Until very recently, military history has been synonymous with the history of generals and leaders. Very little attention was paid to the ordinary foot soldiers and their experiences of war. This is true of the 1916 Easter Rising and War of Independence in Ireland. One can read extensive biographies of Michael Collins, Eamonn De-Valera and other national figures but the experiences of ordinary volunteers and the sacrifices they made have been overlooked. This paper is an attempt to redress that imbalance. John Jack ‘Rover’ McCann, an agricultural labourer from Lusk, county Dublin, was an active volunteer from 1914 until his death at the hands of the Black and Tans in November 1920. Apart from two memorials in the towns of Lusk and Rush, his name is little known outside north county Dublin. Yet he, too, paid the ultimate price and laid down his life for his country just like the more famous Irishmen of that time in Ireland’s history and therefore deserves to be remembered for his sacrifice just as the leaders were.