It took 99 years for patriot Thomas Kent to receive the recognition he deserved – but his contribution to Irish freedom will forever be remembered following the State funeral in his home village yesterday.
The remains commandant Thomas Kent , followed by relatives arrrive for the state funeral and re-internment at St Nicholas Church ,Castlelyons.
Picture: Eddie O’Hare
Thousands of people lined the streets of Cork and Castlelyons over the past two days to pay respect to only one of two men executed outside of Dublin for their part in the Easter Rising. Members of the Kent family were lauded for their dignity on the occasion and thanked for sharing the solemn occasion with the entire country.
At his funeral Mass yesterday, military historian Quartermaster Sergeant Gerry White said in his eulogy: “Thomas Kent was a man of his time. He was a religious man, with a strong belief in social justice who also believed that Ireland should be both Gaelic and free. These beliefs led him to join the Land League, the Gaelic League, the Gaelic Athletic Association and the Pioneer Total Abstinence Association. Today, because of the recent discovery of his remains, Thomas Kent has once again become someone who is very much in the present. Today, members of Óglaigh na hÉireann, the Irish Defence Forces, will render the military honours that were denied him ninety-nine years ago. Today, he will no longer be the ‘Forgotten Volunteer’. Today, after ninety-nine years, Thomas Kent is finally coming home.”