Born: 3 January 1848, Ardee, County Louth
Entered: 7 September 1865, Milltown Park, Dublin
Ordained: [1880]
Final vows: 02 February 1889
Died: 4 June 1931, Tullabeg, County Offaly
The Presbyterian Church in Birr grew in numbers in the 1840s following the Crotty Schism. Fr William Crotty (with his cousin Fr Michael Crotty) led this breakaway Catholic congregation to join the Presbyterian Church. Crotty's Church built to emulate a Presbyterian Hall was erected in Castle Street in 1839. A new church building for the Presbyterian congregation was erected in 1885 in John's Mall, not now in use.
The 100th (Prince of Wales's Royal Canadian) Regiment of Foot and 109th Regiment of Foot were amalgamated in July 1881 to form the Leinster Regiment as part of the Caldwell Reforms. Regiments were to consist of two regular battalions and three militia battalion. 1st Battalion formed from the 100th Regiment of Foot, 2nd Battalion from the 109th Regiment of Foot, 3rd Battalion from the King’s County Militia, 4th Battalion from the Queen’s County Militia and the 5th Battalion from the Royal Meath Militia. Birr Barracks, Crinkill became the depot for the regiment, where depot staff were permanently based. The Regiment took part in: Fourth Anglo-Ashanti War (1895-6), Second Anglo Boer War (1899-1902), First World War (1914-1919), Malabar Rebellion (1921). Disbanded at Windsor Castle on 12 June 1922, along with five other southern Irish Regiments.
Victoria Cross Receptions
• Lieutenant John Vincent Holland, 1916.
• Corporal John Cunningham, 1917.
• Private Martin Joseph Moffat, 1918.
• Sergeant John O’Neill, 1918.
Portlaoise, Laois