Sacrifice of WW1 dead immortalised at memorial

Almost 100 years after they were lost to their families and their country, half of them never accorded the dignity of a funeral, 1,100 Irish men and women who lost their lives in the first world war were remembered in a ceremony which will ensure their names will never be lost.

The Waterford memorial, a black granite monument with the names of all from the city and county who fell in the first world war etched into the surface, was unveiled yesterday in Dungarvan by chief executive of Goal Barry Andrews; local man Jim Shine, whose three half-brothers were killed in the 1914-1918 conflict; and Matt and Robbie McGrath from Ballinameela, whose great grand-uncle John McGrath was killed at the Somme in 1916.

More than 500 people attended the dedication ceremony beside King John’s Castle, which had representation from the Irish defence forces, the Irish branch of the Royal British Legion, various regimental associations, an Garda Síochána, UN veterans, and local dignitaries.