Edinburgh Castle One o'clock gunner '˜Shannon the Cannon' dead aged 58

Tributes have poured in for a soldier who fired Edinburgh Castle's iconic One o'clock Gun.
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Sergeant James Shannon, AKA Shannon the Cannon, died aged 58.

He officially took on the One o’clock Gun role in 2006 shortly after the death of long-time gunner “Tam the Gun”, Sergeant Thomas McKay, who had fired the timepiece since the 1970s.

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A Territorial Army recruiting sergeant, Shannon was the 29th person to undertake the post of One o’clock gunner.

Sgt James Shannon (aka Shannon The Cannon) with the One O'Clock Gun. Picture: TSPLSgt James Shannon (aka Shannon The Cannon) with the One O'Clock Gun. Picture: TSPL
Sgt James Shannon (aka Shannon The Cannon) with the One O'Clock Gun. Picture: TSPL

A string of heartfelt condolences have appeared online.

Ian Wren, @spuggywren, tweeted: “I had the pleasure to serve with Jamie in 105 Regiment Royal Artillery. He truly was a gentleman and will be sadly missed.”

The Military Museum Scotland wrote: “A good mate passed away this morning. A great guy and well known around the world. RIP Jamie Shannon the Cannon.”

William Neish added: “RIP soldier and thank you for your service.”

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The firing of the Castle’s One o’clock Gun is a tradition that goes back to 1861, when it was used to allow ships in the Firth of Forth to set their maritime clocks.

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