August 10, 2004
For Valour
Last weekend, an Irish soldier, born in Eyrecourt, east Galway was commemorated in Westport, Co. Mayo. Sgt Major Cornelius Coughlan of the Connaught Rangers died in 1915 and was buried in an unmarked grave in Aughavale Cemetery. At his funeral 89 years ago, he had received the funeral of a hero, for Sgt. Major Coughlan was the holder of the Victoria Cross, won during the Indian Mutiny.
According to an article in the Daily Telegraph yesterday (free registration needed)
Sgt Major Coughlan, born in Eyrecourt, Co Galway, was awarded the VC after a series of heroic acts in India in 1857. At the height of the Indian Mutiny, with all his officers of the Gordon Highlanders dead, the then Colour Sgt rallied the men and led a charge that took the Kabul Gate in Delhi. The NCO also rescued a private under heavy fire.
An account of his bravery in the London Gazette read: "Colour Sgt Coughlan encouraged a party who hesitated to charge down a lane raked by a cross-fire, then entering with the said party, into an enclosure filled with the enemy, destroyed every man; for having also on the same occasion returned under a cross-fire to collect dhoolies [early stretchers] to carry off the wounded."
Queen Victoria felt moved to write a personal letter to Sgt Major Coughlan on hearing about his act of bravery.
The Mutiny, caused by a growing fear among Indians that the British intended to convert them to Christianity, was short and brutal, as was the vengeance wreaked upon the insurgents after it failed.
Captain Donal Buckley , a director of Military Heritage Tours, pointed out:
The fact that this man served in an imperial army is not the point. The fact that he was denying the Indians their independence and imposing colonial rule was not the point.
The point is that soldiers in combat are not thinking of ambition or lofty ideals. They are thinking of staying alive and their loyalty is to their comrades.
It’s an interesting point since the traditional view in Ireland of the British Empire tends to overlook the fact that Irishmen played a large part in the conquest and rule of Britain’s many colonies. There were plenty of Irishmen in the British Army at the time of the Mutiny – in Bengal, the army consisted of 34% English, 11% Scottish and 48% Irish (almost all lower ranks).
Captain Buckley’s comment is also a reminder that, for some Irish people, the Indian Mutiny refers not to the 1857 revolt but to the mutiny by members of the Connaught Rangers (B & C Company) based in the Punjab in 1920. It began when a small number of troops, on hearing of Black and Tan activities during the War of Independence in Ireland, refused to follow orders on the basis that they ‘ were doing the same job that English regiments were doing in Ireland – holding down the people (of India)’. The mutiny grew until several hundred men were refusing orders. A minor skirmish led to a mutineer’s death, and eventually fourteen soldiers were sentenced to death, of which one, James Daly, was executed. He was shot on November 20, 1920 by a firing squad of all Irishmen, specially selected from an English regiment, the Royal Fusiliers.
Daly was buried in Glasnevin Cemetery, where many Irish rebels are buried (he was also a member of the IRB at the time of his execution). And now Sgt. Major Coughlan has an official headstone too, and an acknowledgement by the state. Slowly but surely, the stories of all Irish soldiers are being told and remembered, not necessarily in celebration but at least in commemoration.
Posted by Monasette at August 10, 2004 11:58 PM
I have just read your article and it is fair comment.
There were several reasoms why I organised the dedication. Primarily because out of the 1354 VC's ever awarded, about 200 were awarded to Irishmen and to have an Irish recipient buried in an unmarked grave is very wrong. Also, since independence, the large contribution of Irishmen to the British Forces was written out of history, both here and in the UK. In the 19th Century 40% of soldiers in the British Army were Irish. In the Peninsular campaign 60% were Irish,in WW1 230,000 Irish soldiers fought and in WW2, 165,000 volunteer soldiers (from the then Free State) enlisted in the British Army.
This is part of Irish military heritage, a heritage which is claimed bu the UK and rejected by Republicans and Nationalists. Only now are people realising what a contributon we made.
Also the dedication was organised to highlight what we have in common with the citizens of Northern Ireland. We have our differences but we have a shared heritage which is / was being denied by many people. If we want peace and reconcilliation in Ireland and between Ireland and Britain we must educate peole as to what we have in common, and we do have a lot.
For far too long, "history" as been in the hands of people and groups who would have it manipulated for there own limited reasons,leading to continued strife and bitternes. Only through education, and presentation of real history, warts and all, will mutual respect for both traditions be achieved. Military Heritage Tours is very much committed to this concept and we are determined to make our unique contribution to peace & reconciliation in this manner.
That is also why I organised the Irish Defence Minister and the British Ambassador and many Regimental Associations from NI to be present at the dedication.
Our website will be updated very shortly and will address this issue in full, giving full details of what was said and achieved on the day.
I took issue with the "Telegraph" for the particular spin and innuendo that was presented in the article, however I do not know if the letter I sent them was published.
Sincerely,
Donal Buckley