Help with Irish photo

[daisymershum]

Hi,

Just wondering if anyone could help me with identifying the uniform and rank of the soldier in this photo?

He is my grand uncle, Patrick Joseph Mervyn, and the date in the right hand corner is quite significant, as it was the day before the Irish Civil War officially ended (May 24, 1923).

I was told that he was a Captain in the Irish Army. I'd also be interested to know what the handwritten line is on the photo? It seems it's in Irish, 'Fear something'?

Any help would be much appreciated.
Dave
(DaisyMershum)

[macintosh]

I think the writing is a name in Irish, something like Fergal Mac*******, maybe a posting on the Irish board would bring results.

James

[aghadowey]

Larger version on Ireland board but the writing is still difficult to read-
www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,469785.msg3298370.html#msg3298370-

[macintosh]

Does the faint pencil writing under the pic say "Pal of my ?" I am still convinced it's a name in the Irish Gaelic, maybe not my original posting of Fergal Mac ***** 

James

[Pete Keane]

If you scroll down the attached link, you will find details of the Irish Defence forces museum, who will identify his rank etc

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?PHPSESSID=ba9d00c0e70fc087af83dd22b52d5f14&topic=278849.0

Pete

[macintosh]

I thought his rank was lieutenant as in the pic of Peter's  link , though the three bars on his collar puzzled me as I have seen a pic of Michel Collins the Irish Patriot  with the same uniform  at around the same time and only one collar bar, so it would seem the bars on the epaulettes are the equivalent of the British Army stars or as are some times incorrectly called pips and the collar bars are an indication of something else.

The Irish Defence Force site that Peter  mentions is extremely good and gives a chronological time frame of the evolution of the Irish military

James

[daisymershum]

Mystery solved! The Military Archives in Cathal Brugha Barracks, Dublin emailed me back, and cleared everything up!

Turns out my dad was wrong and it is not a photo of my grand uncle, Captain Patrick Mervyn.

Hugh in the archives said: 'I have checked the photo and it is actually a portrait of General Sean McMahon, the Chief of Staff of the Free State Army from August 1922 until March 1924. The writing at the bottom is his signature, so it is a nice photograph to have!
 
'The rank markings on the collar are a sign of a senior Staff Officer. Captain Mervyn would have had three bars specifically on his shoulder flashes.'

It turns out my grand uncle worked closely with Sean McMahon during his time in the army (1922-1926).

Patrick was Staff Officer in Chief of Staff’s Department, General Headquarters, and Personal Staff Officer to General Officer Commanding, Southern Command, Major General Sean McMahon.'

Hugh told me: 'Captain Mervyn would have been involved with clerical work in both Offices that he worked in. Major General McMahon was actually Chief of Staff (COS) during part of Capt Mervyn’s time in the Chief of Staff’s Office. General Richard Mulcahy was COS before that (he went on to be Commander in Chief after Collins’ death during the Civil War) and General Peadar McMahon was COS after that.
 
'Maj Gen McMahon asked for Capt Mervyn to be transferred down to him as his Personal Staff Officer (PSO) once he returned to Southern Command as General Officer Commanding (GOC), as the captain was familiar with the type of work involved.
 
'This work would have ranged from secretarial type work, to escort duty, liaison with various committees and Corps, and basically any work that the GOC might throw at him. The Captain who works here has had experience as a PSO to a Force Commander on one of the UN missions, and he says that he has never been so busy!'

Nice of him to go to the trouble. Thanks again to all who replied to my initial query.

[Pete Keane]

Thats a great result.

Thanks for letting us know.

Pete