WWI Loftus

Anniversary of Tipp man's war death

THE Kilbarron­Terryglass Historical Society this week remembers the 100th anniversary of the passing of Patrick Loftus in the First World War.

Patrick was a Private with the Royal Irish Fusiliers. He was born in Galway to Patrick and Ellen Loftus, who were living in Belfast at the time of his death. He was husband of Margaret Loftus of 17 Spittal Street, Tipperary.

Patrick was a cousin of the Loftus family of Borrisokane. He enlisted in Tipperary with the Royal Irish Fusiliers, B Coy, 8th Bn.

He was posted to France and died on April 27th 1916. He is commemorated on Panel 124 of the Loos Memorial in France.

The Loos Memorial commemorates over 2,000 soldiers who died at Loos, France, and who have no known grave. On either side of the cemetery is a wall 15 feet high, to which are fixed tablets on which are carved the names of those commemorated. At the back are four small circular courts in which the line of tablets continue and between these courts are three semicircular walls or apses, two of which carry more tablets, while on the centre apse is erected the Cross of Sacrifice

Sir Herbert Baker designed the memorial and Charles Wheeler was
sculpture (Commonwealth War Graves Commission).