Ledwidge Monument
On 31st July 1917, Francis Ledwidge and his comrades from the 1st Battalion of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers were repairing the old railway line and road to Pilkem near the village of Boezinge, located north of the town of Ieper (Ypres) in West Flanders. In the afternoon of that day, an enemy shell exploded beside them, killing one officer and five enlisted men, thus the life of the young poet Francis Ledwidge were extinguished forever. Here, the people of Ieper erected a monument in his honour. This monument was unveiled on the 81st anniversary of his death on 31st July 1998.

In previous years, soldier poets and writers had been honoured by the 'In Flanders Fields Museum', Ieper. Ledwidge was selected in 1998 due to the discovery of the entire text of the poem "Crochnaharna" which had been hand written by the son of a former comrade in the visitors book in his final resting place Artillery Wood Cemetery, Boezinge. This discovery, prompted Piet Chielens the director of 'In Flanders Fields Museum' to research this soldier poet. He commissioned the erection of the monument which is constructed of yellow Ieper brick with a portrait of the poet etched in glass giving it a ghostly appearance. It bears the first two lines of the poem "Lament for Thomas McDonagh" (as on the plaque at the museum in Slane) and the complete poem "Soliloquoy" in both English and Flemish.

The monument was unveiled by Dermot Bolger (poet and writer) and Joe Ledwidge (nephew of the poet).

After the unveiling ceremony, there were refreshments served in the small school in Boezinge. Entertainment was provided by Flemish musicians, Peter Derudder, Alfred Den Ouden and Filip Vanrobaeys who played and sang the poems of Francis Ledwidge. These poems have been recorded on 'Songs of Peace' CD and also include Sean Tyrrell, Fergus Feely, Caroline Steen and Jan Verheye.

There is a replica of the monument in the garden of The Francis Ledwidge Museum. The brick and glass was supplied by the 'In Flanders Fields Museum' and Conrad de Muelenaere and Jean Luc Tillie from Belgium constructed it.

It was unveiled on 29th July 2001 by Pearl Baxter (founder member of the Francis Ledwidge Museum Committee) and Joe Ledwidge (the poet's nephew).

<< back