Bombardier 37063
Author: Martin Power
Dublin Core
Title
Bombardier 37063
Author: Martin Power
Author: Martin Power
Subject
A warm, gentle breeze bends the bearded stalks of the barley
That line the walkway to the cemetery,
Inside the dry stone wall with its granite stone capping
Yew trees stand among the headstones;
Inscribed on those headstones are family names
That have been spoken here for generations
While others , their inscriptions have been lost to the ages;
In the southwest corner stands a small, white headstone,
Its inscription reads
37063
Bombardier
P Nolan
Royal Garrison Artillery
30th July 1917 Aged 30
RIP
As I gaze upon that headstone, one hundred years to the day,
I can't but wonder how he died or where he fell;
Did he die upon the battlefield? Did he fall in no-mans-land?
Was he killed alongside his comrades fighting for a cause they did not understand/
I wonder what brought him there, was he seeking glory or adventure?
Or, was it poverty that caused him to join up to fight in a war to end all wars?
That night we prayed for all poor souls, and the priest he blessed the graves,
And we walked back through the barley field and went upon our way.
But curiosity is a funny thing and it got hold of me that night
For I could not forget the soldier lad till I learned of his sad plight.
It wasn't bomb or bullet, or bayonet that brought him to his knees,
But the deadly fear of fighting men, that incurable disease,
The dreadful tuberculosis was the cause of his demise;
It was the terror of the trenches for it took so many lives.
'Discharged, unfit for service' is what the army said,
they sent him home to Ireland, his own war to fight instead.
This was not a glorious battle, there was no medal to be won,
But rather a slow and painful fight was to be his setting sun
And in the Carlow workhouse on that beautiful July morn
He gave his soul to God above, his battle bravely won.
That line the walkway to the cemetery,
Inside the dry stone wall with its granite stone capping
Yew trees stand among the headstones;
Inscribed on those headstones are family names
That have been spoken here for generations
While others , their inscriptions have been lost to the ages;
In the southwest corner stands a small, white headstone,
Its inscription reads
37063
Bombardier
P Nolan
Royal Garrison Artillery
30th July 1917 Aged 30
RIP
As I gaze upon that headstone, one hundred years to the day,
I can't but wonder how he died or where he fell;
Did he die upon the battlefield? Did he fall in no-mans-land?
Was he killed alongside his comrades fighting for a cause they did not understand/
I wonder what brought him there, was he seeking glory or adventure?
Or, was it poverty that caused him to join up to fight in a war to end all wars?
That night we prayed for all poor souls, and the priest he blessed the graves,
And we walked back through the barley field and went upon our way.
But curiosity is a funny thing and it got hold of me that night
For I could not forget the soldier lad till I learned of his sad plight.
It wasn't bomb or bullet, or bayonet that brought him to his knees,
But the deadly fear of fighting men, that incurable disease,
The dreadful tuberculosis was the cause of his demise;
It was the terror of the trenches for it took so many lives.
'Discharged, unfit for service' is what the army said,
they sent him home to Ireland, his own war to fight instead.
This was not a glorious battle, there was no medal to be won,
But rather a slow and painful fight was to be his setting sun
And in the Carlow workhouse on that beautiful July morn
He gave his soul to God above, his battle bravely won.
Description
The reflection could be applied to thousands of wasted lives, in thousands of wars. In this case the 'casualty' was a young local man, another victim of wars made by others.
The grave is situated in Leagh cemetery, not far from Graigue, Carlow.
The grave is situated in Leagh cemetery, not far from Graigue, Carlow.
Files
Collection
Citation
“Bombardier 37063
Author: Martin Power,” From Carlow Streams, accessed October 8, 2026, https://fromcarlowstreams.ie/items/show/330.