AT 7.30pm on July 19th, 1916 - exactly 92 years ago last Saturday - 23-year-old Private Tom McKinney of Sentry Hill, Carnmoney, Co Antrim, died from wounds received at the Battle of the Somme, writes Brian Walker. Considering the many thousands of young men from Ireland who died at the Somme during the summer of 1916, his death was not out of the ordinary.
What was extraordinary, however, was that from the time Tom McKinney was wounded on July 3rd until his death, a very moving series of letters and notes about his condition passed between two circles of friends and family, in Ireland and in France. In spite of the ongoing battle and war, this correspondence took place almost daily, with letters taking only a few days to arrive.
Descended from Scottish Presbyterians who fled to Ireland after the Battle of Sherrifmuir of 1716, and from United Irishmen of 1798, Tom McKinney lived at the family home and 76-acre farm at Sentry Hill with his widowed father John, sister Elsie, aunt Meg and grandfather William.
War was declared in August 1914 and in the following month Tom McKinney joined the army. The Battle of the Somme began on July 1st, 1916 and five days later a telegram arrived at Sentry Hill from the infantry record office in Hounslow, England. It read: "Regret to inform you your son 5265 Pte Tom McKinney dangerously wounded. 23rd clearing stn. Regret permission to visit him cannot be granted,"
John McKinney now received a letter, dated July 4th, from a J.W. Ekin: "Your son was slightly wounded yesterday with a piece of a bomb which struck him on the hip. I can assure you that you need not have the slightest anxiety as to 'Mac's' (as he is known to everybody) condition. I don't know if he has ever mentioned my name to you but we were at Inst together and came over to Epsom together."
An official note stated that Tom had been moved to a military hospital. A letter of July 10th arrived from Tom: "Dear Father, I am sure that you have been told a few times already that I have been wounded. I am going on as well as can be expected but it will be a very slow business. I cannot write much as I am very tired and sore. Hoping all at home are quite well, I remain, your affectionate son, Tom."
Letters were now sent from Sentry Hill to Tom. His Aunt Meg tried to reassure him: "I'm afraid you have had a lot of pain getting the shrapnel out, you will soon be right as you are young and strong." She commented: "You would be flattered if you saw the people flocking here to ask for you. We counted twenty yesterday."
From his arrival at the hospital, a nurse called Sister Dempster daily sent a brief note about his condition to his family. He seemed to improve until July 14th, when his state began to deteriorate. His wound had become infected with gangrene. On July 17th she warned that he was seriously ill, but "he was so pleased to get your letter yesterday". On July 18th she described how "the wound is very sceptic" and "we had to remove part of the bone which is all splintered". A card, dated July 19th, stated: "He is very dangerously ill."
A final note from Sister Dempster informed the family of his death. This was confirmed by an official letter, dated July 22nd: "It is my painful duty to inform you that a report has this day been received notifying the death of Pte McKinney, T.G., 20th Bn. Royal Fusiliers which occurred at General Hospital St Omer at 7.30pm on 19 July 1916."
Two more letters arrived from France. The first, written on the day of Tom's death, was from a Sister Harrington. Tom had asked her "to write and let his parents know if anything happened to him and to say that he was quite happy and resigned". She went on: "His wounds were very severe - the right hip being shattered and he suffered greatly from shock. I wonder how he lived so long - he must have been a very strong boy. He was always talking about his home and Belfast."
The second letter, dated July 20th, came from a Presbyterian chaplain, J. Lynn: "I saw him the day before yesterday and he spoke of you all at home and only wished he was back again in Carnmoney, where he was sure he would get well, but of course it was impossible to move him or think of sending him to England."
He continued: "I saw him again yesterday, and I think he knew the end was coming, and was resigned. I prayed with him and he knew me, but later in the aft. when I went again, he was fast losing consciousness, and really past all pain. He passed away quietly at the last. I can only commend you to the loving care of Our Heavenly Father in your great sorrow. To me it is an honour as I had got to know him well. His last conscious thoughts were of you all."
This terrible loss for the McKinney family, of course, was one that would be experienced by countless other families in Ireland. In the McKinneys' case there was the additional problem of who would run the farm in the future. William McKinney died in 1917 and John McKinney in 1934.
By the mid-1930s the sale of Sentry Hill was a real possibility. However, the property was now signed over to another of William McKinney's grandsons, local doctor Joe Dundee. While he ran the farm, the house at Sentry Hill remained the private world of Meg and Elsie McKinney. All Tom's letters and cards were carefully put away.
In 1976 Joe Dundee moved to Sentry Hill, where he lived until his death in 1996. Newtownabbey Borough Council then bought the house, all its contents and the remaining farm land. The house and grounds have been beautifully restored and are open to the public.
Sentry Hill today reflects the lives of a number of generations of this Co Antrim farming family. An important place is given to the short life of Tom McKinney. This young man, the focus of such concern for his family and friends in the early weeks of July 1916, is now remembered by the many people who visit Sentry Hill.
• To visit Sentry Hill phone 04890 (02890 in NI) 832363 or email sentry.hill@btconnect.com