Select Image To Visit The Photo Gallery: Thomas Woodgate Memorial On Bateman Quay In Kilkenny

Photographed By William Murphy - Select Image To View Photographs

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PHOTOGRAPHED IN JUNE 2025

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The Thomas Woodgate Memorial on Bateman Quay in Kilkenny is a powerful and intricately designed sculpture that commemorates Thomas Woodgate, the youngest Irishman of the Allied Forces to be killed by enemy fire during World War I.

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• The Sculpture and its Creation:
  
  The memorial consists of two life-size figures mounted on an iron plinth, accompanied by an information board. Crafted from Corten steel, the sculpture is a complex piece, assembled from 284 individual plates that were meticulously cut, polished, and welded into position.
  
  The design concept aims to capture the essence of Thomas Woodgate's story, symbolising a boy leaving Ireland to become a soldier. Notably, the base of the statue incorporates a representation of three torpedoes, a direct reference to the sinking of the RMS Leinster by a German submarine, which tragically claimed Thomas Woodgate's life
  
  While a single named artist is not specified, CDS Architectural Metalwork was involved in the design and construction of the memorial, with their metal fabrication apprentices playing a significant role in its creation. Martin Stapleton Engineering also provided support in the construction.
  
  
• Organisation and Financing
  
  The project to erect the Thomas Woodgate Memorial was spearheaded by The Kilkenny Great War Memorial Committee, a group established in 2011 with the purpose of honouring those from Kilkenny who died in World War I. This committee partnered with Kilkenny County Council to bring the memorial to fruition. Funding for the sculpture was generously raised through both public and private donations.
  
  The memorial was officially unveiled on Sunday, 11th October 2020, by Minister Malcolm Noonan T.D. and Cllr. Andrew McGuinness.
  
  
• Location Choice The choice of Bateman Quay in Kilkenny for the memorial's location positions it in a prominent and accessible public area within Kilkenny city. It is situated off Parliament Street, directly beside Kilkenny Courthouse, and is also referenced as being at The Market Yard.
  
  This central and visible placement ensures that the memorial serves as a lasting and constant reminder of Thomas Woodgate's sacrifice and, by extension, the many young lives from Kilkenny and Ireland that were lost in global conflicts.