Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 4 days ago
The Campile Bombing, 26th August 1940
Here’s a chat I recorded with John Flynn of Campile in Wexford at the headstone of Kathleen Hurley in Ballycullane. For those of you who don’t know, Kathleen was killed in 1940 when the Co-op in Campile was bombed by German bombers and herself and two other local girls killed.
Always something emotional about visiting the grave of someone you heard about and especially holding something belonging to them. In this case it was her hurl and written on it in a pen by her brother was “Killed by German bombs at Campile on August 26th 1940”. For whatever reason her brother did this, maybe just a way to grieve and process what happened, and before he died, he gifted it to John. Her hurl did it for me and to hold her memory card and photo at the headstone was important as the person becomes real when you can see her face. So that was special, however I came away conflicted.
If you notice I keep using her ‘headstone’ rather than her ‘grave’ is because her headstone doesn’t mark her grave. Why? Because back in the early 1970s the local PP decided that it would be a good idea to move every single headstone off the graves and push them over again a ditch and when he ran out of room, created a cluster of about 6 rows of headstones, using some that broke during the move, as a footpath. I was shocked when I saw it a few months ago and still feel the same when writing today.
I know many locals, including fellow Clergy were unhappy with this, but sadly it happened and we have to move forward. But you’d hope it’d never happen again.
Luckily for people like John, we’d have never known this was Kathleen’s headstone and I’m grateful for him showing me. Hopefully more will come see it.
John told me she’s buried over on the right hand side as you come in the church but the exact location is unknown. Anyway, I parked up my disappointment and left happy that I’d made a connecting with Kathleen - even though I was naturally saddened at seeing the resting place of hundreds of people turned into a lawn which is kept short by a robot mower.
RIP Kathleen and thanks John.
Text: Michael Fortune
The Campile Bombing, 26th August 1940
Here’s a chat I recorded with John Flynn of Campile in Wexford at the headstone of Kathleen Hurley in Ballycullane. For those of you who don’t know, Kathleen was killed in 1940 when the Co-op in Campile was bombed by German bombers and herself and two other local girls killed.
Always something emotional about visiting the grave of someone you heard about and especially holding something belonging to them. In this case it was her hurl and written on it in a pen by her brother was “Killed by German bombs at Campile on August 26th 1940”. For whatever reason her brother did this, maybe just a way to grieve and process what happened, and before he died, he gifted it to John. Her hurl did it for me and to hold her memory card and photo at the headstone was important as the person becomes real when you can see her face. So that was special, however I came away conflicted.
If you notice I keep using her ‘headstone’ rather than her ‘grave’ is because her headstone doesn’t mark her grave. Why? Because back in the early 1970s the local PP decided that it would be a good idea to move every single headstone off the graves and push them over again a ditch and when he ran out of room, created a cluster of about 6 rows of headstones, using some that broke during the move, as a footpath. I was shocked when I saw it a few months ago and still feel the same when writing today.
I know many locals, including fellow Clergy were unhappy with this, but sadly it happened and we have to move forward. But you’d hope it’d never happen again.
Luckily for people like John, we’d have never known this was Kathleen’s headstone and I’m grateful for him showing me. Hopefully more will come see it.
John told me she’s buried over on the right hand side as you come in the church but the exact location is unknown. Anyway, I parked up my disappointment and left happy that I’d made a connecting with Kathleen - even though I was naturally saddened at seeing the resting place of hundreds of people turned into a lawn which is kept short by a robot mower.
RIP Kathleen and thanks John.
Text: Michael Fortune
