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the Glen of Imaal terrier as a distinctive breed of dog and it has since been recog- nised as such by several other organisa- tions including the American Kennel Club in 2004. Relatively rare, the terrier is best described as 'a big dog on short legs,' and strong for its size due to its origins as a working dog. Near Seskin Bridge stands a memorial
consisting of 16 rick-stones and 16 moun- tain ash trees arranged in a semi-circle around a 14-ton basalt monolith. The me- morial commemorates 16 soldiers killed in 1941 by an explosion at the artillery range's demolition dump two kilometres
to the northeast. In June of that year, a 12-pounder battery was formed in Kildare, largely from gunners drafted in from the anti-aircraft battalion. In September, as part of a requirement that army personnel be skilled in the use of mines and explo- sives, the new unit travelled to the Glen of Imaal for a training exercise. On the 14th of that month, an engineer officer was demonstrating the preparation of anti- tank mines to a class of 60 gunners when one mine accidentally detonated, killing the engineer and 15 artillerymen. Many others were wounded, some seriously. The memorial was originally unveiled in Sep-
tember 1986; a polished granite plaque on the monolith is inscribed with the names of the dead. Gnr Terence O'Reilly is currently a mem-
ber of staff of the Defence Forces library (DFTC), specialising in military history. He has written many books most notable: 'Hit- ler's Irishmen' (2008) and 'Our Struggle for Independence' (2009) 'Rebel Heart: George Lennon: Flying Column Commander' (2009) all by Mercier Press. He is a former artilleryman who completed several tours of duty with the United Nations peacekeep- ing force in Lebanon. He lives in Portlaoise. www.mercierpress.ie/terenceoreilly
THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE
