The memorial shown here is situated on rising ground at Brittas, County Meath and is inscribed as follows: ‘Beneath this Monument Are interred the remains of Thomas BLIGH, Lieutenant General of his Majesty’s forces. General of horse at the battles of Dettinggen, Val, Fontenoy and Melle. And the commander in chief of British Troops at Cherburg, Who after spending many years In the service of his country with unwearied application Retired to a private life Therein to prepare his old age For a change to a better state And to enjoy with unspeakable comfort The hopes of a happy immortality. Born A.D. 1695 Died Aug. the 17th, 1775 Aged 80 years.’ To one side of the monument are planted a series of trees ranked in the same formation as were the general’s troops during one of his campaigns. To the other the land drops away to offer a view of the house where he retired to enjoy the aforementioned private life and to prepare for ‘a happy immortality.’
An interesting man, but unlucky: the monument mentions the battle at Cherbourg where he successfully commanded the landed troops (Admiral Lord Anson was the naval commander) but not that of Saint Cast where, after a change in the weather, he was heavily defeated. Subsequently the King refused to meet him leading to him being viewed as disgraced. His Bligh family were a cadet branch of the Blighs of Plymouth / Devon – his Grandfather came to Ireland as a Collector of Customs & Excise. I do not know if he was in any way related to Capt. William Bligh of the Bounty Mutiny notoriety, but he too was baptised in Plymouth where his father was a Customs officer.