Joseph Clynch (name may appear as Clinch in places) was my (Brendan) great uncle. He was born on the 17th of January 1892. He was a Private in the 7th Battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment 25140 / South Irish Horse Regiment, from Balbriggan, Ireland. The Dead Penny belonged to John Galvin. I think the he and Joseph met in Bedfordshire. They were both from Balbriggan and in different sections of the same regiment. The Dead Penny was given to the Clynch family, possibly because they were friends. We have a letter to Joseph's brother John in New York dated the 27th of June 1917. It was given to me by my aunt. A family member had traced over with a pen to highlight faded lines. Joseph's mother was pro-Republican. She worked for Smyth's and Company in Balbriggan, Ireland. She cursed the English manager for taking all Balbriggan sons to fight in an English war. Joseph was 25 when he died on the 12th of December 1917. He is buried in Villers-Faucon Communal, Picardie, France. || Letter from Private Joseph Clinch to his brother John in June 1917 ; Medals ; Dead Penny medal of John Galvin ; Printout of photo of John Galvin || || Front || Letter || Envelope of letter from Joseph Clynch || || Letter || Envelope of letter from Joseph Clynch || Back || || Letter || Letter from Joseph Clynch || || Letter from Joseph Clynch || Letter || || Letter from Joseph Clynch || Letter || || Letter || Letter from Joseph Clynch || || Remembrance || Dead Penny of John Galvin || John Galvin || Medal || || Photograph || John Galvin || Printout of photo of John Galvin || || Back || Medals || Medal || || Medal || Medals || Front

There is one photograph attached to this story. In the photograph there are two men dressed in their army uniform. John Byrne is pictured standing on the right hand side of the photograph and the man standing beside him is unknown. The photographer of this photograph is also unknown. The face of the unknown man is smudged over and the edges of the photograph are slightly torn but the photograph is in good condition. || My grandfather John Byrne was a career solider. He was born in 1886. He joined the army in 1904 where he served in the Connaught Rangers. He had five children, three before the war and two after he returned from the war. He was captured by the German forces early in the war. He was held as a prisoner of war from 1914 to 1919. He was held in Soltau Z 3035 prisoner of war camp. He died in the early 1920's.

THOMAS LYNESS Born Drumgor County Armagh 1893 – 1966 It was on the 7th November 1914 a recruitment poster appeared in the local newspaper “Volunteers Wanted”. The Royal Irish Fusiliers came to Lurgan and Brownlow Castle as part of the recruitment drive to raise troops for the First World War. There were over 2000 men enlisted on that day they came from Lurgan and the surrounding townlands of Drumgor, Legacorry and Moyraverty. In the close community of Drumgor his cousins Francis McKerr, John McKerr and William McKerr, and fellow farmers Thomas Gregson, James Maxwell and his future brother in law James Jones from Lurgan enlisted in The Royal Irish Fusiliers. On the Thursday the 17th September 1914 Thomas Lyness was twenty-one when he signed up with the 9th Battalion The Royal Irish Fusiliers “D Coy. Service number14419. Saturday September 20th the people of Lurgan lined the streets to say goodbye to their sons, brothers, and husbands as they marched from Brownlow House to Lurgan Station to board the 1.30pm train for Belfast. After arrival at Belfast they formed ranks and marched across the city to the County Down terminus and forward to Clandeboye for training. It was June before The Division was sent to Seaford, Sussex, to complete training before their transfer to France. Thomas’s skills on the farm were put to good use; one of his jobs was looking after a team of horses that were used to supply ordnance to his comrades on the frontline. The battlefield was a very dangerous and confusing place the noise from the bombardment of shells from the German army was continuous throughout the day and night. One account Thomas was to tell his family was he found himself lost late one dark evening along with his team of horses after delivering his supply of ammunition to the troops. Knowing how well his team of horses new there way around the battlefield he decided he would drop the reins of the horses and his instinct was right, the team of horses made there way back to camp. Thomas lost many friends in France his cousin Francis McKerr Service No. 14542 was killed 01/07/1916, Son of Robert and Sarah McKerr, of Drumgor. Also James Jones, this would have been Thomas’s future brother in law but sadly James was killed on the 2nd July 1916. Service No; 14353 Son of Robert and Margaret Jones, of 98, Union St., Lurgan. Another brother Archie Lyness from Drumgor was awarded a Bravery Award for retreiving wounded men from the from the fron line at Hamel on the 1st and 2nd of July 1916. Thomas was fortunate to return from France however his hearing was badly damaged due to continuous bombardment of artillery shells on the frontline and on his return spent some time in hospital in Belfast. He was transferred to army reserve on the 20th March 1919, noted on his discharge papers is a follows; “ He has always been a capable and reliable soldier with a good character” These men from Drumgor were called DRUMGOR MEN OF WAR || DRUMGOR MEN OF WAR\n Thomas Lyness, Drumgor Archie Lyness, Drumgor Bravery Award || || DRUMGOR MEN OF WAR || 54.46753,-6.337040000000002 || Photograph || PHOTOGRAPH OF THOMAS LYNESS, ARCHIE LYNESS AND FRIEND FROM DRUMGOR COUNTY ARMAGH, N.IRELAND