| Francis Ledwidge |
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| CATEGORIES ABOUT FRANCIS LEDWIDGE | |
| 1887 births | |
| 1917 deaths | |
| irish poets | |
| world war i poets | |
| british world war i killed in action | |
| irish people of world war i | |
| irish soldiers | |
| people from county meath | |
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Ledwidge was born at Slane in Ireland, into a large and poverty-stricken family. His parents believed in giving their children the best education they could afford, but Francis' father died when he was only five, and he was sent out to work at an early age, eventually finding employment in a Copper mine. He had already begun to write poetry, and won the patronage of the writer, Lord Dunsany , who introduced him into literary circles. After an unhappy love affair with the daughter of a wealthy family who scorned him, Ledwidge became a founder member of the Nationalist Irish Volunteers . However, on the outbreak of war, he joined the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers in Dublin . In 1915 he saw action at Suvla Bay in Turkey . Having survived Gallipoli , he was dismayed by the news of the Easter Rising , and was Court-martial led and demoted for overstaying his home leave. While out with a working party near Pilkem , he was killed by a stray shell and was buried there. WORKS EXTERNAL LINK |
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