The Lynn brothers were four siblings from Coalisland, County Tyrone, who served in the British Army during the First World War. Three were killed during the conflict between 1915 and 1916, and the fourth died on active service in 1920, making their deaths one of the most notable multipleâÂÂsibling losses from Ireland.
James, Robert, John, and William Lynn were the sons of James Lynn Sr., a railway porter at Dungannon railway station who later became a farmer, and Elizabeth Lynn (née Abernethy), a dressmaker. They lived on a farm in the townland of Mousetown, just outside Coalisland, County Tyrone, Ireland, and the brothers had three sisters.
All four Lynn brothers enlisted in the British Army during the First World War. Their service spanned several regiments and theatres of war, and each died in active service between 1915 and 1920.
A marble memorial plaque in the Church of Ireland, Coalisland, commemorates the four brothers. It was erected by their parents, it lists each son by name, along with his regiment and the date and place of death. The inscription includes the line:
"God is good, He will give us grace, to bear our heavy cross. He is the only one who knows how bitter is our loss".
Although the Lynn surname ended with James, the name continued to be used within the extended family. In subsequent generations, "Lynn" was adopted as a middle name and, in some cases, as a first name by descendants of the brothers' sisters.