World War I Door Stop

"I remember this nose cone of a German shell being used as a door stop in my grandmother’s house in Limerick when I was a child. My grandfather served in the British Army during World War I. He came from a poor family and joined the army to make money. He travelled up to Belfast from his home in Limerick and lied about his age, as technically he was too young to join at the time. During his time in the British Army, he was involved in the Boer War, World War I, and also spent time in India. During World War I, his position was bombed and he was buried in a trench for three days along with two other soldiers, one of whom died. When he returned to Ireland, he became a warden in Cork Gaol and then moved to work in Limerick Gaol, which is where my father was born. This shell, which now sits proudly in my home, was originally fired at him when he was training gunners in the Italian Alps. It didn’t go off so he kept it as a souvenir."