John Cooney
- Gender
- Male
On 12 October 1842, in the Battle of Kabul, British forces concluded the First Anglo-Afghan War by levelling much of that city before evacuating Afghanistan and retreating to India. To the fore in their number was Moycullen’s Sergeant Patrick Sullivan of the 86th Regiment. The battle saw the British advance on Kabul (from Kandahar and Jalalabad) and attain revenge for previous encounters as well as recover several prisoners. British forces would lose 500 men, about half that of the Afghan forces. Many Galwaymen served alongside Sullivan including the likes of the multi-decorated John Cooney from modern Kilconierin parish, outside Loughrea. Pictured is a lithograph ‘Encampment of the Kandahar Army, under General Nott’ by Lieutenant James Rattray.
