Talk on Battle of the Somme in Kilcullen

A talk on ‘The Somme - 1916’ will be given by Kilcullen’s John Martin in the Heritage Centre on Saturday next, writes Brian Byrne.

The retired Brigadier-General will be speaking to members of the Kildare Archaeological Society, and the talk begins at 3pm. The cost is €5, which includes tea and coffee.

John is a distinguished military historian, and is also a member of the Society. He has given a number of presentations on WW1 in Kilcullen over recent years.

The Somme Offensive was one of the bloodiest battles in WWI. During the first day alone, 1 July 1916, there were roughly 60,000 casualties. A month later saw one million killed or wounded on both sides.

In the battle, which lasted until mid-November 1916, tanks were used for the first time.