#OnThisDay 1916 Captain Sidney Cowan MC & 2 Bars from Castleknock, Dublin was killed in action. Cowan was one of the Royal Flying Corps first aces having seven kills by August 1916. He died in a mid-air collision with a friendly plane. Both pilots died.
#OnThisDay 1920 Three IRA men & a groundskeeper were arrested by Auxiliaries in Whitegate, Clare. They were taken to Killaloe bridge by boat, beaten, tortured & then shot dead. The deceased were:
Alfred Rodgers
Brud McMahon
Martin Gildea
Caretaker Michael Egan
#OnThisDay 1915 John Caffrey, born in Birr, Offaly was helping a wounded man with a medic in no man’s land. The medic was shot & Caffrey took him back to friendly lines before going back out to get the first wounded man. He was awarded the Victoria Cross.
#OnThisDay 1814 Brig. Gen Michael Kelly Lawler was born in Kildare. His family emigrated to the US settling in Illinois. Lawler fought in Mexico, became a lawyer but re-joined the Union army. His battle charge at Big Black River captured over 1000 enemy.
#OnThisDay 1981 Bridget Connolly passed away. Connolly, from Carlow, played a vital role in the 1916 Rising. In the preceding weeks, she stored some of the 900 Howth rifles & dispatched messages for James Connolly. She led 40 women out of the GPO on the Friday.
The Irish at War 