Cornelius Coughlan
Encyclopedia
Cornelius Coughlan VC
(27 June 1828 in Eyrecourt
, County Galway
- 14 February 1915) was an Irish
recipient of the Victoria Cross
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British
and Commonwealth
forces.
in the 75th Regiment of Foot
(later The Gordon Highlanders), British Army
during the Indian Mutiny when the following deeds took place on 8 June and 18 July 1857 at Delhi
, India
for which he was awarded the VC:
Queen Victoria felt moved to write a personal letter to Sgt Major Coughlan on hearing about his acts of bravery.
He died in Westport, County Mayo
on 14 February 1915 and is buried locally.
(Edinburgh Castle
, Edinburgh
, Scotland).
and the British ambassador and conducted by a Roman Catholic priest and a Protestant clergyman.
More than 200 people, including descendants, watched as 10 re-enactors dressed in the period costume of the Connaught Rangers, fired a volley of shots over his grave.
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
(27 June 1828 in Eyrecourt
Eyrecourt
Eyrecourt, historically known as Donanaghta , is a village in County Galway, Ireland. Eyrecourt is on the R356 regional road 12 km west of the Banagher bridge over the River Shannon.-History:...
, County Galway
County Galway
County Galway is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the city of Galway. Galway County Council is the local authority for the county. There are several strongly Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county...
- 14 February 1915) was an Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
recipient of the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
forces.
Details
He was 28 years old, and a Colour SergeantColour Sergeant
Colour sergeant or colour serjeant is a non-commissioned title in the Royal Marines and infantry regiments of the British Army, ranking above sergeant and below warrant officer class 2....
in the 75th Regiment of Foot
75th Regiment of Foot
Four regiments of the British Army have been numbered the 75th Regiment of Foot:*75th Regiment of Foot , formed 1758 and disbanded 1763*75th Regiment of Foot , renumbered from the 118th in 1763...
(later The Gordon Highlanders), British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
during the Indian Mutiny when the following deeds took place on 8 June and 18 July 1857 at Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
for which he was awarded the VC:
Queen Victoria felt moved to write a personal letter to Sgt Major Coughlan on hearing about his acts of bravery.
Further information
The soldier returned from India to serve for two decades in the Connaught Rangers in his native Ireland achieving the rank of sergeant-major.He died in Westport, County Mayo
Westport, County Mayo
Westport is a town in County Mayo, Ireland. It is situated on the west coast at the south-east corner of Clew Bay, an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean....
on 14 February 1915 and is buried locally.
The medal
His Victoria Cross is displayed at the National War Museum of ScotlandNational War Museum of Scotland
The National War Museum is housed in Edinburgh, and forms part of the National Museums of Scotland. It is located within Edinburgh Castle, and admission is included in the entry charge for the castle....
(Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle is a fortress which dominates the skyline of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, from its position atop the volcanic Castle Rock. Human habitation of the site is dated back as far as the 9th century BC, although the nature of early settlement is unclear...
, Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Scotland).
Coughlan remembered
In August 2004, the previously unmarked grave of Sergeant Major Coughlan was recognised in a formal ceremony attended by the Irish defence ministerMinister for Defence (Ireland)
The Minister for Defence is the senior minister at the Department of Defence in the Government of Ireland. Under new arrangements this department is being merged with the Department of Justice over which Mr. Shatter will also preside....
and the British ambassador and conducted by a Roman Catholic priest and a Protestant clergyman.
More than 200 people, including descendants, watched as 10 re-enactors dressed in the period costume of the Connaught Rangers, fired a volley of shots over his grave.