REMEMBERING THE SLIGO SOLDIERS WHO DIED IN THE GREAT WAR
THE LIVES OF OVER 605 SLIGO MEN KILLED IN WORLD WAR ONE REMEMBERED WITH DIGNITY AND RESPECT
A unique and poignant tribute for the approximately 605 local men who lost their lives fighting for the British Army in World War One was held on Sunday.
Five civilians from Sligo who were killed when the RMS Leinster was torpedoed ion October 10 th 1918. The commemoration, which took the form of a silent procession from outside City Hall on Quay Street to the war memorial on Pearse Road marked the 100 th anniversary of the ending of The Great Ward and was organised by local historian Simone Hickey and the Blue Raincoat Theatre Company. The march set off at 11 minutes past eleven.
Each participant represented a soldier who was killed in the war and everyone wore dress reminiscent of the period. Many women also participated in the parade which was devoid of any flags, emblems or symbols. It is estimated that some 5,000 men from Sligo or of Sligo origin were volunteers during the war.
Simone’s great-grandfather died in the Great War and her research showed that the main reason many Sligo men enlisted was due to peer pressure and propaganda. “The posters were colourful and exciting. There were military bands and recruitment rallies all along the railway station coming into Sligo. They spoke to the people of the town and it was a joyous occasion.
“People were caught up in the hype. Several printer compositors from Sligo died in the Great War. Football teams went. County Sligo Golf Club went. Freemasons went.”