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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Victoria Cross plaques in the South of Ireland?


Louis Gunn

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Current campiagn to have all those awarded the Victoria Cross in the Great War plaques in their honour. There must be plenty of VC winners in what is now Eire, are they going to get plaques too? Do we think that the prejudices of the Troubles have faded enough for these men to be commemorated without controversy?

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I had to do some research to find out exactly what you were asking. A simple Google search gives 37 Irishmen who were awarded VCs in WWI. By plaques I assume you refer to house plaques commemorating the men which I have just learned is happening in the UK. I am unsure why this should necessarily be extended to Ireland any more than say Canada, India, Australia or New Zealand. I would imagine the cost to the British taxpayer of such an endeavour would raise a few eyebrows.

The answer your last question is yes.

Dave.

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Thanks for the clarification Keith,

A great project, deserving every success.

Dave.

Absolutely but what about the soldiers from Southern Ireland, shouldn't they be honoured too?

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It is not within the remit of the British government to decide on commemoration within another country beyond obviously cemeteries in locations where they were gifted to that government, such as those on the Western Front. Each present country is entitled to consider to what extent and how it commemorates the Great War and it's dead and its heroes.

Keith

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  • 3 weeks later...

It is not within the remit of the British government to decide on commemoration within another country beyond obviously cemeteries in locations where they were gifted to that government, such as those on the Western Front. Each present country is entitled to consider to what extent and how it commemorates the Great War and it's dead and its heroes.

Keith

There are some headstones that commemrorate the VC awardees in Ireland http://www.royalmunsterfusiliers.org/b4doyle.htm

I for one would love to see a better system in Ireland, we don't even have a VC on display in any of our museums.

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Keith,

James Duffy VC, 6th Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers is buried in Letterkenny, Conwal Cemetery, Donegal. He died in 1969, his gravestone has the Inniskilling badge and the VC emblem etched into it although it's a private black marble headstone.

His sons name has been added to it.

He was well known in east Donegal and would attend the remembrance service in Londonderry. I don't think there has ever been any issue with his headstone, which clearly has the 'crown' on both the Skins badge and the VC badge.

And I also understand there is a bench in Letterkenny Park to commemorate him, put there in 2007.

I think for the number of Irishmen involved it would be a nice gesture from the UK but politics as they are someone would be offended.

If Scotland goes indie do we not give them their paving stones?

Just being a pedant. There are VC's in Ireland, they just happen to be in the Northern Regimental Museums, where the families donated them, including Duffy's.

Rob

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Keith,

James Duffy VC, 6th Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers is buried in Letterkenny, Conwal Cemetery, Donegal. He died in 1969, his gravestone has the Inniskilling badge and the VC emblem etched into it although it's a private black marble headstone.

His sons name has been added to it.

He was well known in east Donegal and would attend the remembrance service in Londonderry. I don't think there has ever been any issue with his headstone, which clearly has the 'crown' on both the Skins badge and the VC badge.

And I also understand there is a bench in Letterkenny Park to commemorate him, put there in 2007.

I think for the number of Irishmen involved it would be a nice gesture from the UK but politics as they are someone would be offended.

If Scotland goes indie do we not give them their paving stones?

Just being a pedant. There are VC's in Ireland, they just happen to be in the Northern Regimental Museums, where the families donated them, including Duffy's.

Rob

Another recently erected headstone(2004) to a VC holder in Mayo http://www.castlebar.ie/photos/ken-wright/coughlanvc/glry/

Rob, you are quite right about the VC's in NI,I even visited the skins museum in Enniskillen recently,the quality and quantity of exhibits was both impressive and mind boggling, I forgot about the VC's there :blush: the museum must be the best on the island.

I believe there was a naval VC on loan,displayed in the Soldiers and Chiefs exhibition in Collins Barracks Museum in Dublin, but do not recall the details.It would be great to see some famous Irish VC's displayed in the Republic for the centenary of the Great War.Maybe Lord Ashcroft/IWM should be approached.

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I for one would love to see a better system in Ireland, we don't even have a VC on display in any of our museums.
There is a display in the Sligo County Museum in Sligo about local man Martin Moffatt VC. Sadly his original medals are not on display, however there is a replica set of his medals.
VC, 14-15 Star, BWM, VM, CdeG (Belgium) and Medal Militaire (Belgium).
Dave
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Perhaps, as murrough has suggested, Lord Ashcroft/IWM should be approached to display his medals in Sligo at some stage.

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If Scotland goes indie do we not give them their paving stones?

Rob

I have many English friends and family but if ever a sentence encapsulates the problem I have with the historical United Kingdom / England ignorance that a lot of people seem to have about the nationalities of the men and women who served in HM forces in the wars of the 20th Century, this is it. How kind of you to think you are giving us (and I assume the other nations within the UK) our VC paving stones.

Douglas

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  • 2 weeks later...

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