A commemorative ceremony for the Meath-born poet Francis Ledwidge, who was killed during the first World War, was held in Dublin's War Memorial Gardens yesterday.
A wreath was laid and some of the poet's works were read at the event, organised by the Inchicore Ledwidge Society. Ledwidge was a lance-corporal in the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers when he was killed by a shell at Ypres on July 31st, 1917. He had spent some time stationed in Richmond Barracks in Inchicore between 1914 and 1916. Yesterday's event was attended by the leader of the Green Party, Mr Trevor Sargent, and former Workers Party TD Mr Tomás Mac Giolla.
The guests of honour at the ceremony were two grand- daughters of the late Ellie Vaughey from Slane, Co Meath, whom it is believed Ledwidge had loved. Ellie married a local farmer called John O'Neill but died in Manchester in England in childbirth and the couple's daughter, Rita, was raised by Mr O'Neill's parents. Two of Rita's daughters, Ms Joan Whelan and Ms Mary Bolger, took part in the commemoration. Ms Whelan read a Ledwidge poem and spoke about the life of her mother.
One of Ledwidge's best known poems is his lament for the republican Thomas McDonagh, executed by a British firing squad in Dublin in 1916 following the Easter Rising. He refers to Ellie by name in the poem The Moving Picture where he writes about her raven tresses, light step and dark eyes.
The Inchicore Ledwidge Society was founded in 1995 to promote his works and mark his connection with Inchicore through his time in Richmond Barracks. Ledwidge was born in Slane, Co Meath, in 1887.