Editor’s postscript

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On reading through some of these stories more objectively than when concentrating on trying to get the formatting into some kind of reasonable shape I was surprised at the very wide differences between the descriptions of the event from the different contributors. It’s difficult enough to have two different reports of events that happened only a short time ago agree!
As Richard himself said in his story written especially for us at the beginning of this booklet “This is what I remember, but perhaps I have forgotten a few happenings as my memory has been dimmed with the passing of the years”. So it must be far more difficult for others who might be relating someone else's accounts of the events of that St Patrick’s night just over sixty three years ago.
We might consider that as Richard hadn’t had the opportunity to compare notes with anyone else his memory was not influenced by the stories others told here in Templeport and the surrounding areas.

The other surprise that came out of Oliver Brady’s story and Phil McManus’ written sixteen years ago was the sense that perhaps St Patrick and St Mogue really did look after Richard and Tommy not only on the night itself but also during the remainder of their time together in the war.

I hope you enjoyed this little booklet and it gave you a small idea of how one part of our history fits into place.

NR 13th June 2006

At a meeting in the Templeport Resource Centre on 20th July the JL710 committee and all present agreed that all profits from the sale of this booklet and the other fund raising activities would be given to St Luke’s Cancer Hospital in Dublin along with the Bawnboy Festival committee’s contribution.

NR 5th July 2006