HISTORY: National Army fatal casualty of Civil War ambush in Offaly remembered

A memorial event to remember Cadet Patrick (P.C.) White of Blessington who died in the days after a Civil War ambush in Offaly was held recently.

Patsy White was a soldier of the National Army and was wounded in a Civil War ambush at Raheen in Offaly.

He was among a group marching to attend  Mass from their garrison at Geashill and were fired on from both sides of the road by a Republican flying column led by Jack McGuinness.

A recent commemoration of that ambush which led to the death of two soldiers was held on site at Raheen.

The small group beside the White family grave included local councillors, historians and relatives. A wreath was laid on behalf of the Cloneygowan community by P.J. Goode who organised the event.

He spoke of the need to honour those soldiers who died in defence of Saorstat Eireann and who, for whatever reason, are so wrongly ignored and forgotten.

Prayers were said in Irish and the national flag was flown.

An icy cold wind from the Wicklow mountains drove the small party to their cars and home, but satisfied that they had commemorated Cadet White in a small but heartfelt way as best they could.