Leitrim nurses among Ireland’s forgotten heroes of post-war France

Families in Leitrim are being urged to come forward as part of a nationwide community appeal to remember Irish men and women who served with the **Irish Red Cross Hospital in St Lô in the aftermath of the Second World War.

Between December 1945 and January 1947, Irish doctors, nurses, orderlies and support staff travelled to the devastated French town to establish and run a fully functioning Red Cross hospital for the local civilian population. St Lô had been almost entirely destroyed during the Allied bombing of Normandy, leaving thousands without medical care, homes or basic services.

Among those who answered the call were nurses from Co Leitrim, including Moira McGriskin and A. McGriskin, whose service forms part of this extraordinary but often overlooked chapter of Irish humanitarian history.

Now, Catherine Gagneux, French Honorary Consul based in Galway, is appealing to families—particularly in counties like Leitrim—to help reconnect these individual stories with the wider public. She is gathering photographs, letters, documents, memories and personal recollections for a forthcoming exhibition dedicated to the Irish Red Cross Hospital in St Lô.

Many families may know only fragments of these stories—that a parent, grandparent, aunt or uncle “went to France after the war”—without realising the scale or significance of what they were part of. Others may have held onto quiet mementoes for decades: a Red Cross badge, a faded photograph, a diary entry or a letter sent home from Normandy.

“This is very much a community project,” Catherine said. “Every small detail helps us honour the people who gave their time, skills and compassion to help strangers rebuild their lives after the war.”

The appeal aims not only to document history, but to ensure that the individuals behind the uniforms—many from rural counties like Leitrim—are remembered by name, face and story.

By coming forward, Leitrim families can help preserve a unique humanitarian bond between Ireland and France, and ensure that the legacy of compassion shown by Irish Red Cross staff in St Lô continues to be recognised and celebrated.

Anyone with information, memories or material—no matter how small—is warmly encouraged to get in touch. Contact: catherinegagneux@gmail.com