02.06.2016
Carnage of the Somme and the Irish Who Fought There – Centenary Event at Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin
The horror of the Battle of the Somme was recalled at a special commemorative event in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, yesterday evening (Wednesday June 1). A large crowd in the cathedral’s Music Room heard from two speakers who highlighted the contribution of Irish battalions and individuals to the largest battle on the Western Front during the First World War and one of the bloodiest battles in human history.
The Somme: A Wider Set of Reflections and Experiences was organised by the Church of Ireland Historical Centenaries Working Group. Dr Gavin Hughes (TCD) spoke about Irish Battalions and the long Battle of the Somme and Turtle Bunbury (author) detailed some of the Irish personalities who ventured onto the Somme battlefield.
The event was chaired by the British Ambassador to Ireland, Dominick Chilcott, who commended the Church of Ireland for the work it was doing on commemorating centenaries during this Decade of Centenaries.
He said that in February Christ Church Cathedral had hosted a symposium on the 1916 Rising which was attended by An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny and the Northern Irish First Minister, Arlene Foster. “That was the only event connected with the Easter Rising that Arlene Foster attended so the evening was not just about history but it was making history,” he commented.
Setting the context, Mr Chilcott noted that 1916 was a tumultuous year with the Battle of Verdun and the Battle of the Somme on land and the Battle of Jutland at sea. On the home front there was the 1916 Rising in Dublin. He gave a brief outline of the Battle of the Somme which began on July 1 and ended on November 18 1916 resulting in the loss of more than one million lives.
The efforts of the 36th Ulster Division on July 1 1916 had captured the imaginations of the country and their heroics were commemorated widely in Northern Ireland. However, he said this was not the whole story. They were joined by soldiers from the 16th Irish Division and many other Irish battalions. There were also many Irish troops fighting with British regiments.
Dr Gavin Hughes took the audience through the Battle of the Somme, which he said started with high hopes but was later considered a failure. He also addressed the myths that grew around the Battle of the Somme and comparisons with the Battle of the Boyne. He looked at the background to the campaign and the Irish regiments that fought there, particularly the 36th Ulster and 16th Irish Divisions while mentioning the many other Irish battalions.
He suggested that the year 1916 witnessed destruction of Nationalists and Unionists in unimaginable numbers. The long Battle of the Somme saw arguably the biggest achievement of Irish divisions he said, although he noted that the front advanced just seven miles in 121 days.
“A century on, the battle’s legacy remains. There is anger at the immense loss of life and a sense of loss. It is unsurprising that the legacy of the Somme has left such a visceral scar. The carnage on the Somme decimated the Irish battalions. It is natural that such awful loss should be coupled with anger but also gratitude and respect and it is a salutary lesson to live within its long shadow,” he stated.
In answer to a question afterwards, Dr Hughes explained that Unionism had adopted the Somme so closely partly because the Ulster Division was determined to show Ulster’s loyalty and not to let Ulster down. “When the little brown envelopes began seeping into houses throughout the province, it also became clear that most of Northern Ireland’s young men had been hurt or killed fighting for that ideal,” he said.
Turtle Bunbury brought a personal note to the evening talking about individuals connected with the Battle of the Somme. His grandmother’s uncle, Lt George Guy Finlay, was killed at Bazentin Ridge. He, his brother and some friends had been to the Western Front to find the last resting places of various family members.
He highlighted the bravery of Captain Eric Bell from Enniskillen who was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions on the first day of the battle at Thiepval. Mr Bunbury also spoke of Irish artist Sir William Orpen, who was born in Stillorgan, who went to the Somme battlefield after the battle had ended and sketched the frozen and desolate landscape. A total of 138 of his paintings went on display in the Imperial War Museum but his experiences there had a lasting effect on him.
There were also connections between the 1916 Rising and the Battle of the Somme, he said. One of these was Brigadier General Charles Blackader who presided over the court martial proceedings of some of the leaders of the Rising in Dublin and later that year took over the command of the 38th Welsh Division who suffered heavy losses at the Somme.
He also spoke of the hugely popular Woodbine Willie, Geoffrey Studdert Kennedy, a Church of England priest with an Irish background who had a great ability to connect with his parishioners in England and with soldiers while at chaplain by giving them Woodbine cigarettes. Tom Kettle, nationalist, economist and poet was also highlighted, as one of the best known Irish figures to die at the Somme.
Photo captions:
Top – Bishop John McDowell, Dr Gavin Hughes, Ambassador Dominick Chilcott, Turtle Bunbury and Dr Kenneth Milne.
Middle – Dr Kenneth Milne and President of the RBL Ireland, David O’Morchoe CB CBE.
Bottom – Acting Dean of Christ Church Cathedral, Canon Neil McEndoo.