Students and Soldiers: The University War Dead / Mic Léinn agus Saighdiúirí: Lucht na hOllscoile a Fuair Bás sa Chogadh

Thirteen current and former students of the University were killed fighting for the British Army in World War I. In addition, two former students of the University died prematurely following their return from the Western Front.

Richard Kinkead (b. 1883) was the son of Professor Thomas Kinkead of the Faculty of Medicine. An outstanding athlete and oarsman, Richard joined the military after the outbreak of the war and was commissioned with the Royal Army Medical Corps. He was killed while attending the wounded of the Prince of Wales’ Own Hussars during the First Battle of Ypres in October 1914.

Galway native Gabriel Costello (b. 1888) grew up in Taylor’s Hill, one of eight children of a Catholic farming family. He joined the 10th Irish Division soon after the war began and achieved the rank of 2nd lieutenant. He was killed during the early phase of the Dardanelles Campaign in August 1915.

A native of Tuam, Co. Galway, Peter Ward (b. 1887) studied medicine at UCG before joining the Royal Army Medical Corps. He was killed while home on leave from the front in his native Galway when he crashed his army-issue motor cycle in September 1915.

Thomas Campbell (b. 1887) was killed while serving with the Royal Engineers during the Dardanelles (Gallipoli) Campaign in October 1915. The son of devout Protestant parents from Co. Antrim, Thomas spent his early childhood in India where his family was engaged in missionary work. He studied engineering in UCG before emigrating to Canada to find work, returning to England to enlist.

Arthur Peters (b. 1881) was a native of Nottinghamshire, England, and enrolled in the Engineering faculty in the University in 1913. He joined the Royal Engineers on the outbreak of the war and was killed by shellfire near Boulogne in northern France, in February 1916. He left behind a widow and child.

James Lyle Hay (b. 1895) was the son of a land steward on the Clonbrock estate in Ahascragh, east Galway. A member of the College rugby and hockey teams, ‘Jimmy,’ as he was known, played a starring role in the students’ production of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night in 1914. His company of the Northumberland Fusiliers participated in some of the heaviest fighting on the Western Front. He was killed at La Boiselle, France, in July 1916.

Benjamin Roberts (b. 1875) emigrated to South Africa after completing his medical studies at UCG and Edinburgh. Returning to England when the war erupted he immediately enlisted. Killed while serving with the Royal Army Medical Corps during the Allies’ advance from Deville Wood as part of the Somme Offensive in July 1916, this Athlone native is buried at Corbie Cemetery, near Amiens, France.

William Keane (b. 1892) from Shop Street, Galway, was a talented student, winning College scholarships in Arts and Engineering. He was studying for the Indian Civil Service Examination in England when war was declared. He was killed fighting with the 3rd battalion of the Royal Irish Fusiliers in November 1916 and is buried in Kemmel Cemetery, Belgium.

John Paul (b. 1890) moved to Galway from Belfast in his childhood and attended the Galway Model School. Serving with the Canadian Field Artillery, he died in May 1917 during an air raid in Flanders while recuperating from wounds received at the front. A Presbyterian, John won a scholarship to the University in 1905, aged just fifteen years.

John P. Forde (b. 1893) was a native of the Woodquay district of Galway town and educated at the nearby Jesuit College (‘The Jes’). Opting to place his medical studies on hold in order to fight with the 9th Battalion of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers, he was commissioned in the field for bravery. He was killed while leading an attack on the 19th Bavarian Infantry during the Third Battle of Ypres in August 1917. His body was never recovered.

Reginald Durdle (b. 1893) was a native of Bournemouth, England. He fought in several major engagements on the Western Front and was killed only weeks before the war ended when his unit of the 4th East Kent Regiment was hit by heavy shelling while attempting to break through the Hindenburg Line in September 1918.

Samuel Matthews (b. 1887), a native of Thurles, Co. Tipperary, was chairman of the College Debating Society and earned a number of College Scholarships to study medicine. He served with the Royal Army Medical Corps in East Africa. He died of fever three days before the end of the war. He is buried in Dar es Salaam Commonwealth War Cemetery, Tanzania.

Francis Slattery (b. 1892) was an outstanding student, gaining first class honours in engineering. He joined the Royal Engineers and was seriously injured in heavy fighting in Salonika, now Thessaloniki, Greece. He returned to England to recuperate from his wounds but died in January 1919. His body was returned to Ireland and buried in his native Kilchreest.

Former students of the College, Charles Kidd of Dublin, and James St Laurence Kirwan, Ballinasloe, are also included in the College War List. Kidd served with the Royal Army Medical Corps and died suddenly in England in July 1920. Dr Kirwan had been commissioned as lieutenant in the RAMC in late 1915 and had been involved in recruitment. He died in August 1916 at the age of 44, shortly after resuming his medical post in the Ballinasloe Asylum.

Mic Léinn agus Saighdiúirí: Lucht na hOllscoile a Fuair Bás sa Chogadh

Maraíodh trí mhac léinn déag (idir mhic léinn reatha agus iarmhic léinn) ag troid ar son Arm na Breataine sa Chéad Chogadh Domhanda. Chomh maith leis sin, bhásaigh beirt mhac léinn eile roimh a n-am tar éis dóibh filleadh ón bhFronta Thiar.

Ba mhac leis Ollamh Thomas Kinkead as Dámh an Leighis Richard Kinkead (r. 1883). Lúthchleasaí den scoth a bhí ann agus é iontach ag iomramh. Chuaigh Richard san arm nuair a thosaigh an cogadh agus bhí sé coimisiúnaithe i gCór Liachta Arm na Breataine. Maraíodh é agus é ag tabhairt cóir leighis dóibh siúd as na Prince of Wales’ Own Hussars a gortaíodh i gCéad Chath Ypres i nDeireadh Fómhair 1914.

B’as Gaillimh ó dhúchas do Gabriel Costello (r. 1888) a d’fhás aníos ar an mBóthar Ard. Ochtar a bhí ina theaghlach Caitliceach, de shliocht feirmeoirí. Chuaigh sé sa 10ú Rannán go gairid i ndiaidh don chogadh briseadh amach agus ceapadh é ina dhara leifteanant. Maraíodh é go luath i bhFeachtas Dardanelles i mí Lúnasa 1915.

B’as Tuaim, Co. na Gaillimhe, do Peter Ward (r. 1887) ó dhúchas. Rinne sé Leigheas i gColáiste na hOllscoile, Gaillimh, sula ndeachaigh sé i gCór Liachta Arm na Breataine. Maraíodh é i Meán Fómhair 1915 agus é sa bhaile ar saoire ón bhFronta; bhí timpiste aige nuair a bhí gluaisrothar an Airm á thiomáint aige.

Maraíodh Thomas Campbell (r. 1887) agus é leis na hInnealtóirí Ríoga i bhFeachtas Dardanelles i nDeireadh Fómhair 1915. Tuismitheoirí cráifeacha Protastúnacha as Co. Aontroma a bhí aige agus chaith Thomas a óige in India, áit a raibh a theaghlach i mbun obair mhisinéireachta. Rinne sé innealtóireacht i gColáiste na hOllscoile, Gaillimh, sula ndeachaigh sé go Ceanada ar thóir oibre agus d’fhill sé ar Shasana le dul san arm.

B’as Nottinghamshire i Sasana d’Arthur Peters (r. 1881) ó dhúchas agus chláraigh sé le Dámh na hInnealtóireachta san Ollscoil i 1913. Chuaigh sé sna hInnealtóirí Ríoga nuair a thosaigh an Cogadh agus maraíodh é in aice le Boulogne i dTuaisceart na Fraince i mí Feabhra 1916. Bhí bean agus gasúr aige.

Mac maor talún ar eastát Chluain Broc in Áth Eascrach, taobh thoir de Ghaillimh a bhí i James Lyle Hay (r. 1895). Bhí Jimmy, mar ab fhearr aithne air, ar fhoireann rugbaí agus ar fhoireann haca an Choláiste agus bhí an phríomhpháirt aige i ndráma Shakespeare, Twelfth Night, i 1914. Bhí a chomplacht, Fiúsailéirí Northumberland, i gcuid den troid ba mheasa ar an bhFronta Thiar. Maraíodh é in Le Boiselle na Fraince i mí Iúil 1916.

D’imigh Benjamin Roberts (r. 1875) go dtí an Afraic Theas i ndiaidh staidéar a dhéanamh ar an leigheas i gColáiste na hOllscoile, Gaillimh, agus Dún Éideann. D’fhill sé ar Shasana nuair a thosaigh an cogadh agus chuaigh sé láithreach lom san arm. Maraíodh é agus é i gCór Liachta Arm na Breataine nuair a bhí na Comhghuaillithe ag dul ar aghaidh as Delville Wood mar chuid d’ionsaí an Somme i mí Iúil 1916. B’as Baile Átha Luain ó dhúchas dó agus cuireadh é i Reilig Corbie, in aice le Amiens sa Fhrainc.

Mac léinn cumasach ba ea William Keane (r. 1892) as Sráid na Siopaí i nGaillimh. Ghnóthaigh sé scoláireachtaí Coláiste sna Dána agus san Innealtóireacht. Bhí sé ag staidéar do Scrúdú Státseirbhíse na hIndia i Sasana nuair a fógraíodh an cogadh. Maraíodh é agus é ag troid leis an 3ú Cathlán d’Fhiúsailéirí Ríoga na hÉireann i mí na Samhna 1916 agus cuireadh é i Reilig Kemmel sa Bheilg.

Bhog John Paul (r. 1890) go Gaillimh as Béal Feirste ina ghasúr agus d’fhreastail sé ar Mhodhscoil na Gaillimhe. Bhí sé le hAirtléire Mhachaire Cheanada ar an bhFronta Thiar nuair a gortaíodh é. Bhí sé ag teacht chuige féin i bhFlóndras nuair a bhásaigh sé in i rith ruathar aeir i mí na Bealtaine 1917. Preispitéireach a bhí ann a bhuaigh scoláireacht chuig an Ollscoil i 1905 agus gan é ach cúig bliana déag d’aois.

B’as ceantar Bharr an Chalaidh i mbaile na Gaillimhe do John P. Forde (r. 1893) ó dhúchas agus d’fhreastail sé ar Choláiste Iognáid (an ‘Jes’) in aice láimhe. Chuir sé a chúrsa leighis ar leataobh le troid don 9ú cathlán d’Fhiúsailéirí Ríoga Bhaile Átha Cliath. Bhí sé coimisiúnaithe de bharr a chrógachta. Maraíodh é agus é i gceannas ar ionsaí ar an 19ú Coisithe Bavárach i rith an Tríú Cath in Ypres i mí Lúnasa 1917. Níor aimsíodh a chorp riamh.

B’as Bournemouth Shasana do Reginald Durdle (r. 1893) ó dhúchas. Throid sé go leor cathanna ar an bhFronta Thiar agus maraíodh é cúpla seachtain sular chríochnaigh an cogadh nuair a bhí a aonad, an 4ú Reisimint East Kent, ag iarraidh briseadh trí Líne Hindenburg i Meán Fómhair 1918.

B’as Durlas i dTiobraid Árann do Samuel Matthews (. 1887) ó dhúchas, bhí sé ina chathaoirleach ar Chumann Díospóireachta an Choláiste agus is iomaí Scoláireacht Choláiste a bhuaigh sé chun tabhairt faoin leigheas. Bhí sé i gCór Liachta Arm na Breataine san Afraic Thoir. Fiabhras a mharaigh é trí lá sular chríochnaigh an cogadh. Tá sé curtha i Reilig Chogaidh an Chomhlathais, Dar Es Salaam, sa Tansáin.

Mac léinn den scoth ba ea Francis Slattery (r. 1892) a bhain céad onóracha amach san innealtóireacht. Bhí sé sna hInnealtóirí Ríoga agus gortaíodh go dona é sa troid in Salonika, nó Thessaloniki anois, sa Ghréig. D’fhill sé ar Shasana ach bhásaigh sé in Eanáir 1919. Tugadh a chorp abhaile go hÉirinn agus cuireadh é i gCill Chríost.

Tá iarmhic léinn an Choláiste, Charles Kidd as Baile Átha Cliath, agus James St Laurence Kirwan, as Béal Átha na Sluaighe, ar Liosta Cogaidh an Choláiste chomh maith. Bhí Kidd i gCór Liachta Arm na Breataine sara bhfuair sé bás tobann i Sasana i mí Iúil 1920. Bhí an Dr Kirwan coimisiúnaithe mar leifteanant sa Chór Liachta ag deireadh 1915 agus chaith sé seal le hearcaíocht. Fuair sé bás i mí Lúnasa 1916 in aois a 44 bliana, i ndiaidh dó filleadh ar a phost leighis san ospidéal meabhairghalair i mBéal Átha na Sluaighe.