From Scarlet Street to the killing fields of Northern France in WWI

THE life and heroic death of a Drogheda man will be remembered by his grandniece this weekend, as thoughts turn to those who lost their lives during World War I.

Private Matthew Segrave, late of Scarlet Street, Drogheda, fell in Northern France on April 4th, 1917 and is buried in Noeux-les-Mines, in Pas de Calais, along with thousands of his comrades.

His grand-niece Helen Segrave says we must remember the bravery of all those who fought for freedom.

‘My grandfather and Matthew were brothers and lived in 23 Scarlet Street – the oldest houses outside the walls of Drogheda,” explains Helen.

“They had a farm, and he belonged to one of the oldest families in the town, and his father Thomas married Catherine Stafford and lived in Francis Street.”

It is not known what age Matthew was when he went to war, but it is thought he was around 18 or 19, the usual age young men signed up.

“We’ve tried to find his birth certificate, but it seems to be lost,” explains Helen.

We do know that he joined the Royal Dublin Fusiliers of the British Army, and he was in the 9th Brigade, the tunneling company - nicknamed the Moles - and would probably have been trained in a barracks in Dublin, before shipping off to France.”

The Royal Dublin Fusiliers was an Irish infantry Regiment of the British Army created in 1881, one of eight Irish regiments raised and garrisoned in Ireland, with its home depot in Naas.

They received three Victoria Crosses ( VC), the highest award for bravery in the face of the enemy and was also awarded 48 Battle Honours and five Theatre Honours. The regiment lost just over 4,777 during the war, young Matthew being just one.

“I went to Casement Aerodrome last year to try and find out more about my grand-uncle and I did see his actual will and some details of how he died,” she says.

“They reckon he was wounded and may have been back home for a while, before returning to France, just like Francis Ledwidge, but never came home the second time.”

His will was handwritten – something every soldier was required to do before entering battle - and he left all his worldly possessions to his grandfather Patrick.