a medic on peace-keeping duties. It was part of my six-month tour. I didn’t like it and that’s why I never went back. I prefer serving at home,” he said.
Having always had an interest in the history of military life and a family with long-standing military association, Gerard decided to compile the information he had about the men from North Clare who served in the Great War.

He knew it would be a big undertaking and a challenging one but he decided to take it on and has spent the last four to six months formulating the publication and cataloguing each soldier.
“It’s done in a nice easy format. I put in the man’s name, army service number, his rank, the unit he served with, which division, if he died what cemetery he was buried in, who his next of kin was and where they were from,” he said.

Gerard explained that as many of the men who died were buried overseas, he went to great lengths to trace where they were buried, having travelled especially to visit memorial sites in Europe.
The first inkling Gerard had of writing the book came following the opening of the Irish Peace Park in Messines, Belgium in 1998. At the time, he explained, many people locally were doing their bit to remember those who fought for Irish freedom.

He explained that while many remembered the atrocities committed by the Black and Tans locally and those who fought to put a stop to it, he thought of the many memorials they had but how there are none to those who fought and died in WWI.
“I thought of them and felt it was time to remember what they did in the cause for peace in other countries,” he said.

His book reveals that there were well over 30 North Clare soldiers who died in the war and there were in the region of 150 who left long before to join the army.
When they returned from fighting, a lot had happened following the 1916 Rising. He explained that, as a result of this, many hid the fact they had served and were never honoured when they returned for their service during the war.
“When they came back, many sold their uniforms and hid their medals. The feeling against the British crown forces was very ripe at the time and the hatred was dominant because of the atrocities of the Black and Tans,” he said.

Gerard has sourced a number of photos of the North Clare men. Among them is Paddy Dillon from Ennistymon, who lost a hand in the war, Michael O’Connor from Doolin, Peter and Joseph Flaherty and Sergeant Major Tuohy.

His book will be available locally after this week’s launch.