My grandfather's name was John Condon. He was a soldier before the First World War. We think he was returned on the census for Ballymullen Barracks as a soldier in the Royal Munster Fusiliers in 1901. His army number in the census in 1901 was 4152. He was a private and aged 23 (born circa 1878). He married my grandmother, Margaret Murphy, on 6th July, 1905. She lived next door to the barracks in Giles Lane, Ballymullen and several members of her family were also members of the Royal Munster Fusiliers. John had left the army at this point but was possibly in the reserves. He must have rejoined the Munsters at some point between 1911 and 1914, because in January 1914, he was awared the long service good conduct medal and made up to Sergeant. (see picture of officers at Ballymullen Barracks, Tralee, circa 1914). In 1914, he was in the 3rd Battalion Royal Munster Fusiliers and his number was 2591. In the photo, he is pictured in dress uniform with his good conduct medal. We think this photo was taken shortly after he received his medal as the uniform looks new and his children are approximately the correct ages. The girl sitting on his knee is his daughter, Julia Condon (born 1907), and the young boy is his son, John Condon (born in 1906). Some time between 1914 and 1915 he must have been in France as he received the 1914-1915 Mons Star Medal. He came home on Furlough at least once in 1916 as the youngest childin the family, James (my father), was born in February, 1917. My grandmother used to talk about getting postcards from Wipers from him during the war. He talked of setting up a business with a French soldier making sweets. Sweet making was in my grandmother's family but my grandfather had met a French soldier who knew how to make chocolate. While most of the postcards have been lost over the years, we have one exapmple that John sent to his wife. It has Remembrance and Flowers embroidered on the front. His simple message on the back was from husband, to wife and children. I remember another postcard from him that I saw in my grandmother's house which had written on the back keep children at school. Some time in approximately 1916, he came back to Tralee and had his picture taken in combat uniform. The photographs of the children were taken in approximately 1916 and 1917 and copies were probably sent to him at the front. The group shot of the children shows from left to right, Julia Condon, born 1907, infant Michael, born 1915, (behind infant) John, born 1906, Patrick, born 1913, Mary, born 1908. The First Communion photo shows Julia on the left and Mary on the right. At some point during the war, John transferred to the labour corps. His new army number was 451179. According to family stories, he was a quarter master, but as his military record was burnt, we don't know his exact duties while he was in France. According to family stories, he was gassed while he was in France. He was transferred back to Ballymullen Barracks 3 weeks before his death, approx. Nov. 6, 1918. He was ill - according to his death certificate, he had influenza, however his son Paddy (Patrick) who went to see him at the barracks before he died thought he had enterric fever (dysentery). He is buried in Rath Cemetery, Tralee, Co. Kerry. John was not a native of Tralee. Clonmel may be his parish of origin, but after 15 years research, we have not found his bith certificate or baptism certificate. We think he was born between 1875 and 1882. We think his father was called Denis Condon and his mother was Mary. He possibly had a brother called James Condon, nicknamed Whistling Jim. When he wasn't in the army, John Condon worked as a dealer. He bought and sold goods (tableware, sweets, fruit) at fairs and markets around Kerry. || photographs, postcards || || Medal || Medals of Sgt. John Condon, Tralee, Co. Kerry (Royal Munster Fusiliers)

Captain DD Sheehan MP pictured (left) with his third son 2nd Lieutenant Michael J Sheehan both Royal Munster Fusiliers, on the Western Front with the British Expeditionary Force. Daniel Desmond (DD) Sheehan (1873-1948) was a journalist, barrister and Independent Member of Parliament for mid-Cork, Ireland (1901-1918) at Westminster. Despite being aged 41 and father of a family of nine he enlisted at Buttevant, county Cork in November 1914. In the spring and summer of 1915 he undertook the organisation of three special voluntary enlistment campaigns in counties Limerick, Clare and Cork and received Captaincy and company command in July. He served in the 9th Royal Munster Fusiliers (RMF) (Service) Battalion of the 16th (Irish) Division on the Loos Salient in France 1915-16, then with the 2nd (Regular) RMF Battalion. Whilst in the trenches at the front, DD Sheehan contributed a series of articles in his own name to the Daily Express, Irish Times and Cork Constitution. Re-assigned at the end of 1916 for health reasons and loss of hearing from shell-fire to the 3rd RMF (Reserve) Battalion, he acted as a Lewis gun and Anti-Gas Instructor. He was de-commissioned from the army due to ill-health in January 1918, retaining the honorary rank of Captain. Intimidation by militants hostile to his earlier recruiting, necessitated that he and his family abandon their Cork city home and move to London, only returning to Dublin in 1926 (biography, see Wikipedia D. D. Sheehan). Pictured on the right, Michael Joseph Sheehan (1899-1975), 2nd Lieutenant Royal Munster Fusiliers, DD Sheehan’s third son who enlisted at aged 15 1/2. He was at 16 the youngest commissioned officer in the army on the Western Front and twice wounded (later Brigadier Michael J Sheehan OBE CBE, Indian Army, WW2 Burma Campaign).

Private Patrick O’Regan from Commons in Cork was a member of the Royal Munster Fusiliers (also known as ‘the dirty shirts’) for the duration of the first world war. His job in the army was to dig the trenches in France. Sadly, Patrick O’Regan did not come home to a hero’s welcome – rather he was rejected and shown the door by his wife and family and wandered the streets of Cork “down and out”. He would meet his young grandson on the street and always stopped for a chat during which he promised young Patrick his war medals. He was true to his word. || 1. Photograph of Private Patrick O'Regan 2. Family photograph (left to right) of: Margaret Buttimer, Nora O'Regan, Maud O'Regan, Terence Long (brother of Patrick Long. His wife, two daughters and grandson 3. Patrick O'Regan's daughter 4. Medals : Victory medal for the Great War for Civilization, George V Medal, 1914-15 Star 5. Birth certificate of Patrick Regan 6. Service record of Private Patrick O'Regan, Labour Corps