Royal Horse Artillery at The Curragh 1900-20

[Sue Rowbotham]

I have an undated photo of my grandfather Gunner Alfred Wood, who served with the Royal Horse Artillery, marked Newbridge, Curragh & Dublin. Alfred served with 'aa' battery, RHA
from 1900-8, and then became a reservist. He was called up again in 1912 and served with 'J' battery from 1912-20.

I would like to know when the photo was taken (I am guessing pre-WW1) and what life was like at the camp at the time. Has anyone tracked the various RHA batteries stationed at Newbridge and The Curragh? I would like to know where the RHA batteries came from, and where they were subsequently posted to. I have done some research along these lines using the 'Military and Naval Intelligence' column in the Irish Times of the period from 1908-14 which I am very happy to share.

I also have a photocopy of part of a booklet (pp6-17 Military Chapter) called 'Curragh Camp and District. Illustrated and Described', dated about 1910. I located this in the National library in Dublin. Happy to transcribe what I have if anyone is interested, and if it has not already been done.

[Matt McNamara]

Hi Sue

Thank you very much for your post on The Curragh Forum. As you can see from the site there is always room for you work. I am always getting requests from people enquiring as to what Regiments or Battalions were serving on The Curragh around that time period. It’s a bit like a really big Jigsaw the more pieces we get the bigger picture and hopefully helpful to someone.. If you send you information and photographs to me I will gladly place them on the site and give you credit for you work.

The site e-mail is [e-mail]

Best regards and looking forward to hearing from you.

Matt McNamara

[Martin Christie]

sue please send photos to matt we sure get what you need

[Sue Rowbotham]

All,

Have just sent a transcript of the 'Curragh Camp & District' booklet to Matt. I hope that someone will find it useful.

Is anyone living close enough to Dublin to be able to go in and ask The National Library whether the photographs could be reproduced on this site?

With thanks
Sue

[Matt McNamara]

Hi Sue

Thank you very much for the article. It is a worth while article of Curragh History and has given me some more information on parts of The Curragh I thought I knew. It is a pity about the photographs, but I will look into that.

It can be found at the following link: www.curragh.info/articles/curragh1910.htm

Thank you again.

Matt

[Sue Rowbotham]

Matt,

Thanks for putting up the Curragh 1910 extract so promptly. Looks good and I hope that it will prove useful to some of your site visitors.

Will transcribe the notes I made on RHA movements to and from the Curragh and Newbridge and other news from 1908-14 that I extracted from the Irish Times and Irish Weekly News on-line when I was in Dublin a few weeks ago. The Military and Naval Intelligence column in these newspapers is really useful, but I am not sure whether I can get access from England. Is there a volunteer out there who might be willing/able to note the movements of the RHA (and other regiments?) during other time periods?

Have just sent you a copy of my grandfather Fred Wood's photo taken when he was in County Kildare for your gallery. It would be nice to be able to follow the 1910 description on a map or plan - do you know if there are any maps of the Camp at about this time? Is there anything similar for the Newbridge Barracks?

Thanks again
Sue

[George.]

I have a large parade photo possibly of the R H A  pulling gun carriages between the Unioun flag and the Tri colour. Would be happy to email to anyone who may explain who and what the parade is about.

[John Manning]

My grandfather Frederick William Manning was with the RHA at the Curragh in November 1911. I am not sure which troop he was a member of by then but he had been in D troop in April 1911. He was withJ troop 1911. My uncle was born at the Curragh Military Hospital i November 1911 and my father in March 1913. At the outbreak of WW1 my grandfather was transferred to 26 Heavy Battery RGA and arrived in France on August 16 1914

[Ruth]

According to his Army Records, my great grandfather, Mark Snell, was stationed at Currugh Camp not long after joining the Army following a few months with the Cornish Militia in 1879. He went on to serve in Dublin and then in India. Sadly not photos (at least none with me but I think other members of the family might have some).