Yesterday one hundred years ago ”“ 16th March, 1915 ”“ John Crowther, from the South Douglas Road in Cork, set off to France. The October before ”“ on 29th to be precise ”“ he had volunteered for service. By 9th May he was in the middle of the fighting. First he was reported missing, then ”˜reported killed.’ That’s all the newspaper report says: no date is given. Nothing more: gone!
The photograph ”“ from the newspaper, grubby now in the 100 years that have passed, shows still a youthful, fresh face ”“ like any of the lads you’d see these days heading along that same South Douglas Road in Cork to school, to meet their friends, or to their sports club.
Putting faces to the names carved in stone memorials around our county has been driving our WWI memorial project here at St Fin Barre’s and soon the emerging work will be on display.
Back to my point: Putting faces on human situations is crucial.