RIP Bernard ‘Barney’ Donaghey 23/12/1882 – 1/7/1916

Thousands gathered at the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme yesterday to pay their respects to the 72,246 missing British Empire servicemen who died in the battles of the Somme of the First World War.

Senior politicians and members of the Royal Family were present at the event to mark the 100th anniversary of the bloodiest day in British military history.

A large inscription on the memorial reads: “Here are recorded names of officers and men of the British Armies who fell on the Somme battlefields July 1915 February 1918 but to whom the fortunes of war denied the known and honoured burial given to their comrades in death.”

Every death is of equal importance however one name in particular is of special significance to supporters of Hibernian Football Club.

Bernard ‘Barney’ Donaghey was born on December 23, 1882 in Derry and later played as an inside forward for Derry City, Belfast City and Glentoran before moving to Scotland and joining Hibernian who were at that time managed by fellow Irishman Dan McMichael.

Hibernian at that time were considered to be one of the top teams in the UK having recently won the Scottish League and the Scottish Cup.

He made his debut against Motherwell on 15th October 1904 playing alongside club legends such as Harry Rennie, Bernard Breslin and Pat Callaghan.

The game ended in a 2-0 win for Hibs with ‘Barney’ scoring both goals.

The following week he scored again on a 1-1 draw with Port Glasgow Athletic then added a double in a 3-0 home win over Hearts.

In total he played 17 games for the club, scoring eight goals.

After leaving Hibs, he moved south and joined Manchester United for whom he played three games before moving to Burnley.

He won international honours on August 9, 1902 when he played for Ireland against Scotland at the Balmoral Showgrounds, in a game which was only recently declared an official international game by FIFA. No caps were awarded at that time.

He also played for the Irish League representative side against the Scottish League in a 3-0 defeat on 15th February 1902 in Dundee, then against the English League in a 4-0 defeat on 14th October 1905.

During the First World War he joined the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers and was wounded in the head by shrapnel during an explosion which killed four of his comrades. He spent time recovering in a hospital at Tanta, Egypt before returning to the front line and was killed on 1st July 1916 on the first day of the Battle of the Somme.

He was survived by his wife Sarah.

Yesterday Hibernian club historian Tom Wright joined representatives from Heart of Midlothian, Dunfermline and other teams to law a wreath at the McCrae’s Battalion Memorial at Contalmaison in France.