Father Gleeson Papers

[Dombyrne]

Has anyone else on here ever used the Fr Gleeson papers held at UCD for any research? They seem to be totally specific to the 2nd Battalion RMF but do appear to be a bit of  a gold mine for anyone interested in that unit (like me!!). If I have understood what I can see correctly there are essentially 2 full lists of all OR's he made in June 1917 and Nov 1917 giving full details of army number, rank, name, next of kin and address and most wonderfully, platoon and company number. Would that be about right?

 

[corisande]

 

For those who have not come across Father Gleeson, he was a well known figure in RMF history

 

The Last General Absolution of the Munster Fusiliers at Rue du Bois. Painting commissioned by Jessie Louisa Rickard,
the original of which was destroyed during the bombing of London in World War II.  Father Gleeson is the officer on the horse giving the absolution

 

From Wikipedia

Whilst moving forwards to the trenches on 8 May 1915, in preparation for the Battle of Aubers Ridge, Lieutenant-Colonel Victor Rickard ordered the battalion to halt at a roadside shrine in Rue du Bois, near Fleurbaix. The shrine was in fact the altar of the Chapel of Notre Dame de Seez which had been destroyed by shells earlier in the war. Gleeson, who had ridden at the front of the column, addressed the assembled 800 men and gave them the general absolution whilst still mounted on his horse. The men then sang the hymns Hail, Queen of Heaven, the Te Deum and Hail Glorious Saint Patrick before Gleeson moved along the ranks bidding farewell to the officers and encouraging the men to maintain the honour of the regiment.The battalion then moved off to the trenches from which they launched their attack at 5.30 the next morning.The Munsters were largely cut down by machine gun fire before they had advanced more than a few yards although enough men survived to capture the German trenches, the only unit to do so that day, before being forced to withdraw.

 

His papers are at the UCD Digital Library

 

[FROGSMILE]

1 hour ago, Dombyrne said:

Has anyone else on here ever used the Fr Gleeson papers held at UCD for any research? They seem to be totally specific to the 2nd Battalion RMF but do appear to be a bit of  a gold mine for anyone interested in that unit (like me!!). If I have understood what I can see correctly there are essentially 2 full lists of all OR's he made in June 1917 and Nov 1917 giving full details of army number, rank, name, next of kin and address and most wonderfully, platoon and company number. Would that be about right?

 

Further to corisande’s post above, you may well find this moving 35-page thread dedicated to Father Gleeson and 2nd RMF rewarding to read through: