Plaque to mark 75th anniversary of Ciaran Gannon

A china plaque has been framed and secured for its trip to India to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of past Captain Ciaran Gannon, at his last known resting place.

The Plaque will be left with the Catholic community in Moreh at St Georges Church and School, care of the Principal Father Lourdhusamy, on 23rd March 2019.

It shows Ciaran Gannon’s date of birth and birthplace and the place and circumstance of his death in Moreh on the India-Myanmar border. The crest is that of the UCD Boat Club. The plaque includes a quotation ascribed to the French theologian Lacordaire, which Ciaran noted in his own handwriting before his death. It translates as:

if death is the masterpiece of God’s justice, it does not lessen his love

The Plaque is made from china clay with the following ingredients harvested from a journey across Ireland during the summer of 2018:

• Peat from a bog in Connacht, reflecting the genes of Ciaran Gannon in the Gannon/ Kerin families of Galway and Mayo
• Mud from Oranmore Bay, taken in the shadow of Oranmore Castle which Ciaran would have known well during the first 10 years of his life
• Grass from the playing fields of Clongowes Wood College, the school Ciaran attended during his second decade
• Water from the River Liffey taken from the landing stage of the University College Dublin Boat Club, which Ciaran rowed for, captained and coached to great success, during his twenties

Ciaran Gannon never returned to Ireland, so a little bit of Ireland, in the form of the plaque, is making its way to his last known resting place. The plaque will be presented by Ciaran’s two nephews Ciaran Gannon and John Frost, by his niece Fionnuala Burgess (nee Gannon) and a husband of a further niece, Robin Rustom, married to Cathy Rustom (nee Gannon).