Help with family research.

[boad]

Hello,



I was hoping to get some information that relates to my grandfather, Brian Barry, and his parents John and Roseanne Barry. I have located John’s record in the National Army 1922 census where he is listed as serving as a Vol. in the Engineers and based at the Curragh Camp (Regimental No. VR 4245). His home address is listed as 47 Kashmir Road, Belfast. My grandfather, Brian Barry, is on the Boys’ school roll book 301-400, starting in September 1925.



I didn’t get the opportunity to get much information from my grandfather on his time at the Curragh before he passed away. I think that he was there throughout the 1920s, and he came up to Belfast in the 1940s when he married and settled. He was a founder member of the West Belfast Historical Society, and one of its early members was Dr Eamon Phoenix, a noted Belfast and Queen’s University historian. Eamon penned an obituary of my grandfather that appeared in the Irish News shortly after he died. In it, he described how my grandfather was responsible for guarding prisoners at the Camp during “the Emergency”. I would be interested to learn more about this if possible. He may have also held other jobs on the camp, I would be interested to know if there are any employment records that are searchable.



I would also be interested to find out the role of my great grandfather John Barry, and the length of time he was based at the Curragh. I have searched the married quarters registers and there is a J Barry listed in the McDonagh Married Quarters in Jan 1930. Unfortunately the name of his wife is not listed but this could be him. Any help on possible information sources would be much appreciated.



Thank you for taking the time to read this post.

[Matt McNamara]

Hi Boad
Welcome to the Curragh History Forum. I am delighted to see that you have gathered a lot of information already in your research.
Your Great Grandfather John Barry, Army Service Number 4245, lived in McDermott Barracks Married Quarters from 15/05/1925 to 04/06/1929. It would appear that he may have left the army about this time. There is also another entry for a Mr. J. Barry (A.C.E.) Army Corps of Engineers living in another location in McDermott Barracks from 24/01/1930 to 29/07/1938. The fact that he is registered a Mr. Barry would not be unusual as retired soldiers or soldiers with certain skills such as engineers would often be re-employed and worked with the Board of Works in various locations, such as water pump houses, draughtsmen, carpenters, painters, depending what their skill was. Each of the various barracks in the camp had BFW personnel to maintain to upkeep the married quarters and barracks buildings.

Your Grandfather Brian Barry, according to the Curragh School Boys register 348 was born on 01/09/1920 and was registered in the school on the 07/09/1925. Based on this information he was obviously born pre 1922 and therefore before the Irish Army was officially established. He may well have lived in another location other than The Curragh up to 1928 when his Father John and his wife Roseanne moved to McDermott Bks. They may have lived locally before taking up Married Quarters.
The School Register has additional information such as address when registering and other details. You can contact the School at the Following:

Address
Curragh Camp Boys National School
Curragh Camp
Co. Kildare
Ireland

Telephone
00 353 45 441482

E-Mail
[e-mail]

Mr. John Barry lived on the Curragh Camp up to 1938 which means Brian would have grown up on the camp all his younger life and teenage years and like a lot of lads on the camp joined the army on turning seventeen and in this case would have been 1937.

You have plenty to go on there in order to continue your research . But as far as Military Service record go you will have to contact the Irish Military Archives and they can locate both your Grandfathers and Great Grandfathers records which will shed more light their time in the army.

Irish Military Archives
Postal Address:
Officer In Charge
Military Archives
Cathal Brugha Bks
Rathmines
Dublin 6
Ireland
Telephone: + 00 353 1 8046457

I hope that this will help and I wish you all the best in you research. Take time to look through the old photo galleries on my site www.curragh.info , you might get a photo of your grandfather in uniform.
All the best

Matt McNamara

[boad]

Matt,

Thanks for your quick reply, and for the info to help me take my research further. It is much appreciated. I will certainly take time to browse through the photo galleries, it would be amazing to be fortunate enough to get a photo of either my Grandfather or Great Grandfather. My father has a few photos taken in the early 1930s. One is of a Corpus Christi parade with my Grandfather at the head as an altarboy. I think he also has a photo of when Eamon De Valera visted the Camp as Taoiseach. I'll try to get copies and post them on the forum as others may recognise relatives from them.

Thanks again.

[Matt McNamara]

Hi Boad

The following photographs from the Curragh Camp in the 1940s, have a Barry listed amoung the ranks. It's a long shot, but you never know !! If you can scan you old photographs please do. Matt

[andybrennan]

Matt an excellent reply much for Boad to ponder, hope it leads to more links in his/her search.

Andy

[boad]

Matt,

Thanks for posting the photos. I've had a close look but don't think any of the Barry's are my Grandfather. I'll show them to my Dad to see if he notices any family resemblance, it's possible we had other relatives living on the Camp.

I'll get those photos scanned and posted as soon as I can.

Chris.

[Matt McNamara]

Hi Boad


I received an e-mail from John J Curran (Forum Member). John has cleaned up and enhanced some of the photographs and enlarged them for easy viewing. This link will take you to the Web Page:
www.curragh.info/New_Folder/gallery15.htm

Thanks again to John

[MurphyL1]

Hello, I am hoping you might be able to point me in the right direction to find information about my Grandfather and his time in the Curragh as a soldier. Unfortunately, I have very limited information to go on. His name was Anthony Joseph Murphy and he is listed on his marriage certificate as being a soldier in the Curragh Camp in June 1948. He was 20 years old at this time. I know that his father's name was Henry Murphy and he has links to Cootehill, Co Cavan. Any advice you could give me on how to expand my information and research would be much appreciated. Regards, Lin.

[andybrennan]

Hi MurphyL1

Do you have an army number for your granddad, if so it is?

Did he marry while in the army?

There is an A.J Murphy recorded in Cavan in 1927 born.

Did Henry serve?

Andy

[lmurphy]

Hello Andy

Thank you for your reply.

My Grandfather was born in 1927 so the AJ Murphy you mentioned could very well be him. Can I ask where you found that record.

I don't know if Henry served but do know Anthony Jospeh serve and was married while in the army in June 1948. I also know he was a swimming instructor in the army.

Apologies that I have such limited information. I am just at the beginning of my search. Would you know how I go about obtaining his Service Number?

Many thanks again, Lin.

[andybrennan]

Hi Lin,

The record for A.J Murphy born 1927 Cavan is free to be had on familysearch.org this is the latter day saints site.
It gives minimal info on him but another bit of the jigsaw.
Have you his birth certificate, if not then I will try a few other places on him.
His army service number a bit difficult if you have no record of it, you can try OIC Records. Cathal Brugha Barracks. Dublin you will get the full address on the Defence forces site.
You have his.
Name
Rank
Station
term of service
Marriage
Wifes name
Fathers name
County of birth
year of birth
and you are NOK.
unless there is another with the exact same details then you should be in luck.

On the Defence Force Site, you should also be able to e mail them.
Have you checked married quarters on this site for him as he was wed while serving. it is possible he lived for a time in the Curragh Camp.

See how you get on with that little lot for the moment.

Regards

Andy

[LMurphy1]

Hi Andy, I apologise for the long delay in getting back to you, I did write a reply but it seems I didn't mange to post it properly! Many thanks for your advice. I have since found out my grandfather's service number was 86314 and that he actually did not serve for as many years as we had believed. It seems he served in Depot Cavalry/ 4th Motor Squadron. My mission now is to hopefully locate a photograph of him while in the army. Again, many thanks for your help. Allt the best, Lin

[trooper]

Hello Lin, If you Google Irish Army drop box photo's you will get hundreds of photos many during the 40ties

if you click on the Cavalry box which has got many old photos you may be lucky and spot your Grandad..


I found an old photo of myself in a group photo taken after passing out parade in 1954

I wish you well in your search.

Ex Tpr Kelly   Ex 1st Armd Sqdn    53/54/55.

[andybrennan]

Hi Lin
If you have got his records, they should tell what courses he hid and if he served over seas.
Courses normally had a class photo, tracking it down now that might be the hard bit.
overseas service a photo for identification might exist, back to military records for that.

Also post his times served in the different units during his career you never know who might have known him.

Regards
Andy

[andybrennan]

Denis Byrne Guest
If you contact OIC Records
Department of Defence
Station Road
Newbridge

You will need to supply the above info and proof of nok relationship. Birth cert , photo id give them a bell and enquire as to what you need to supply.
Regards
Andy
Co Kildare