THE grave of a young boy killed during the Easter Rising in Dublin 102 years ago is to finally be marked with a headstone.
Eugene Lynch was aged just 8 when he was shot dead on April 28, 1916 – becoming one of 40 children to be killed during the Rising.
A gravestone and memorial will be unveiled for the child on March 23 at Goldensbridge Cemetery in Inchicore, Dublin – across the road from where Eugene's family lived at 4 Vincent Street.
According to RTÉ presenter Joe Duffy, the author of 'Children of the Rising', the deaths of Irish youngsters such as Eugene in 1916 have "long been forgotten by history".
Burial records from Goldenbridge showed Eugene died from the effects of a bullet wound", Duffy told the Irish Independent.
He continued: "I have found very little information on the life of young Eugene, but the details of his burial are starkly clear.
"On Friday, April 28, Eugene was playing near the front of Richmond Barracks, beside his home. Locals tell me the story in the area is that Eugene and his pals were kicking a football when a soldier on sentry duty discharged his rifle.
"The bullet hit Eugene and he was carried to his grandmother's public house, McGrath's, nearby.
"He died on a table in the pub and was buried two days later, on Sunday at 11am. The interment cost £2."
Duffy came across Eugene's burial record thanks to the help of the late Glasnevin historian Shane MacThomais.
A makeshift memorial was erected with the help of local schoolchildren, but now, a full headstone and memorial will be erected by the Glasnevin Trust.
Members of young Eugene's family, including his grandniece Irene Lynch, will be in attendance at the March 23 unveiling – which will also name the other children buried there.
As Duffy explained: "Eugene, like most of the children, was never named."
