Cannons open fire again!
Millmount hosts unique event after 150 year absence
Soldiers firing guns from the Martello tower at Millmount to celebrate 200th anniversary.
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SHOPPERS winding their way through the crowds on West Street came under sustained cannon fire last Saturday – but thankfully there were no injuries to report.
And the reason, the historic launch of the 9lb cannons at Millmount which were fired for the first time at 2pm, sparking a mass migration of local birds to the far corners of Clogherhead!
' We only had a half pound charge for each blast. The cannons can take six pounds of charge and if we'd used that we'd probably have broken an awful lot of windows,' Boyd Rankin from Irish Arms remarked.
As it was, the 10 blasts from the two cannons, positioned on the renowned 'cup and saucer' for the first time in over 150 years to mark the 200th anniversary of Millmount, set off alarms all over town, from cars to buildings.
But the occasion, the brainchild of the Old Drogheda Society, merited the attention it drew, once again Drogheda's remarkable military history being brought home to the large crowd that turned out at Millmount for the occasion.
Earlier, a section of redcoats marched from West Street, headed by a piper, much to the amazement of onlookers.
That was probably the first time since 1890 that the town had seen such a sight, although Boyd Rankin indicated that a ceremonial march of red coats may have occurred in the 1920s, with real soldiers!
The recruits that made up the colour party for the day were drawn from enthusiasts from Monasterevin and Northern Ireland, depicting the Lord Leinster's 76th Regiment of Foot and the Prince of Wales 87th Regiment of Foot.
'Occasions like this are great and my only concern is that a member of the public will do something foolish and then an accident can happen. But it went well,' Boyd added.
Those close to the cannons had to wear ear protection, such was the boom from the Englishmade weapons, which if containing cannon balls, have a range of two miles, right to the mouth of the estuary. The original guns were taken away in the 1850s.
- HUBERT MURPHY
