priest father june priest served british_army chaplain involvement world war educated near dublin ordained worked home blind service outbreak war commissioned attached royal served battle battle said taken command battalion officers enemy highly regarded men tending wounded fire visiting trenches bringing gifts eve battle ridge addressed assembled battalion shrine gave general battalion suffered heavily battle men assembled subject painting request widow battalion commanding officer end year service returned dublin rejoined army chaplain remained years war returned ireland priest churches near dublin elected canon dublin death june early life born county ireland thirteen children decided catholic priest educated dublin college ordained priest mary dublin lived going mary home blind march jesuit nationalist speaker outbreak war outbreak world war july volunteered service british_army priests commissioned 4th class equivalent captain november soon serving 2nd battalion western france battalion regular troops formed 1st british troops deployed france seeing action joined participated british officer poet recalled autobiography good bye battle found officer battalion having removed chaplain insignia indicated non status took command unit held relieved later december year joined battalion counterattack battle christmas day line unaffected christmas truce chose conduct mass line trenches frequently fire mass memory seven officers men died failed attack december advisor men regiment kept careful records names addresses write families died ended letter words paid great sacrifice later title book published details wartime service records men time spent answering letters families ireland concerned sons husbands times task overwhelmed evident personal diary wrote june got letters today reading answering tomorrow like poor people limit inquiries tragedy letters frequent visits lines conducted burial services wooden grave marker crosses entering man land comfort dying soldiers men said sure cup tea visited trenches late night certain check short ammunition sent requests ireland hymn books men field bought mouth organs entertainment men said warrior mistake man brave cooler hottest place firing line comfort boys dying work chaplain renowned war correspondent stated meet man 2nd mention father face lights whilst moving forwards trenches preparation ordered battalion halt shrine near shrine fact altar destroyed shells earlier war ridden column addressed assembled men gave general whilst mounted horse men sang hymns hail queen heaven moved ranks bidding farewell officers encouraging men maintain honour regiment battalion moved trenches launched attack morning largely cut machine gun fire advanced yards men survived capture german trenches unit day forced withdraw casualties battalion amounted officers men killed including lieutenant colonel addition officers men wounded duty attend wounded dying delivering rites despite german shells landing close battle assembled officers men found fit parade widow requested war artist parade painting centred delivering depicted background later donated stole wore parade regimental museum distinguished later year assisting defence trench enemy attack strong commitment idea freeing belgium german occupation known critical considered anti clerical views held french authorities familiar realities war december wrote advocates war soaked cold wet trench mud like poor soldiers wear mud weighted coats art war undergo nights mud river trenches teach lesson having originally agreed serve year wrote father senior roman catholic chaplain october requesting relieved duty stating sorry leaving dear old stand longer like life love poor men dublin requested permission archbishop return army service year recommissioned previous rank serve years transferred 48th brigade 16th irish division january remained post war armistice returned ireland discharged british_army encountered hostility irish republicans war association british_army june attended dedication british cemetery holds remains men killed defence superior german forces whilst acting rearguard august served chaplain armed forces february irish civil war successfully wrote produced dramas drama holy week entitled staged theatre royal dublin february received high praise authorities sacred drama subsequently staged april march presented passion week cast seventy lady hall dublin second drama rose battle laid french lines war soldier friends reconciled faith church friend killed badly wounded cured prayers friend sister hospital nurse drama widely acclaimed staged abbey theatre dublin casting later life legacy worked later priest street dublin august elected canon dublin died june buried cemetery dublin honoured annual report stating canon died saint meet stone tablet island ireland peace park near belgium inscribed quote describing efforts comfort wounded stole wore famous rediscovered august collection having acquired memorial unveiled recently rediscovered site war diaries held dublin dublin diaries notes records collection month long joint project completed april
Francis Gleeson (priest)