Bernard McQuirt VC (1829- 5 October 1888) was born in Donaghcloney near Lurgan, County Armagh and was an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. See below the section "Separate Commonwealth awards" Note that since Events 869 - The Fourth Council of Constantinople is convened to decide about what to do about Patriarch Photius of Constantinople Year 1888 ( MDCCCLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Donaghcloney or Donacloney ( Domhnach Cluana in Irish) is a small Village in County Down, Northern Ireland. Lurgan ( is a town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland with a population of approximately 25000 County Armagh ( Contae Ard Mhacha in Irish - from the height of Macha) is a county in Ulster in the north east of Ireland Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world See below the section "Separate Commonwealth awards" Note that since The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located
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He was about 29 years old, and a private in the 95th (Derbyshire) Regiment of Foot (later The Sherwood Foresters (The Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment) ), British Army during the Indian Mutiny when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC. A Private is a Soldier of the lowest Military rank (equivalent to NATO Rank Grades OR-1 to OR-3 depending on the force served in The 95th (Derbyshire Regiment of Foot was formed when the 95th Rifles were redesignated as The Rifle Brigade. The Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment was formed during the Childers Reforms in 1881 from the amalgamation of the 45th (Nottinghamshire The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. The Indian Rebellion of 1857 began as a mutiny of Sepoys of British East India Company 's army on the 10th of May 1857 in the town of Meerut,
On 6 January 1858 at the capture of the town of Rowa, India, Private McQuirt was dangerously wounded in a hand-to-hand fight with three men, of whom he killed one and wounded another. Events 1066 - Harold Godwinson is crowned King of England. 1205 - Philip of Swabia becomes King Year 1858 ( MDCCCLVIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country He himself was wounded by five sabre-cuts and a musket-shot.
Further information
Bernard McQuirt's Gravestone In "Irish Winners of the VC 1846 to 1945" a photograph of a memorial gravestone is recorded in the photographic section between pages 128 & 129. The inscription on the stone states:
- Sacred to the memory of Private Bernard McQuirt VC 95th "The Derbyshire Regiment who won the regiment's first VC at ROWA CENTRAL INDIA 6th January 1858 he died 5 October 1888 "NINETY - FIVE"
This memorial stone, was erected in 1995 in an Anglican graveyard in Donacloney, where Bernard McQuirt was born in a small village some 30 miles south of Belfast. Anglicanism is a tradition of Christian faith Churches in this tradition either have historical connections to the Church of England or have similar beliefs But his remains are not in this graveyard. Bernard McQuirt died in Erney Street off the Shankill Road, Belfast, 5 October 1888, and no one knew were he was buried. The Shankill Road ( is the arterial road leading through a predominantly Protestant working-class area Belfast ( is the capital city of Northern Ireland and the seat of government in Northern Ireland. Events 869 - The Fourth Council of Constantinople is convened to decide about what to do about Patriarch Photius of Constantinople Year 1888 ( MDCCCLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a
In 1993 while working for the Belfast City Council (City Cemetery) Robert Burns found Bernard McQuirt's registration and burial site in a Catholic plot of the City Cemetery, Belfast. As there was no gravestone Robert contacted the Sherwood Foresters Museum in England and they proposed to pay for a stone. When Robert asked for permission to erect the stone in the graveyard the Catholic Church refused him permission as the plot was a poor plot with many other remains in the grave.
Robert then approached the City Council for permission to erect the memorial stone on a wall in Erney Street (off Shankill Road) were Bernard McQuirt VC died in 1888. This was also rejected. Then Robert approached locals from Donacloney to erect the memorial stone in the local village square beside the World War I and World War II war memorial. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including A war memorial is a building monument statue or other edifice to celebrate a War or victory or (predominating in modern times to commemorate those who died or were injured This was also rejected. Finally a local Anglican (Church of Ireland) Minister offered Robert Burns access to the local Donacloney Church graveyard to erect the memorial stone. The Church of Ireland (Eaglais na hÉireann is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion, operating across the island of Ireland. In 2000 a British Army colour party from a regiment based in Northern Ireland finally dedicated the stone in memory of Bernard McQuirt VC.
References
Listed in order of publication year
- The Register of the Victoria Cross (1981, 1988 and 1997)
- The Irish Sword (Brian Clarke 1986)
- Irelands VCs ISBN 1-899243-00-3 (Dept of Economic Development 1995)
- Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
- Irish Winners of the Victoria Cross (Richard Doherty & David Truesdale, 2000)
External links
- Location of grave and VC medal (Belfast, Northern Ireland)