An Cosantóir

An Cosantóir February 2019 www.dfmagazine.ie 28 | REPORT & PHOTOS BY SGT WAYNE FITZGERALD ATHY'S HEROES & VETERANS A thy, Co Kildare, is a thriving market town located approxi- mately 65km from the Red Cow/M50 junction and 22km from the Curragh Camp and is the place where the River Barrow and the Grand Canal meet. Athy became one the initial Anglo-Norman settlements, after Richard de Clare (Strongbow) granted the area of Le Norrath to Robert FitzRichard in 1175, and other Anglo-Norman lords, includ- ing Robert St Michel, settled on the surrounding lands. At the be- ginning of the 13th century, the St Michel family built Woodstock Castle, and it was outside this castle that the first Anglo-Norman settlement developed. Subsequently burned and sacked a number of times, it is believed the town was walled as early as 1297; walls that were maintained until well into the 15th century. One famous local resident was renowned Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton, who was born in nearby Kilkea. The intrepid explorer is honoured and remembered with a whole floor dedi- cated to him in Athy's Heritage Centre, which is based in the old Town Hall on Emily Square. (Visit www.shackletonmuseum.com) When I visited the Heritage Centre I met with local historian Clem Roche, who took me through the town's military history, which predates the establishment of the Curragh. Clem has researched the exploits of Athy men through many wars and told me that they have been serving in the military since the 1730s. The story that caught my attention was that of John Vincent Holland, born in Athy in 1889, who won a Victoria Cross (VC) in World War I. Holland attended Clongowes Wood College near Clane, Co Kildare, studying veterinary medicine for three years before leav- ing in 1909 for a more adventurous life in South America, where he tried his hand at ranching, railway engineering and hunting. On the outbreak of the Great War he returned to Ireland, and was commissioned as a lieutenant into the Leinster Regiment. He was wounded at the second battle of Ypres in 1915 but recov- ered to take part in the Somme campaign of 1916, serving as a bombing officer with the 7th Battalion of the Leinsters. On 3rd September 1916 he played a crucial role in the capture of Guil- lemont, which was rated as one of the great achievements of the 16th (Irish) Division, and was subsequently awarded a VC for: "most conspicuous bravery during a heavy engagement, when, not content with bombing hostile dug-outs within the objective, he fearlessly led his bombers through our own artillery barrage and cleared a great part of the village in front. He started out with twenty-six bombers and finished up with only five, after capturing some fifty prisoners. By this very gallant action he undoubtedly broke the spirit of the enemy, and thus saved us many casualties when the battalion made a further advance. He was far from well at the time, and later had to go to hospital". Holland, clearly a modest man, attributed his award to "the fidelity and extraordinary gallantry" of the men he commanded. On his return home he received a civic reception, but did not remain in Ireland. He served for a time in the Indian Army, return- ing as a major during World War II. He finally settled in Australia, where he received a state funeral after he died in Hobart, Tasma- nia, on 27th February 1975. It was my interest in this VC winner that initially brought me to Athy to find out more about its military past. This led to me meeting with some of the veterans who had started St Mi- chael's ONE branch in the town, one of the newest branches in the veterans' organisation. The branch, which was established nearly five years ago and has 12 full-time members and seven associates, takes its name from the parish of St Michael's, which in turn takes its name from the St Michel family mentioned earlier. For the first four years St Michael's Branch held their monthly meetings in Dominican Hall and Methodist Hall on the Carlow Road before moving to Athy Community College (with many thanks to Principle Richard Daly) for the last year. In the Shackleton museum. Athy Heritage Centre's military history section. Local historian, Clem Roche, beside the John Vincent Holland VC display.

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