We have been learning all about John Condon who is also known as ‘The Boy Soldier’. We took a walk along Ballybricken and visited the memorial plaque where he was born. We completed a trail booklet, listened to The Ballad of John Condon and are putting together a project about his life, which we will use to help get a History Award for our school. We are so lucky to have such history right on our doorstep! Here are some facts about his life.

John Condon (5^thOctober 1896 – 24^thMay 1915)

John Condon was born in the parish of Ballybricken in Waterford City.His parents were John and Catherine Condon of Thomas Avenue, also known as Wheelbarrow Lane near Barker Street. John wanted to join the army to fight for Britain in World War 1. It was believed that he lied about is age and enrolled in the British Army. More than 400,000 Irishmen fought in World War 1 as part of the British Army. Around 4,800 men from Waterford city and county served in the Army and over 700 were killed. Private John Condon was killed in the Second Battle of Ypres, Belgium, on 24^th May 1915. He is known as the ‘Boy Soldier’ because it was believed that he was only 14 years of age when he was killed. John Condon is recorded as being the youngest soldier to have died in World War 1. John Condon’s grave in Belgium is one of the most visited of all the war graves and is seen by many people as a symbol for the ‘futility of war’ which means war is pointless and  is not the answer to solve problems.

Would You Believe?

A birth certificate, census, war diaries and other records now state that Private John Condon would have been 18 years old at the recorded date of his death and that the wrong person is named on the grave. However, the headstone in Poelkapelle Cemetery, Belgium, continues to record his age as 14.