Radio presenter Joe Duffy considers himself a 'true blue Dub' - with his ancestors on both sides originating in Dublin city close to the Liffey. There are family stories about a grandmother being born in India and her brother dying as a result of a snakebite, and also of an ancestor dying in France during WW1.
After meeting with his mother and other family members he discovers that her family moved around many Dublin Tenement addresses due to repeated evictions and they share photos of his grandparents and great-grandparents.
Joe's ancestors are discovered on both the 1911 and 1901 census in Dublin and the address included proves to be useful in later research. One set of grandparents are traced back to Co. Roscommon in the late 1890 where with the assistance of the parish priest he finds the marriage details and their fathers names and addresses. He locates the townland mentioned and finds small fields and derelict cottages.
Army records for this grandfather are located (in London?) and prove initially difficult to read but show that his great-grandfather joined up in Roscommon and was stationed at Athlone Barracks before being posted to India. A birth cert for a son later born in Ireland shows that his great-grandmother initially stayed behind. Further examination of the army records show that his great-grandfather was reported in India around this time for drunkenness - presumably he heard the news of his sons birth and was 'Wetting his head..' with a few drinks! Later when promoted he was able to bring his wife and son out to India where the other children, including Joe's Grandmother, were born. A catholic church still exists close to the barrack Joe's great grandfather was based and they are able to locate births of grandmother and siblings. The mystery of the snake-bite child named by his family as 'Arnold' is solved when it is discovered that one of the children was given the second middle name of Arnold and he is referred to as Arnold on a death record is located (not stated where - but looks like a GRO England cert), which states he died in 1907 of dysentery. No death records survive in the Indian church so the priest organises a team of local school children to help Joe search for the grave of Arnold - to no avail.
After leaving India Joe turns to his other army ancestor who joined the Dublin Fusiliers. With the help of a researcher he discovers a website listing many war death and locates his ancestor among the WW1 list. He visits the town in France where his ancestor (grandfathers brother?) was billeted and a WW1 historian shows him the trenches and War diaries for the Dublin Fusiliers around the correct date. It appears that his ancestor may have been injured and died several days later. The researcher also located a photo of his Soldier relation and Joe locates the grave and headstone where he leaves a poem discovered by his daughter.
Shane
