Belfast Boys: West Belfast to Western Front exhibition in Dublin

Glasnevin Cemetery Museum has an exhibition ongoing in Dublin looking at how Belfast folk from across the religious and political divide temporarily put aside their differences in the First World War to concentrate on the military effort against Germany. Here's the description:

Our new exhibition looks at the untold story of how Belfast's Unionists and Nationalists put aside their Home Rule differences and fought together as one during The Great War 1914-18.

This Exhibition will be on display from the 11th November in the Museum's Prospect Gallery. The exhibition explores the journey of a volunteer 1912 - 1916, it looks at both the Ulster and Irish Volunteer, the 36th Division and the 10th Irish. Contrasting but mostly comparing their similar journeys to war.

Giving a broad overview of the roles of both volunteer groups but will then focus on 'Belfast Boys' from west Belfast, looking at their military, social and political history.

It is a joint exhibition between the Unionist Centenary Committee and the 6th Connaught Rangers Group and is funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs.

One of the items on display is a German Officer’s Walking Stick. The German officer killed Pte Fitzgeralds of the Connaught Rangers with this stick and was himself killed with the same weapon, by the donor, Gunner Clements.

To book tickets, and for opening hours, visit http://www.glasnevintrust.ie/visit-glasnevin/events/belfast-boys/index.xml.

(With thanks to Glasnevin Cemetery Museum)

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including my recently released Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html. My Pinterest account is at https://www.pinterest.com/chrismpaton/.