Mililtary Heritage Tours

THE VICTORIA CROSS
Since it’s inception the VC has been awarded 1355 times. Research published by David Truesdale and Richard Doherty in “Irish Winners of the Victoria Cross” shows that at least 200 Irishmen have merited this award.

INTRO
On Aug 07 at Aughavale Cemetery, Westport Co. Mayo, the unmarked grave of Sgt Maj Coughlan VC was dedicated and a headstone was unveiled.
This was a day of outstanding significance. Firstly because the good Sgt Maj had his grave marked. For any man to be buried in an unmarked grave is sad and wrong. For a decorated Irish warrior hero and VC winner to be so unmarked is more than wrong. The Defence Minister, Mr Michael Smith T.D. in the presence of the British Ambassador Mr. Stuart Eldon, unveiled the headstone. Many descendants of Cornelius Coughlan VC travelled from the UK (Glasgow and Bradford) for the ceremony.

A MOMENT IN HISTORY AND ANGLO / IRISH RELATIONS
Whilst the good Sgt Maj's grave was properly dedicated the significance day was much more. It marked a milestone in Irish history and a milestone in Anglo / Irish relations. For the first time since the foundation of the State, the Irish Government, formally and publicly acknowledged the long and proud tradition of the Irish Nationalist Catholict in British military service. Representatives of many former Irish Regiments of the British Army paraded with their Standards on this occasion. It may have been too late for WW1 veterans but it was not too late for their descendents, and it was not too late for many WW2 survivors and their families. In terms of Anglo / Irish relations, in terms of the Good Friday Agreement, it was a momentous and emotional occasion. Every right thinking person on this island and in these islands could only agree that this was a most proper thing to happen. MHT is proud to have conceived and organised this event and proud that it was in a position to facilitate the Irish Government to copper fasten another chapter in the Good Friday Agreement.

THANKS
The overwhelming support and acknowledgement received by MHT from numerous sources is very much appreciated. We wish to thank those who attended; they include a very wide range of opinion in these islands. The Defence Minister, the British Ambassador, Unionists, Nationalists, Republicans, historians, serving and retired military of the Irish Army and British Army and Irish soldiers of both armies, US veterans, politicians, Regimental Associations, Ex-Service organisations, Connaught Ranger re-enactors, numerous other people who strive for peace & reconciliation and the presentation of unbiased history, families of relatives who served and who fell in WW1 and WW2, veterans of WW2 especially Major Mervyn Clarke (14th Army Burma and originally UCD OTC).
It should be noted that not one Republican organisation complained about this event. This is very gratifying. It is a sign that Republicans are very aware of the contribution that their fellow countrymen made to the "Freedom of Small Nations".
It is also a sign of the realisation that a very large part of Irish military heritage was claimed by the British and Unionists and was rejected by Republicans and Nationalists and that this was very wrong. It is a sign that we as a nation or now ready to reclaim this heritage with an open mind and with justifiable pride.

COMPLAINTS
The small minority of people who have "complained" about this event are insignificant. Not one of them attended the ceremony. Not one of them is aware of what was said at the ceremony. Not one of them represents informed opinion at any level. There are always people who knock initiative for the sake of it.
There will always be begrudgers and people for whom reacting to initiative and progress is their only way of expressing themselves. My only advise to them is to wake up, grow up, listen and learn. Every country suffers in wartime or in times of rebellion. For a newspaper editorial to remind me about the atrocities of the Indian Mutiny or the murderous brutality of the Black and Tans is indicitave of a narrow mindset and a narrow agenda. They deliberately refuse to see the point. Every informed person realises the awful savagery inflicted by the British Army on the Indians during the mutiny. I am also very much aware of the behaviour of the Black and Tans and the Auxiliaries during the War of Independence, just as I am aware of the discriminatoryatttitude towards the Irish Divisions by the Establishment in WW1. For how long to we keep the pot of hatred boiling? For how long do we keep looking back without looking forward? For how long will insular minds foment bitterness? If France and Germany can get along as neighbours after the violation and savagery of two World Wars, if the German Head of State can stand as an ally at Arromanche on the 60th Anniversary of D Day, why cannot some people on this small island look forward for once? If M. Mitterand and H. Kohl can join hands at Verdun and declare NEVER AGAIN why cannot we reconcile?
Why is the concept of reconciliation so difficult? There has to be closure at some stage. Descendents of perpetrators of crime cannot be blamed for the actions of their forebears. Have they ever heard of forgiveness or indeed of Jesus? Maybe they didn't or maybe they again choose not to hear!