Wherever the Firing Line Extends: Ireland and the Great War

[Guest]

The book is by Ronan McGeevry, sometime GWF member. Has anyone read the title above and does anyone have any informed views?

[Hedley Malloch]

I have a copy.  Ronan is a professional journalist, so the book is very well written, accessible, with good maps and photos.  It focuses on about 20 Irish sites of memory and it will strongly appeal to those with an interest in the Irish dimension to the war.  The sites of memory with a handful of exceptions are drawn from the first two years of the war, perhaps reflecting the heavy Irish involvement in the pre-war Edwardian army.  On the other hand, there is relatively little on 3rd Ypres and nothing on 1918 - but all that could mean that there is second volume in the offing.  

 

It is well researched.  I worked with him on one of the stories, 'The Monument to the Iron 12'.  Ronan did his homework for this, and his other writing shows that he did his background research on the other stories.

 

Some of the sites will be well known to anyone with more than a passing interest in the subject such as Etreux, Rue du Bois, John Condon, Guillemont.  Others are more hidden treasures, much less obvious, but very interesting and will come as news to most people.  These included the railway station at Pilly, Noeux-les-Mines and Robert Armstrong.

 

It's not the sort of book which could easily be read cover to cover - there is no connecting theme other than Ireland, but I don't think it is intended to be.  For me, it is more of a dip in and out reference book.   But it would be a great present for anyone  seeking to get beyond an introductory level, it should be on the bookshelves of schools and colleges in Ireland and elsewhere.  And it would be a great travelling companion for anyone who wanted to a tour in the footsteps of the Irish on the Western Front.

[Jervis]

I enjoyed the book a lot. I agree with comments above. A lot of topics were known to me and covered in similar "Ireland & Great War" theme books, but this book gives a much more detailed account and also provides a very clear description of the action taking place.  I was very surprised there was no coverage of the Kaiser offensive in 1918 considering impact on the 16th & 36th Divisions. I can only assume this was due to the memorials theme being followed by the book - and there is no memorial of Irish involvement in March 1918. 

Edited 28 May , 2017 by Jervis

[David Filsell]

A nicely turned and valuable piece of work, not least the sharp text is good basis upon which an good battlefield tour can be based

[Ronan McGreevy]

Hi guys, thanks for your kind comments about my book. To answer one question about Third Ypres, there is now a chapter there in the new paperback edition as there is a new memorial at Langemarck which will be unveiled on August 16th, 2017. In relation to the German Spring Offensive, there is no memorial I'm afraid, but if one was ever erected, I would include it in a later edition of my book. Indeed, I believe the German Spring Offensive are the only significant incident for which the Irish are not memorialised at this stage. Regards, Ronan 

[Hedley Malloch]

I was talking to members of one Irish regimental association after the Messines centenary commemorations. He said that they were thinking of erecting one, to one of their battalions that was wiped out in March 1918.  The problem for them was that it was in such a remote area that people would have difficulty finding it.  Further, it was in a busy agricultural area and would be at risk from passing traffic.  For these reasons they decided against it.