Medal Society of Ireland

by Liam Dodd

Killed 8th November 1960 at Niemba Northern Katanga:

by James Scannell

Since the publication of my article on Samuel Beckett in the December Journal, some additional information on his activities in France and on the fate of his friend Paul Leon has come to hand via Dr. Niall Keogh’s book ‘Con Cremin – Ireland’s Wartime Diplomat‘ published by Mercier Press which is an excellent biography of the life and career of one of Ireland’s most influential diplomats, who proved the value of strong reporting in shaping the foreign policy of any neutral national.

90 years on 1st July 2006

by Olive Breen

On the 1st of July 1916 a grey misty dawn was breaking and as the sun started to come up over the horizon, men of the 36th Ulster division and men of the 16th Irish division were given the word of command from their officers to fix bayonet and wait for my whistle.

by Charlie McGuire

Sean McLoughlin played a leading role in the Easter Rising of 1916. Aged twenty, he began Easter Week as a Lieutenant in the Irish Volunteers, but ended it as Commandant-General of the army of the Irish Republic. In between, McLoughlin saw action in the Mendicity Institute, the Four Courts, and the GPO. It was after James Connolly sustained serious injuries that McLoughlin was promoted to the head of military command, and it was in this capacity that McLoughlin led the retreat from the GPO to Moore St, where the final surrender took place. Despite his significance, however, McLoughlin has been largely ignored by Irish historians. Many works which deal with the Rising either ignore the role he played, or mention him only briefly. This has not only denied McLoughlin his place in Irish history, but makes impossible a full understanding of one of modern Ireland’s most important events.

by Pat Dargan

History and Service

The South Irish Horse is one of the lesser known Irish regiments of the British Army.  It was established in 1902 and drew recruits primarily from the south of Ireland.  The regiment was a volunteer cavalry unit that trained on a weekly basis and attended a training camp each year.  The unit was initially called the South of Ireland Imperial Yeomanry, but this name was changed to the South Irish Horse in 1908.  During the Great War the regiment was mobilised and six squadrons were raised to serve on the Western Front.  In 1916 the squadrons were reorganised into two regiments: the 1st and 2nd South Irish Horse. 

by James Scannell

In 1923, General Eoin O’Duffy, Commissioner of An Garda Siochana met Colonel Walter Scott, an Honorary Commissioner of the New York City Police Department and a well known philanthropist. Colonel Scott indicated his wish to assist in some way what was then the world’s youngest and newest police force – An Garda Siochana - and presented a US $1000 Gold Bond to An Garda Siochana, the interest from which would pay, in perpetuity, for a gold medal – The Scott Medal .

“Too Much Whiskey”

by Liam Dodd

About half-past seven on Monday evening a private of the Royal Irish Fusiliers, whose name it subsequently transpired was William Little, behaved in an extraordinary manner in the Main Street Tipperary. He suddenly overturned two turnip-pulping machines, which were outside Mr William Coman’s establishment, the loud crash attracting the attention of Mr Coman and his assistant, as well as of a large crowd which quickly gathered round him. The soldier who was obviously half crazy from drink, then rushed down the street overturning indiscriminately boxes and everything that came in his way. Followed by the excited crowd he pursued his brief, but exciting career as far as Millea’s corner at the top of Bridge Street, where he was arrested by the military police and handed over to Sergeant Doyle and Constable Driscoll, who hearing the hubbub had followed him down the street.

by Roger Willoughby

As collectors we all know of the numerous awards gained by the Irish and Irish units, in particular in wars over the past two centuries, but it is a sometimes overlooked fact that many bravery awards have been gained in Ireland itself for acts of courage, principally in lifesaving. Researching this latter area has thrown up a huge range of such awards, at least 38 different medals issued by various lifesaving and humane societies and Irish, British and other governments. These medals include:

by Ken Kingston

While everyone else crossing the English Channel was heading south for Normandy and the D-Day Celebrations, I and two friends - Bill Behan and Adrian Kingston-Jones - were bound north for Belgium to pay our respects to the Irishmen who died in an earlier conflict.

by Liam Dodd

At Clare Assizes a special jury gave £30 damages in a case by John & Margaret Weylon, Lahinch, for the loss of their son, Simon a private in the Royal Munster Fusiliers, who fell from a train at Lisnagary (G.S. and W. Railway) negligence being attributed. Evidence for the defence was that the door of the carriage was locked.

by J. Morton

Many of the ships built by Harland & Wolff at Belfast had long and successful careers but there were others which met with sudden and dramatic ends, like the 46,329 ton White Star liner TITANIC which, at the time of her launch on 31 May 1911, was the largest ship ever built in Ireland, or indeed the world. Less than 12 months after being launched she sank in the Atlantic on her maiden voyage to become the most famous shipwreck in history.