Local Impacts of the First World
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LOCAL IMPACTS OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR 30th May 2014 _ 4th May 2015 Pin cushion, 1915 A “sweetheart” pin cushion sent home by William McGrath, who served with The Connaught Rangers, to his wife at Collins Row, Monaghan Row in Newry. Courtesy of Catherine Savage Réamhrá an Mhéara Mayor’s Foreword Gabhann an leabhrán seo le taispeántas a chíorann This booklet accompanies an exhibition which looks tionchar an Chéad Chogadh Domhanda ar cheantar an at the impact of the First World War on the Newry and Iúir agus Mhúrn. Mourne area. Tá suim mhór sa tionscadal seo; chomh maith leis an There is significant interest in this project, with local eolas a roinn daoine orainn faoi bhaill teaghlaigh a people donating and loaning objects to the exhibition, throid, agus i gcásanna áirithe a maraíodh, sa Chogadh as well as providing information on family members seo, bhronn muintir na háite rudaí ar an iarsmalann who fought, and in some instances were killed, in agus thug siad nithe eile ar iasacht dúinn. Léiríonn an the war. This vividly illustrates how an event which spéis seo an dáimh atá ag daoine sa lá atá inniu ann happened 100 years ago still resonates with us today. le heachtra a tharla céad bliain ó shin. Tá an tréimhse The period 1914 – 1918 was a pivotal one in Irish 1914 – 1918 lárnach i stair na hÉireann. Tá an Chéad history, and the First World War is one of the key Chogadh Domhanda ar cheann de na hócáidí is events within the wider Decade of Centenaries that still tábhachtaí i nDeich mBliana na gCuimhneachán, a influences our community. théann i bhfeidhm ar phobal an cheantair go fóill. The articles in this booklet explore diverse aspects of Pléann na hailt sa leabhrán seo le gnéithe éagsúla den the First World War, providing an insight into the war’s Chéad Chogadh Domhanda agus tugann siad léargas impact on the local community. dúinn ar thionchar an Chogaidh ar bhunadh na háite seo. I would like to thank everyone involved in this exhibition, particularly the Museums and individuals Ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil le gach duine who have loaned items to the exhibition, and to those a raibh baint acu leis an taispeántas go háirithe lucht who contributed articles to this booklet. na Músaem agus na daoine aonartha a thug rudaí ar iasacht don taispeántas agus leo siúd a scríobh ailt don Councillor Michael Ruane leabhrán seo. Mayor, Newry and Mourne District Council Comhairleoir Mícheál Ó Ruáin An Méara, Comhairle an Iúir agus Mhúrn The outbreak of War Hugh Heatley The path of Irish politics was dramatically altered by the outbreak of the First World War in the summer of 1914. Ireland was regarded as an intractable problem, perched precariously on the cusp of political turmoil, with the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and the Irish National Volunteers (INV) planning for armed resistance. Both groups were armed with weapons smuggled from Germany which was a treasonable offence. Home Rule for Ireland appeared imminent and had sharply divided the country. Unionists were against it and the Nationalists were in favour. The assassination of the Austrian Archduke Ferdinand in Sarajevo on 28th June 1914 eventually led to Britain declaring war on Germany and Austria. In the lead up to the outbreak of war in Europe, the situation in Ireland was changed drastically; in Ulster old enmities appeared to be forgotten as men from the UVF and INV volunteered to serve together in the British Army. Both had their own agendas, the Loyalists to support their King and maintain the British Empire and the Nationalists to support small nations like Catholic Belgium and to copper fasten Home Rule for Ireland. Sir Edward Grey the British Foreign Secretary said of the impending catastrophe, “the one bright spot Private James Joseph Tohill Originally from Belfast and later settling in Warrenpoint, James joined the in this dreadful crisis is Ireland.” But the situation was Royal Marines in October 1914 at the age of 16. He served on HMS Colossus merely suspended and left unsettled. for the duration of the war. The Colossus became the flagship of the 1st Battle Squadron and fought with distinction at the Battle of Jutland in 1916. On 7th of August that year, the INV and UVF were Courtesy of Brendan Tohill marching and drilling at Rostrevor. They both saluted one another and then cheered each other; a jovial tone was struck as men mixed ranks and marched off towards the village whistling ‘La Marsellaise.’ This was in contrast to earlier sectarian confrontations. Captain Roger Hall cautioned the UVF not to carry rifles or revolvers when confronted with ‘riots’, ‘street fights’, just to carry ‘batons and thick sticks’. Within a short time many of those men would perish at the Somme, Gallipoli or other battles of the First World War. ‘Now all roads lead to France, And heavy is the tread of the living, But the dead returning lightly dance.’ Edward Thomas 1878–1917 In 1918 when the carnage was ended, many of the men who survived would return home to a transformed country. Prime Minister David Lloyd George said that these men should come home to a land fit for heroes. Cynics observed that it would take a hero to exist in it. Newry’s Roll of Honour Joanne Cummins and Greg McAteer Through the dismal winter of 1914, as the war in Europe ground to a stalemate, Newry was involved in a campaign to encourage new recruits to the Western Front. Throughout the first months of 1915 the local establishment in the form of the landed gentry, clergy and professional classes entreated the young men of Newry and its outlying districts to enlist at recruiting rallies. The local newspapers are full of accounts of such rallies which invariably featured local bands, an address by a representative of the local recruiting committee, a rousing homily from a member of the clergy and the appearance of a serving officer who would recount the glorious deeds of Irishmen already at the Front. It was emphasised that their sacrifice would be in vain, if many more men did not offer themselves up to the war effort. In a town divided along religious, political and social faultlines, the task of recruiting was made less onerous by the decision of the Irish Parliamentary Party leader, John Redmond, to vigorously support the war. Locally, Fr. Timmerman, the exiled Belgian priest, embodied the threat posed to small Catholic countries by German Imperial ambition. While recruiting commenced briskly, reports coming Newry’s Roll of Honour back from the battlefields slowed the initial rush, Illuminated front cover from Newry’s Roll of Honour. The document remains unfinished; no further names were added and the date for the end with rallies failing to produce the number of recruits of the ‘European War’ on the cover remains incomplete. desperately needed at the Front. Keen to bolster Newry and Mourne Museum Collection recruitment Alex Fisher proposed compiling a Roll of Honour at the meeting of the Urban District Council on 30th November 1914. This would trumpet the fact that Newry had recruited so strongly at the outset of war, and would publicly honour those who had gone to serve the ‘colours’. The Town Clerk, W.M. Cronin, Réamhrá an Mhéara wasMayor’s tasked with Foreword compiling the information. This Gabhann an leabhrán seo le taispeántas earraí agus Thiswas carried booklet out accompanies over the following an exhibition weeks withwhich the looks cáipéisí a léiríonn úinéireacht talaimh in iardheisceart atassistance landownership of the Royal in south-west Irish Constabulary, Down through whose an Dúin. Déanann an taispeántas iniúchadh ar an documentsrecent experience and artefacts. as census The enumerators development must of have bhorradh a tháinig ar an Phointe, Ros Treabhair, Warrenpointproven invaluable and Rostrevor in overcoming is examined the logistical in the hurdles. Droichead Mhaigh Eo agus a leithéid de lonnaíochtaí exhibition,The information while otherhaving settlements been collated, such the as Mayobridgename, rank, agus baintear úsáid as seanléarscáileanna agus andregiment townlands and address including of the Ballyholland 866 men and and one Finnard woman are doiciméid mhaoine le stair na mbailte fearann a exploredserving were through set out early alphabetically property maps in an and illuminated documents. thabhairt chun solais, Baile Uí Thuathaláin agus scroll, with space left to add the names of those yet Fionnúir san áireamh. Theto enlist. bulk of material on display comes from The Reside Collection, a large collectionth of archival material Tagann an chuid is mó de bhunábhar an taispeántais relatingOn the evening to the history of 28 ofApril south 1915, Down a public which was ó Chnuasach Reside, bailiúchán ollmhór d’fhoinsí donateddemonstration to Newry was and held Mourne in a Town Museum Hall packed in 2002. ‘to The cartlainne a bhaineann le stair dheisceart an Dúin a archivesuffocation’. reflects In attendancethe working werelives relatives and interest of the in localmen bronnadh ar Iarsmalann an Iúir agus Mhúrn sa bhliain historynamed onof thethe latelist, Majorsoldiers G.W. home Reside, on leave, an architect Boy Scouts, in 2002. Tugann an chartlann le fios saol oibre agus spéis Newry,Belgian andrefugees his late – Fr. wife Timmerman Margaret Reside included, (neé members Fisher), i stair na háite a léirigh an Mhaor G.W. Reside, ailtire aof local the local solicitor. clergy both Roman Catholic and Protestant ar an Iúr agus a bhean chéile Margaret Reside (née and leading citizens of Newry. The Council Chairman Fisher), nach maireann, aturnae sa cheantar seo. TheHugh exhibition John McConville showcases was the presented wealth ofwith material the Roll of containedHonour. The in the evening Collection, included while rousing the two speeches articles and in Tugann an taispeántas léargas dúinn ar shaibhreas an thispatriotic booklet music amplify by local aspects bands of ofits the value town.