Taoiseach in Trim to launch new book on Meath war dead

Taoiseach Enda Kenny will be on hand to launch a new book on the county's war dead by a Trim historian next week. On Thursday 15th December at 7pm, Noel French's 'The Meath War Dead' will be formally launched at Knightsbrook Hotel Golf Club. Over 500 men from Meath died in the Great War and their lives and those of their families are recorded in the publication. "As a result of the war, 500 men from Meath lie in graveyards from Basra to Bermuda, from Jerusalem to Gallipoli, from Ypres to Teltown and everywhere in between. This is the major project to commemorate the war dead of Meath," said author Noel French. "This new book contains a comprehensive record of the more than 500 Meath men who died in the First World War. It includes those who died at sea. One hundred men from Navan and district died in the war. Twenty families lost more than one member in the war. The poet, Francis Ledwidge, would be the most famous of the Meath causalities of the war. "Many personal tragedies play out in the details of the book, fathers who never saw their children, teenagers who never had the opportunity to grow to adulthood, young men traumatised by the horrific conditions of the trenches and the heroes who died for their country. "Where there are reports of deaths written back to parents and relatives, all the men seem to have been killed instantaneously," he added. Not only are the dates and places of deaths of each man recorded but the author attempts to give some background details, including parents, dates of baptisms, occupations of their parents and their own occupations. "The tragedy of the war was wiped from our national consciousness for many decades. This important part of recent Irish history has been neglected. In recent years, there is an increasing interest in remembering the participation of Irish men in the First World War. Over 200,000 Irishmen served in the British armed forces and many more served in the armies of Australia, America, South Africa and Canada. Approximately 40,000 Irishmen died as a result of the war," said Noel French. "The sacrifice made by these men is brought to life when one is able to read newspaper accounts of their death or letters by their wives or close relatives appealing for information." He added: "Remembering the Meath men who died helps us to gain perspective on what is happening in Ireland today. Recognising a common history shared with people of a different tradition will allow our country to move forward together as a community. Our shared heritage allows us to have hope for the future. "The Meath war dead are part of our identity which we have hidden or disregarded for many generations. We remember the past but we look to the future," he added. Noel French has been director of the Meath Heritage Centre, Trim, since 1987. Holding an MA in Local Studies from NUI Maynooth, he has been writing about the county since the 1980s. He has written 12 local histories and has had a number of articles published in Riocht na Midhe. He is a former secretary of the Meath Archaeological and Historical Society.