BY ROSS HUSSEY

The service of remembrance held throughout the United Kingdom and most of the British Commonwealth is based on the Armistice which occurred following the First World War and took effect from the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918.

Omagh, as a garrison town and centre for the training depot of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers in St Lucia Barracks, was a hub of activity at this time. Obviously from a historical context, we are also dealing with the Home Rule period. War was declared on August 3, 1914, and those that had aligned themselves with the Irish Volunteers or the Ulster Volunteers prepared at the bidding of their political masters – John Redmond MP and Sir Edward Carson MP - to go to war.

The Irish News at the time reported under the banner headline, 'Tyrone's Fine Example: National and Ulster Volunteers march together': "The Ulster Volunteers and Irish National Volunteers united at Omagh on Friday night (August 7, 1914) in giving a most hearty send off to the final draft of the Army Reserve of the Royal Inniskillings who left the town at half past nine o'clock and a scene of unparalleled description was witnessed when the procession of both volunteers and military marched through the town together... Subsequently as both bodies of Volunteers paraded the town, they met one another and respectfully saluted."

THE FALLEN

The War saw many young men from Omagh and District make the supreme sacrifice for their 'King and Country' and those from the area who were attached to the 16th (Irish) Division as opposed to the 36th (Ulster Division) were:-

Pte F Daly, L/Cpl J Dempsey, Pte J Deveney, L/Sgt J Doherty, Pte F Doherty, WOI R Dolan, Pte W Fenton MM, L/Sgt P Finnegan, Pte J Kinnear, Pte H Lindsay, Pte J Lindsay, Pte J McCluskey, Pte B McCrossan, Pte W McGillin, Pte J McGlinchey, Pte W McKee, Sgt E McKernan, Pte F McManus, Pte J McNamee, Pte J McSwiggan, L/Cpl E Mullholland, Pte H O'Kane, Pte J Paul, Pte J Stewart, Pte J Veldon, Sgt J Wilson, Pte J Young.

This not not an exhaustive list of those that served with the Irish Division from Omagh I have only named those that I can clearly identify from their service with the relevant Battalion of the Regiment, the Regiments and Battalions concerned that made up the Irish Division were - 4th Brigade (Ulster Brigade), 47th and 48th Brigade and the Regiments were - 7th and 8th Battalions Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, 7th and 8th Battalions Royal Irish Fusiliers, 6th Royal Irish Regiment, 6th Connaught Rangers, 7th Leinster Regiment, 8th Royal Munster Fusiliers, 7th Royal Irish Rifles, 9th Royal Munster Fusiliers, 8th and 9th Royal Dublin Fusiliers.

If I have omitted any family I apologise for the error; however, in memory of those that made the supreme sacrifice during the Great War a token poppy wreath will be laid by the Royal British Legion.

"They shall grow not old as we that are left grow old, age shall not weary them nor the years condemn, at the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them. When you go home tell them of us, and say for their tomorrow we gave our today."