Clodagh Finn: We could all learn a lot from the astonishing story of Albert Cashier  

The Irish-born soldier won commendation when he scrambled up a tree to reattach the company flag in the Battle of Vicksburg

The mural by Ciarán Dunlevy commemorates Albert Cashier from Clogherhead Co Louth who fought in the American Civil War. Picture: Ciarán Dunlevy

The story of Albert Cashier of Clogherhead in Co Louth is a story for our times, for so many reasons. A spectacular mural showing him in uniform alongside a fellow soldier reminds us that some 200,000 Irish people fought in the American Civil War.