Irish Legion post helps honor World War I soldier

A ceremony honouring Irish native Pvt. 1st Class Michael J. Moffatt, Company “A”, 105th Infantry Regiment, 27th Infantry Division, United States Army, KIA in France on Oct. 18, 1918, took place at his resting site in Kiltoghert Cemetery, Carrick-on-Shannon, County Leitrim, Ireland, on June 4. Moffatt was originally buried at the Somme American Cemetery in northeast France, but his remains were repatriated to Ireland at the family’s request in 1922 and hastily buried with little or no military formality at the Moffatt burial plot in Kiltoghert.

For nearly 95 years Moffatt had lain in an unmarked grave. But thanks to the efforts of his nephew, Eamon Moffatt, and Michael Noone of The American Legion, a U.S. military-type headstone is now in place, courtesy of VA. The ceremony, conducted by American Legion Post IR-03 in Ireland, included unveiling the headstone, blessing of the grave by local parish priest Fr. Brendan McDonagh, folding of a U.S. burial flag and presentation to next of kin Eamon Moffatt, a rendition of laments and marches by piper Pat Conlon, laying a wreath on behalf of The American Legion by Legionnaire Gerard Duignan, a relation of the Moffatt family, sounding the Last Post by a bugler, and finishing off with playing both national anthems. An attendance of over 100 neighbors, friends, parishioners and Irish veterans were present to remember and honor this courageous soldier from the Great War.