Special day in Lorrha will remember local war hero
The Australian Ambassador to Ireland will return to village for second visit
THE Lorrha Martin O’Meara VC committee will be holding a commemorative Anzac Service at the Martin O’Meara Memorial in Lorrha Village, on Monday 25th May at 1pm.
The Australian Ambassador to Ireland HE Chantelle Taylor will return for her second visit to the parish.
Also in attendance will be Daryl Owens representing the New Zealand embassy who will visit Lorrha for the first time.The party are expected to visit Lockeen Cemetery and pay their respects to Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Bernard Hackett VC who is interred there where Anne Davis of Carrig Riverstown Historical Society will address the party on the life and times of Lt. Col. Hackett VC.
The next stop will be at Rockview, Rathcabbin, the ancestral home of Governor General Sir William Deane before heading over to Lorrha for the ceremony there.
It will be another poignant day as the community remember all those who fought in WW1 and WW2, especially our very own Martin O’Meara VC.Martin, who was born and raised in Lissernane, near Lorrha was awarded the VC for his bravery between the 9th and 12th August 1916 at Pozieres during the battle of the Somme.
Acting as a stretcher bearer, and during these four days, Martin repeatedly went out into No Man’s Land and brought in wounded officers and men under heavy artillery and machine gun fire.
He also volunteered and carried ammunition and bombs through heavy fire to a portion of the trenches which was being heavily shelled at the time.
On the fourth day he was wounded in the stomach and was evacuated to England and admitted to Wandsworth Hospital on August 19th.
After he recovered he returned to the war with the 16th Battalion and was wounded twice more. He was promoted to Sergeant and travelled to London in July 1917 where he was presented with his Victoria Cross by King George V.Martin had visited his home in Lissernane in 1916. The people of the parish raised money as a testimonial to him from Lorrha and neighbouring parishes.Martin passed away at Claremont Mental Hospital on 20 December 1935 and was buried with full military honours in Karrakatta Catholic cemetery by Fr John Fahey DSO (himself a former AIF Chaplain).As a lead up to the ceremony, historian Ger O’Meara (author of Lorrha People in the Great War), will display his extensive private collection of War memorabilia in Lorrha Community Hall for Saturday, 23rd, Sunday 24th from 10am to 2pm. each day and again on Monday 25th April. Admission is by voluntary contribution and all are welcome to attend.
This is Her Excellency Chantelle Taylor’s second visit to Lorrha. On July 1st, 2025 the Ambassador joined the Lorrha Martin O'Meara Victoria Cross committee in Lorrha to commemorate Anzac Day and the 1916 Battle of the Somme at the Sergeant Martin O’Meara VC memorial in the centre of the village. On that day she thanked the committee for keeping Martin's memory to the forefront and for being so dedicated. “In Australia and New Zealand, Anzac Day is a sacred day of remembrance." She discussed the main reason for Gallipoli: To neutralise the Turkish artillery positions that were hindering Allied naval efforts to force the Dardanelles Strait and reach Istanbul. She described the first landings “of our soldiers arriving in darkness at Anzac Cove." For several months the campaign was a stalemate. "Thousands lost their lives. It became a defining moment in the emergence of our national identity. During Gallipoli the Anzac quality of selflessness shone through.”