DOI: 10.7925/drs1.ucdlib_36570
title: Fr. Francis A. Gleeson Papers

description: A collection of papers belonging to Fr. Francis A. Gleeson relating to his time as Catholic Military Chaplain to the 2nd Battalion Royal Munster Fusiliers during World War I. The papers include diaries detailing life at the front and religious activities, Brigade Rolls listing mainly Roman Catholic soldiers, and correspondence from the families of men missing or killed in action.
description: Biographical/historical information: Francis A. Gleeson was born on 28th May, 1884 in Templemore, County Tipperary, and was one of thirteen children. He studied in Holy Cross College, Clonliffe, before completing his studies at St. Patrick's College, Maynooth, where he was ordained on 19th June 1910 by the Archbishop of Dublin, Dr. William Walsh. He was appointed Chaplain to St. Vincent's Male Orphanage, Glasnevin in October 1910. Two years later he was appointed Chaplain to St. Mary's Home for the Blind. On November 10th, 1914 Fr. Gleeson was appointed by the War Office to the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Munster Fusiliers, then already in action in France. His contract with the War Office was for one year and when it expired in November 1915, he returned to Ireland. After a period of convalescence, he served as a Curate in the newly opened temporary Church of Our Lady of Lourdes, Gloucester Street, Dublin (now Sean MacDermott Street) from 16th December 1915. He re-joined the 2nd Munsters in France in May 1917 but was posted away from the 'Dirty Shirts' in February 1918. He completed his second two-year stint as a Military Chaplain with the British Army in May 1919, after which he returned to Dublin and served for a year in Gloucester Street, before being appointed as a Curate in St. Michael's Parish, Dun Laoghaire on 13th July, 1920. On account of his previous experience in the First World War, Fr. Gleeson was appointed as a Command Chaplain with the Dublin Army Command of the National Army of the Irish Free State on 12th February, 1923. He was appointed as a Curate in Bray Parish on 18th May, 1924, followed by the position of Parish Priest of Aughrim Parish on 20th January, 1941. Finally, he was appointed Parish Priest of St. Catherine's, Meath Street, Dublin, on 30th August, 1944. He was elected to be a member of the Metropolitan Chapter with the title of Canon on 7th May, 1956 and he died on the 26th June, 1959. Fr. Gleeson is buried in Glasnevin Cemetery.
description: Scope and content: Material relating to his time as Military Chaplain (1914-1919) including diaries and Brigade Roll Books of soldiers from the Royal Munster Fusiliers and other regiments while serving in France. The diaries give an account of the horror of war in all its sufferings and privations while detailing the extraordinary importance of faith to the Irish men whose lives were daily sacrificed on the front line. They give insight into terrible conditions suffered by the troops as well as activities such as, destruction of property, the ordinary French people, acts of valour, kindness, death, coffin making and much more. Correspondence between Fr. Gleeson and the families of men missing or killed in action show his interest in their plight and offers help and support. Many of the letters thank him for his kindness and acknowledge the great affection their loved ones had for him.
description: Location of original: The original papers are held in the Dublin Diocesan Archives, Holy Cross College, Clonliffe Road, Dublin 3.
description: Scope and content: Abbreviations: abd - abdomen Adj./Adjut. – Adjutant Batt/Battn – Battalion bes - beside Brig/Brg – Brigade Bvry – Beuvry c/child - children CE – Church of England cemet - cemetery Cpl - Corporal CO – Commanding Officer Coal boxes – type of explosive device Coy – Company CSM – Company Sergeant Major dev – devotions distill - distillery dow – died of wounds ev – evening evac – evacuated f/fa – father FA – Field Ambulance freq – frequently GA – General Absolution g/gm/gmo – grandmother Glous - Gloucesters gs – gunshot gsw/gw – gunshot wound Ho – home Hosp – hospital HQ – Head Quarters HQ Sigs – Head Quarter Signaller JJs/Jack Johnsons – type of explosive device kd – killed L/C – Lance Corporal Lieut - Lieutenant LNL/LN Lancs – Loyal North Lancashires LSGT – Lieutenant Sergeant m/mo – mother MDS/MD St/DS – Munster Dressing Station M de C - MGS – machine gun section Mjr – Major nw – nephew Pl/Plat - Platoon Plen Indul – Plenary Indulgence Pt/Pte – Private QMS – Quarter Master Sergeant RAMC – Royal Army Medical Corps RC/RCs – Roman Catholic(s) RE – Royal Engineers rgt shld – right shoulder RMF – Royal Muster Fusiliers Sain man – sanitary division SB/Sbr – stretcher bearers SH – Sacred Heart sh - shot sl/slgt – slight SWB/SWBr – South Wales Borderers Vet - veteran vgc – very good Catholic vy – very young W.C./W. Cr. - Windy Corner yest – yesterday Dates 8.7, 9.17 usually refer to dates when the soldier received Confession, Holy Communion or General Absolution unless followed by abbreviations/words such as killed/wounded/evac. Specific to this collection: (a) – still (k) – killed (w) – wounded (mi) – missing (s) – sick and gone to hospital
description: Annotations/handwriting: The diaries and brigade rolls are all handwritten. Typed transcripts created by the Dublin Diocesan Archives are included in the collection. Fr. Gleeson added some notes to the diaries retrospectively and censored parts by crossing out his handwriting.
description: Biographical/historical information: Engagements in which the 2nd Battalion of the Munster Fusiliers took part during Father Gleeson’s time with them (1). (Note: Father Gleeson’s second period of enlistment did not end until the fifteenth of May 1919 (2). However, when the 2nd Battalion moved south on the 1st Feb. 1918, to Longuavesnes to join the 16th Irish Division, Father Gleeson remained behind with 3rd Brigade (3). He returned to England on the 2nd of July 1918.(4)) Year Month Date Location 1914 Dec 22 Festubert 1915 May 9 Aubers (Rue du Bois) 1915 Sept 25 Loos 1917 June 7 Wytschaete 1917 June 7 Messines 1917 Jul-Nov Ypres 1917 Aug 16 Langemarck 1917 Nov 9 Passchendaele 1917 Nov 20 Tunnel Trench (1) McCance, S History of the Royal Munster Fusiliers (Schull, Co. Cork, 1995) II, p.239. (2) London Gazette, Supplement to, 17,June, 1919 p. 7819 http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/31410/supplements/7819 (3) Jervis, H.S. The 2nd Munsters in France (Schull,County Cork, 1998) p.42. (4) The Royal Army Chaplain's Department, Museum of Military Chaplaincy. Partial copy of chaplains movements in and out of France for the WW1 period.