Letter to the Editor: community appeal to help remember the Irish who served in St Lô after the War
Families and communities across Ireland are being invited to help recover and share the stories of Irish men and women who served with the Irish Red Cross Hospital in St Lô, Normandy, between December 1945 and January 1947.
In the aftermath of the Second World War, the town of St Lô lay in ruins. In response, Ireland made an extraordinary humanitarian gesture by sending medical and support staff to establish and run a Red Cross hospital for the local population. Doctors, nurses, orderlies, cooks, drivers, and volunteers left home to help a community they had never met, offering care, compassion, and hope at a time of great need.
Today, Catherine Gagneux, French Honorary Consul based in Galway, is reaching out to the public to help reconnect those individual stories with the wider Irish community. She is gathering memories, family records, photographs, letters, and personal recollections for a forthcoming exhibition dedicated to the Irish Red Cross Hospital in St Lô.
Many families may know that a parent, grandparent, aunt, or uncle “went to France after the war,” without realising the historical importance of their contribution. Others may have kept quiet mementoes—an old photograph, a diary, a Red Cross badge, or a letter home—that could now help complete the picture of this remarkable chapter in Irish humanitarian history.
This is a community project as much as a historical one. It is about honouring service, recognising quiet acts of solidarity, and ensuring that the people behind the uniforms are remembered by name and story.
Relatives, descendants, and anyone with information—no matter how small—are warmly encouraged to come forward. Every memory helps, and every contribution matters.
By sharing these stories, families will help preserve a unique bond between Ireland and France and ensure that the legacy of compassion shown by Irish Red Cross staff in St Lô continues to be remembered and celebrated.
Please contact Catherine via email at catherinegagneux@gmail.com
List of nurses and doctors from counties across East and North of Ireland that worked with the Red Cross
Daniel Timothy (Tim) Boland, Kildare, gynaecologist, obstetrician
Mary Madeleine Fitzpatrick, Cavan, charge nurse medicine
Brigid 'Breda' Kelly, Moy, Tyrone, nurse
Margaret (Nano) Leavy, Kildalkey, Meath, nurse
Angela McDermott, Newry, Down, nurse, physiotherapist and masseuse
Phyllis McGee, Dundalk, Louth, nurse
Margaret Mary Martin, Newry, Down, charge nurse, medicine
Anne M.(Amor) O'Reilly, Cavan, charge nurse, medicine
Dorothy (Dorry) Smith, Cavan, administrator