To-Read-Article-Click-Here

8 November 2020 Sunday Independent ∼ COMMENT 31 War diaries of Rev convent chapel at Locre. He was buried on June 8 in the convent John Redmond show grounds in a funeral service at- how he cared for tended by men of both the Royal Inniskillings and the Royal Irish nationalist MP Willie Regiment. Private Meeke, about whom Redmond as he died, Eleanor Redmond had enquired, writes Brian Walker survived and for his bravery on the day he was awarded the Military Medal. He survived the war and returned home but died of tuber- culosis in 1923. ODAY, Remembrance He died too late for his grave Sunday, services and to be marked by a commonwealth ceremonies to remem- war memorial headstone and he ber all the Irish who was buried in an unmarked grave. served and died in REMEMBER Recently local people have erected TWorld War I will be greatly restrict- a headstone in his memory. ed due the pandemic. Nonetheless, The Rev John Redmond also we should recall their example survived and three years later and loss. found himself in another vio- The story of the service and lent conflict, this time in his own death of Major Willie Redmond country. MP, brother of nationalist leader A tale of courage He was one of a number of brave John Redmond, is well known. A clergy, including the Catholic bish- member of the 16th Irish Division, op of Cork, Dr Daniel Cohalan, who he died on June 7, 1917 at the Battle in 1920 were prepared to speak out of Messines and is buried at Locre and take action against violence in Belgium. He is the subject of from their own side. a valuable biography by Terence Redmond became vicar of St Denman. and kindness Patrick’s Church and parish in the What is not well known is that heart of industrial east Belfast. in his last hours he was looked When riots began in July 1920, after by a chaplain who by curi- he went on to the Newtownards ous coincidence was called John Road to stop loyalist rioters who Redmond. He was not a member were attacking and looting Catho- of the 16th Irish Division but a lic-owned premises and shops. Church of Ireland chaplain of the He organised bands of unarmed 36th Ulster Division. volunteers, mostly ex-servicemen, Recently the Rev John Red- to prevent rioting. mond’s war diaries and letters News of Willie Redmond’s death were donated to the Somme Mu- brought widespread reaction, with seum at Newtownards, Co Down. his wife and brother receiving They include a letter from Willie more that 400 messages of sym- Redmond’s widow Eleanor to Rev pathy, international and national, John Redmond, which is repro- including from the Pope, King duced here. George, Edward Carson and James In early June 1917, 56-year-old Craig. Major Willie Redmond, nationalist MP for East Clare, was based in ‘It was a source West Flanders, Belgium. He was a member of the 6th Royal Irish of joy to him that Regiment, part of the 16th Irish Division, recruited largely but not there was such a exclusively from the ranks of the Irish National Volunteers. friendly feeling In early June 1917 they fought in the Battle of Messines. The The Rev John Redmond between the two battle plan involved their attack holding a dog near Irish Divisions’ alongside men of the 36th Ulster Dranoutre, West Division, recruited mainly but Flanders, Belgium, not entirely from the ranks of the 12 June, 1917, a few Subsequently, as his biographer Ulster Volunteer Force. days after Willie Terence Denman noted in 1995: On leading his men from their Redmond’s funeral. “Willie Redmond, like all the na- trenches on the morning of June Photo: Imperial War Museum tionalist Irish who fought in the 7 at 3.10am, Willie Redmond was Great War, has been pushed to the wounded by shrapnel. He was margins of Irish history.” rescued by Private John Meeke, Since then there has been a of Bevarden, Ballymoney, a mem- great change in Ireland in atti- ber of the 11th Royal Inniskilling tudes towards those who served Fusiliers, who tried to carry him in the war. back behind the frontline but was Memorials have been restored himself wounded. He stayed with and new ones erected. At academic, him until stretcher-bearers from popular and political levels there is the 36th Ulster Division arrived. a new appreciation of the sense of Major Redmond was then taken duty and sacrifice of these soldiers to an advanced aid post of the 36th from north and south. Ulster Division at Dranoutre , near In June 2017 there were major Locre. It was at this point that he Letter from Eleanor Redmond, wife of Major Willie Redmond, events at Messines to mark the cen- encountered the 41-year-old Rev to Rev John Redmond dated 21 June 1917: tenary of the battle. A ceremony John Redmond, a Church of Ire- was held at Wytschaete to unveil land chaplain. Dear Rev Redmond, a memorial depicting John Meeke Although sharing a surname, Troops negotiating a carrying Willie Redmond off the the two men were not related. trench on one of the bloody I am indeed grateful to you for your kind letter and especially battlefield. Present were members Born in Co Armagh, John Red- battlefields of World War I for your goodness to my dear husband in his hour of need. of the Redmond and Meeke fam- mond’s family name was originally How glad I am that you were able to be with him and I am sure ilies, as well as Taoiseach Enda Redman — which they changed to he was pleased to find himself so tenderly cared for by the 36th Kenny, the Duke of Cambridge and Redmond at the end of the 19th Division. It was always to him a source of joy that there was such a Princess Astrid. century. A member of the 36th friendly feeling between the two Irish Divisions. There is no memorial to the Ulster Division, he had served at I wish you would please thank for me all your friends who helped Rev John Redmond. He remained the Battle of the Somme. Willie going to die. I helped the doctors June 21, 1917. This letter is among Division. It was always to him a him in his last hours. Is the soldier who first carried him alive and vicar of St Patrick’s for another 10 Redmond was brought to this aid dress his wounds. The doctor did John Redmond’s correspondence source of joy that there was such where is he, also the stretcher-bearers? I would especially like to years before moving to a small station on the morning of June 7. everything possible to ease his pain which has recently been deposited a friendly feeling between the two thank them. Perhaps sometime you would be good enough to let me rural parish. He died peacefully at The Rev John Redmond stayed and I did what I could to soothe in the Somme Museum at New- Irish Divisions.” have their names. the age of 91 on 17 July, 1967, half with him throughout the day him and cheer him up.” townards, Co Down, and is repro- She continued: “I wish you At first, when I heard from you, I felt sorry to think my husband a century after Messines, and is until he died from the shock of John Redmond continued: “He duced here with kind permission would please thank for me all your had been conscious and suffered, but after I felt it was all for the buried at Tartaraghan, Co Armagh. his wounds at around 6.30 in the asked me to write to you and give of the museum. friends who helped him in his best. Today we can recall his courage evening. He received the sacra- you the following messages. He She wrote: “I am indeed grate- last hours. Is the soldier who first If he could have known how great the victory was, I should have and service to others, including ments from Father Barrett, the sent you his love and said please ful to you for your kind letter and carried him alive and where is he, been glad - but God’s ways are not our ways and he knows best and Willie Redmond. Catholic chaplain of the 36th thank her for all that she has done especially for your goodness to my also the stretcher-bearers? I would I think takes us when we are most ready. Ulster Division. for me and tell her that if we do not dear husband in his hour of need. especially like to thank them. Per- Again, thanking you and wishing you blessing and success. Brian M Walker is Professor Emeritus After his death, the Rev John meet again in this world I hope we How glad I am that you were able haps sometime you would be good of Irish studies at Queen’s University Yours sincerely, Redmond wrote to Willie Red- shall meet in the next.” to be with him and I am sure he enough to let me have their names.” Belfast. He is author of ‘Irish History Eleanor Redmond mond’s wife, Eleanor: “When he Eleanor Redmond replied to was pleased to find himself so After his death Major Red- Matters: Politics, Identities and was brought in he said he was John Redmond in a letter dated tenderly cared for by the 36th mond’s body was moved to the From the Rev John Redmond Collection in the Somme Museum Commemoration’ (History Press) No one can win if polemical blame game on North continues We must avoid old narratives len was, it was one of many in ety forward positively in changing a new Ireland will look like.

Load more