Cornelius Coughlan

Cornelius Coughlan
Born	27 June 1828 Eyrecourt, Galway, Ireland
Died	14 February 1915 (aged 86) Westport, Mayo, Ireland
Buried	Westport Old Cemetery
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service / branch	British Army
Rank	Sergeant Major
Unit	75th Regiment of Foot Connaught Rangers
Battles / wars	Indian Mutiny
Awards	Victoria Cross

Cornelius Coughlan VC (Irish: Conchobhar Ó Cochláin; 27 June 1828, 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.

Details

He was 28 years old, and a Colour Sergeant in the 75th Regiment of Foot (later The Gordon Highlanders), British Army during the Indian Mutiny when the following action took place on 8 June and 18 July 1857 at Delhi, India for which he was awarded the VC:

For gallantly venturing, under a heavy fire, with three others, into a Serai occupied by the Enemy in great numbers, and removing Private Corbett, 75th Regiment, who lay severely wounded. Also for cheering and encouraging a party which hesitated to charge down a lane in Subzee Mundee, at Delhi, lined on each side with huts, and raked by a cross fire; then entering with the said party into an enclosure filled with the Enemy, and destroying every man. For having also, on the same occasion, returned under a cross fire to collect dhoolies, and carry off the wounded ; a service which was successfully performed, and for which this man obtained great praise from the Officers of his Regiment.

Queen Victoria wrote a personal letter to Sgt Major Coughlan after 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 on 14 February 1915 and is buried locally in Aughavale Cemetery near Murrisk.

The medal

His Victoria Cross is displayed at the National War Museum of Scotland (Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh, Scotland).

Coughlan remembered

In August 2004 a retired Irish Army Officer, Captain Donal Buckley of Military Heritage Tours erected a headstone at the previously unmarked grave in Aughavale Cemetery, Westport, Co. Mayo, Ireland. The Irish Defence Minister unveiled the headstone. The ceremony was attended by the British Ambassador and the British Defence Attaché. Many Regimental, ex-servicemen and historical associations from Ireland and the UK attended and participated in the ceremony which followed an ecumenical service.

More than 500 people, including descendants from Bradford and Glasgow in the UK, watched as 10 Connaught Rangers re-enactors from Ireland and the UK fired a volley of shots over his grave*.

References

Listed in order of publication year

• The Register of the Victoria Cross (1981, 1988 and 1997)
• Clarke, Brian D. H. (1986). "A register of awards to Irish-born officers and men". The Irish Sword. XVI (64): 185–287.
• Ireland's VCs (Dept of Economic Development, 1995)
• Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
• Irish Winners of the Victoria Cross (Richard Doherty & David Truesdale, 2000)
• "Sgt. Major Cornelius Coughlan VC", James Scannell, in Journal of the Genealogical Society of Ireland, vol. 5 no. 4, winter 2004, pp. 254–256.
• Coughlan VC

External links

• Location of grave and VC medal (Co. Mayo, Ireland)
• Cornelius Coughlan at Find a Grave
• Speech at the Coughlan memorial service
• 1911 Irish Census Return