Royal Irish Rifles

[bestdriver]

For Dothawkes and Craft. I have been trying to locate my grandfather;s date of birth from the Royal Irish Rifles. His army number was 3/23128/83 and fought in the first world war,but I have been getting nowhere with the R.I.R.This was to help me trace what happened to him when he went to Winnipeg/Toronto around 1923. Our families in the UK have no idea what occurred at that time. My grandfather was born 1890/1/2//3 circa.We don't know exactly when. Any chance you both can help me? Thanks

[bestdriver]

Silly m, forgot to say, his name is Joseph Quirk.!

[dothawkes31]

was he from the Isle of Man?

[craft1948]

Do you know if he had a middle name as so far I have 4 Joseph's with the middle names....Ernest, Stanley, John, and Edward?

[bestdriver]

He was from around about Dublin. I know there are a lot form the Isle Of Man also Thanks

[craft1948]

Sorry bestdriver I have no access to birth records in Eire......good luck.

[bestdriver]

Hi craft and Dochawkes,sorry but he did not have any middle names. Also he stayed in Ayrshire for a while before going to Canada. Thanks

[dothawkes31]

Joseph Quirke baptised 18 may 1890 Cork, Co Cork, ireland son of John Quirke and Ellen Sullivan.

[dothawkes31]

That is the only recorded baptism for a Joseph Quirk(e) 1880 - 1900 in the whole of Irland.

[craft1948]

That's the only one I could see on ancestry dot......someone called sherriquirke has him in their tree.....

[bestdriver]

So far so good I think. His wife was Christine(a) Quirk.They spelled their name with an E at the end until they came to the UK.So it is QuirkE in Ireland and Quirk in the UK.

[bestdriver]

I had an uncle called Joseph JOHN Quirk. So I was speaking to my cousin (his son) tonight and he recalled that his father was always just called John, so maybe that is because of his grandfather's name.

[bestdriver]

There was some talk of a Jane Butterley or Walsh as his mother,does that help at all,doc and craft.

[dothawkes31]

This link can only outline the events that Joseph lived through during his Army service.
http://www.hellfire-c....demon.co.uk/9vcs.htm

[bestdriver]

Hi there dothawkes and craft.Thanks again for your perseverance.Now dothawkes said there was a Joseph Quirke that was baptised in Cork on 18th may 1890 so I think that he was born early in 1890.Can you get any more details that maybe are on the baptism certificate like his date of birth or where I could apply for in Ireland.Thanks.Keep up the good work both of you.

[dothawkes31]

I have found a Joseph P Quirk sailing from canada to North America (Detroit from oTTawa actually, ir was 1920 and he was Irish, a boilermaker living at 223 Gloucster St Ottawa with his wife Lilian, he is recorded as 26 years old on the ships manifest.

Some similarities to what you already have

[bestdriver]

Thanks dothawkes. I know he had to leave my grandmother back in Scotland at the time as there was not much work here in the UK. (any similarities here?) to go to CanadaThat would be around the early 20s. Is it possible to find the church in Cork where he was baptised. And/or see if there was an item on it about his date of birth. As it was in 1890. It means he would be around 30 and not 26 as the person you found Joseph P. Quirk. (no E) Any ideas Many thanks

[carolegif]

My mother's father was in the Canadian Army in the Irish Rangers. He worked on the transatlantic liners and got caught on the wrong side of the Atlantic when war broke out. he did not get back until July 1916 when he went straight to Verdun and the Somme. The Canadian Military website is very good and I found my grandfather's Attestation papers. I emailed them and asked about any medals he would have had and they sent them over for a fee of 10 Canadian Dollars which was a lovely surprise for my mother. Grandad died aged 48 from a weak heart due to being gassed in WW1.

[dothawkes31]

I did find the other day about the recruitment in Canada to the Irish Rangers Carole, it seemed the reverse of bestdriver's story but it was curious, there is a good deal of info on them online as you say.