Four wreaths placed on Drummer’s grave for Armistice Day

by David Flynn

On Armistice Day, November 11, a group of ex-soldiers performed their annual ceremony at the memorial for 19th century Athlone soldier, Drummer Thomas Flynn in Cornamagh Cemetery.

“Today we are gathered to remember Drummer Flynn, and we are going to lay four wreaths, from ONE (Organisation of National Ex-Servicepeople), IUNVA Post 9 (Irish United Nations Veterans Association), MPAI (Military Police Association of Ireland) and also a poppy wreath,” said Paul Cooley, Chairman of ONE to the Westmeath Independent on Wednesday morning.

The short ceremony included Terry Casey reading a verse of the Laurence Binyon poem ‘For the Fallen’.

"They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them."

At the monument honouring Drummer Flynn, Paul Cooley laid a wreath on behalf of ONE, Jim Cleary laid a wreath on behalf of MPAI, John McCrossan laid a wreath on behalf of IUNVA and Paddy Costello (Post 9) laid the poppy wreath.

The annual event of honouring the war dead by the Athlone ex-soldiers took place on the foggy Monday morning, at 11am, November 11, honouring the time that World War 1 came to an end in 1918.

Drummer Flynn was 17 years old when he became an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, making him one of the youngest recipients of the medal. He had been a drummer in the 64th Regiment of Foot (later the North Staffordshire Regiment), an infantry regiment, in 1857 in India