Page 25 - Greystones Archaeological Historical Society

GREYSTONES ARCHAEOLOGICAL & HISTORICAL SOCIETY JOURNAL VOLUME 8

Ireland Memorial Park in Messines.

It is unlikely that Joe Brien’s mother Mary ever received a
similar opportunity to visit her son’s grave in Belgium or his
brother’s grave in France. In fact, Mrs Brien even had a struggle
when it came to receiving the customary medals for her two
sons. It was Mary Brien who confronted the red tape and filled in
the soulless bureaucratic forms that remain to this day on her
son Joe’s military file. And it is in her hand that we see a poignant
note on the receipt she was asked to return for the ‘Memorial
Scroll’ that the Army sent in her son Joe’s name:

‘I have received no medals for either of my sons. M Brien.’

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Receipt for Private Joseph Brien’s ‘Memorial Scroll’

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