Another new memorial in Ireland

[Michael Pegum]

A new Great War Memorial was installed in Navan, Co. Meath last November. It can be seen here.

It was organised and paid for by local Councils and historical societies, and carries the names of 139 men of the district who died as a result of the war, including 2nd. Lt. John Dunville, V.C., 1st (King's) Dragoons, att. 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons.

 

Michael

 

Edited 21 January , 2019 by Michael Pegum

[Margaretnolan]

Great to see more Memorials being unveiled in Ireland. Well done.

[Jervis]

Yes, it is great to see. It would be nice if the regiments/units were also included for research purposes, but good news nonetheless. 

[Michael Pegum]

If you click on the memorial, and then on 'Search for persons associated with this memorial', you will see the regiments, etc. They are taken from the book 'They Shall Grow Not Old. Navan’s Great War Dead'. The details of this book are given on the pdf of the 'Text and further information'. 

 

I agree that it is always better if this is given on the memorial itself, but I assume the committee decided there just wasn't room.

 

Michael

[Airshipped]

Great to see another memorial. Would be interested to see what criteria were used in determining Navan and district.

 

From a quick glance at the flying services I'd note Michael Hubert Francis Thunder. Although English-born, and resident in the Federated Malay States (and ultimately killed on home defence during the Norwich Zeppelin raids) he would've inherited a chunk of Co Meath. (The Land Commission redistributed the lands in 1926). Although his father was a Navan man his mother was the daughter of the English architect Augustus Welby Pugin, who designed churches all over Ireland. He probably stays under the Navan radar on that basis.

 

Similarly, Welsh-born Robert Sandeman Gaisford is notionally of Dolly's Grove, Dunboyne (which in recent years has changed hands as a stud farm and has an adjacent private airstrip) but the Gaisford family owned lands all around Co Meath, notwithstanding his mother's death at Dolly's Grove in 1926. Robert's father Douglas' death is recorded at Navan in June 1940.

 

It's a thankless task for any committee to decide who is sufficiently 'local' to the district to warrant inclusion, but every memorial is a welcome addition to the repository of knowledge - and particularly welcome given Ireland's selective amnesia on early 20th century history. 

[Ghazala]

Thanks Michael.  Looks great.