Private Peter Meara from Dovegrove, Birr

Pte P. Meara's KSA

Recently, a lot of three King’s South Africa medals came up for auction. Among them was one awarded to Private Peter Meara of the Leinster Regiment. With no accompanying research, I set out to uncover the story behind this soldier.

Peter Meara was the son of Peter and Bridget Meara (née Coughlan). Although no birth certificate has been found, perhaps indicating his birth was never officially registered. He was baptised on 10 September 1874 at St Brendan’s Church.

The Meara family lived at Dovegrove House, just outside Birr. The estate, owned by Lord Rosse, was overseen by Peter’s father. According to the 1901 census, the house had seven front facing windows and between seven and nine rooms.

Peter enlisted in the 3rd (Militia) Battalion of the Leinster Regiment in December 1889. His enlistment papers note that he was then employed by Lord Rosse, likely helping his father with the running of the grounds of Dovegrove House. He stood 5 feet 5 inches tall, with blue eyes and brown hair. As a militiaman, he was required only to attend annual training camps, typically lasting two weeks.

In 1891, Peter transferred to the regular army, joining the 1st Battalion of the Leinsters. On 20 February 1898, while stationed in Birr, he married Kate Kennedy, a local servant. That same year, the battalion was posted to Halifax, Canada, where they became the last British regiment to serve garrison duty there.

It’s likely that Peter and Kate had two daughters, Mary and Lizzie, while in Canada, though their birth records remain elusive.

With the outbreak of the Second Anglo-Boer War in 1899, the 1st Leinsters were sent to South Africa. The campaign was harsh and unforgiving; disease and the climate often proved more lethal than the enemy. Of the approximately 22,000 British casualties during the war, only around 4,000 were killed in combat, the rest succumbed to illness, disease, and accidental death.

On 8 April 1902, while guarding a blockhouse on a hill at Stenekamps Kop, the Leinsters came under attack by approximately 500 burghers. The regiment successfully repelled the assault, but three men were killed in action, including Private Meara.

A report in the Midland Counties Advertiser dated 17 April 1902 described the engagement:

“THE LEINSTERS IN ACTION. The 1st Batt Leinster Regiment was in action on the 8th and 9th April, and though they suc-ceeded in driving off the enemy with great loss, unfortunately our brave county regiment suffered rather heavily, there being three killed and seven-teen wounded. The names of the killed are Privates T Gannon, P Meara and W Blakeney, while Corporal J Parrott and Private W Piper were severely wounded, and Color-Sergt O’Brien, Sergt T Plunket, Corpl F Donnigan, Privates H Jennings, T Slattery, H Ledwidge, R Keating, T Cunningham, W Johnson, J Walsh, P Dobbings, L Stafford, P McKeerman, W Meehan, M McGrath, were all slightly wounded near Bethlehem on 8th April. It is stated Pte Meara is son of Mr Peter Meara, Dovegrove, Birr.”

Another notice appeared in the same paper on 24 April 1902:

“On April 8th, 1901 Private P Meara, 1st Leinsters, killed in action, South Africa, aged 28, third son of P and B Meara, Dovegrove, Birr.”

Following Peter’s death, Kate seems to vanish from the record. However, a touching memorial appeared in The Leinster Reporter on 11 April 1903:

“In loving memory of dead ‘Dad’, Peter Meara, 1st Leinster Regiment, who fell in action in South Africa, 8th April, 1902. Mary and Lizzy.”

Memorial in St Patrick's Cathedral.

The children were likely no older than four at the time. Kate probably received Peter’s campaign medals, which would have included the Queen’s South Africa Medal with clasps for Cape Colony, Orange Free State, and Transvaal, as well as the King’s South Africa Medal with clasps for South Africa 1901 and South Africa 1902.

Private Meara’s name is commemorated on the memorial to the death casualties of the 1st Battalion, Leinster Regiment in St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin.

Special thanks to Jack and Laura of St Patrick’s Cathedral for their kind assistance.