The Francis Ledwidge Museum near the village of Slane is the birthplace of World War I poet Francis Ledwidge. The cottage museum is a fine example of a 19th century farm labourer’s cottage and houses the poet’s works and artefacts from World War I alongside memorabilia of the period. In the tranquil garden to the rear of the museum stands a replica of an original monument commissioned and erected by the City of Ieper, Belgium, at the exact spot where the poet was killed. Francis Ledwidge who was known as the Poet of the Blackbird was killed at the third battle of Ypres on the July 31st 1917 just seventeen days before his thirtieth birthday.

Lament for Thomas MacDonagh

By Francis Ledwidge

He shall not hear the bittern cry
In the wild sky, where he is lain,
Nor voices of the sweeter birds,
Above the wailing of the rain.

Nor shall he know when loud March blows 5
Thro’ slanting snows her fanfare shrill,
Blowing to flame the golden cup
Of many an upset daffodil.

But when the Dark Cow leaves the moor,
And pastures poor with greedy weeds, 10
Perhaps he’ll hear her low at morn,
Lifting her horn in pleasant meads.