| I would have expected the real name to take more prominence, or equal at a minimum, than the alias on a headstone. I cannot recall seeing an alias mentioned on a headstone prior to this weekend in Ennistymon. I possibly have, but the priority of the names in Co. Clare did cause me to stop and consider. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission website includes both names, Heavy and Barlow, in its listing for Ennistymon Cemetery. So does Clare County Library. The headstone and the internet provide some information that leads to even further questions in my head. One hundred years ago, 5 months after the Rising, why did Thomas Heavy, well into his thirties, change his name to join the Army? Mr. Thomas Heavy has gone onto my ‘To Find Out More’ list and I suspect some Clare purchases are in order on next visit. |   |
