Marking 100 years since Major Redmond’s death

WEXFORD’S most famous soldier, Major Willie Redmond, pictured, who died on the Western Front 100 years ago, will remembered at at an ecumenical service of remembrance and wreath laying in Wexford town’s Redmond Park at 2 p.m. on Sunday, June 11

Led by the Mayor Cllr Frank Staples, and attended by members of Wexford Borough District Council, government representatives, the Royal British Legion (Wexford) and other branches from around the country, the ceremony will be preceded by a parade from Redmond Square to Redmond Park led by the New Ross FCA Pipe Band and a Colour Party from the Irish Defence For+ces.

On Thursday, June 8, the day after the 100th anniversary of Redmond’s death, Jarlath Glynn will deliver a lecture at Wexford town library at 8 p.m, entitled ‘An Extreme Irishman - the life and death of Major Willie Redmond.’

And on Saturday, June 10, there will be a series of talks on Major Willie at a Wexford Historical Society organised seminar taking place at Greenacres Art Gallery in Wexford town.

The event will be opened by the mayor at 10 a.m, followed by a talk by Martin O’Donoghure, from the NUI Galway, on ‘One of the ablest and most distinguished members’: Wille Redmond, Irish Party MP.

At 11.30 a.m., Dermot Meleady, biographer of John Edward Redmond, will talk on ‘We here who are about to die’: Willie Redmond MP at the Western Front and at 12.15 p.m., Ronan MacGreevy, from the Irish Times, will talk on the ‘not so lonely grave of Willie Redmond; Remembering the Irish war dead.’

The seminar will end with a walking tour led by Jarlath Glynn to the sites associated with the Redmond family in Wexford town and will visit the Major Willie Redmond exhibition at the town library.