In this Guest Post, Liam O’Brien tells us of Limerick’s physical link to the Crimean War:
The attached photographs are of the two Russian Cannon outside the Limerick Harbour commisioner’s office in the docklands (just beside the Clarion hotel).
These cannon were captured by the French & British forces after the siege of Sevastopol in 1855 during the Crimean war.
In fact, so many cannon were captured at the end of the war that 2 were sent to every major city in the then British empire.
Also interestingly , some parts of the cannon taken were melted down & used to make Victoria crosses (which I believe is still the practice to this day). The part usually melted down was the cascabel which was the “knob” like moulding at the rear of the barrel, used to secure the cannon with rope or chains to counteract recoil while being fired.
The cannons once stood on Sarsfield bridge either side of the Fitzgibbon memorial (see below) which was blown up by the “old” IRA in the late 20s/early 30s. This is the site where now stands the 1916 memorial.
Viscount Fitzgibbon of Mountshannon House (near Castleconnell) fell during the infamous charge of the Light brigade during the Crimean conflict. Ironically, it was Lord Lucan (George Bingham) – a disreputable great nephew of Sarsfield himself who gave the final order for the fateful cavalry charge at the massive battery of Russian artillery in 1854.
Finally, I cannot finish without mentioning that these cannon were of course technically surrendered* twice. The first time in 1855 by the Russians to the French & British armies & the second occasion by the British themselves to the Irish Free state in 1922.
* “Great to see people taking notice of Crimean heritage. However guns not surrendered they belong(ed) to Limerick City Council.”: Dr Paul Huddie Author of The Crimean War and Irish Society.
Hi Johnsgate. Re; statue. I heard from locals that there were bits of Fitzgibbon’s statue still visible in the river for years afterwards. I suppose it just got buried in the river bed or washed away with the tide. Also, the story goes that the plinth was used for the statue of the Blessed Virgin in St. Mary’s Park.
Hi John’s Gate, interesting subject for sure. It was something I just “stumbled” upon and the more I learned the more interested I became. I don’t know what happened to the statue after it was blown up & thrown in the river – it was possibly scrapped? Do you think the cannon should have a more prominent place in the city?
I never knew that these two pieces of cannon are still to be seen in the docks today.
Whatever became of Viscount Fitzgibbon’s blown-up statue and plaque?
I also found that very interesting, where some parts of the cannon were melted down and used to make Victoria crosses.
Last year I stumbled upon a forum that deals with war medals and one contributor wrote about a Crimean War Medal he had bought in Dublin.
His research revealed that a Limerick man named John Greany, born in 1837, from St. John’s Parish was awarded it.
He enlisted into the 1st Battalion of 14th Regiment of Foot on the 14th of February 1854 at the age of 17 years.
According to a book “Images of Sarsfield Barracks” it states that the 14th Regiment of Foot had its headquarters there in 1853 / 1854.
I wonder how many more working class Limerick men enlisted into that regiment and fought there too?
http://gmic.co.uk/index.php/topic/48343-one-of-my-last-research-projects/